How long can you drive after the oil lamp lights up

Even in conditions of regular maintenance of the car, its owner may find himself in a situation where a low oil pressure lamp lights up just 500 km after leaving the service station. Some drivers immediately go to buy oil and top up, while others go to the service station. There are others who continue to drive. Which solution is correct in this case?

Yellow or red

When the oil level drops, the warning light on the instrument panel may turn yellow or red. However, not everyone knows exactly what each of them means. Yellow indicates a decrease in the level by 1 liter, and red indicates its drop to a critical level (or other damage). The sensors of the two alarms work separately from each other.

Gasoline engines usually need less oil than diesel engines, and if the car owner drives it calmly, without sudden acceleration and heavy loads, the yellow light may not light up even after 10 km.

Yellow signal

If the yellow light on the sensor is on, this is not critical for the engine. The frictional parts of the engine are sufficiently protected, but if possible, add oil is not too much. As soon as it falls below the critical level, the lamp will turn red and this should not be ignored.

Red signal

If the sensor shows red, the oil level is already below the minimum. Then problems starting the engine. Which means only one thing - "oil" hunger will begin very soon, which is very harmful to the unit itself. In extreme cases, you can drive about 200 km, after which you need to add fluid.

However, it is best to stop the car and ask for help, because a red light can indicate problems other than a sharp drop in level. These include, for example, damage to the oil pump or other cause of pressure drop. Running with insufficient oil will definitely damage the engine, so it is best to turn it off.