Vauxhall Vectra Oil Pressure Warning

I've got a 2000 Vauxhall Vectra with a gasoline engine and I'm having a worry. The warning light in the speedometer came on, and now the oil pressure warning lamp is also lighting up. The car has done 171689 km. I checked the oil and it looks… well, not good. It seems contaminated, like it's got dirt in it or something. Could this be a simple fix, like just an oil and filter change, or am I looking at something more serious?

4 comment(s)

Sounds familiar. I had a similar issue with my old Peugeot a while back. Oil pressure light came on, and the oil looked pretty nasty. Have you checked when the last oil change was? Could just be an exceeded maintenance interval.

Yeah, I was thinking that too. I'm not sure exactly when it was last changed, I need to check the service book. But if it's just that, why is the oil so dark and sludgy? Could that be a sign of something else going wrong?

Dark and sludgy oil is usually a sign it's way overdue. If the oil pressure light is on, best not to drive it much. Get it to a workshop and have them check the oil pressure and do an oil and filter change. Could save you from engine damage.

Thanks for the advice! You were spot on. I took it to a workshop, and it turns out the maintenance interval was exceeded by quite a bit. They did an oil and filter change, and the oil pressure is back to normal. Cost me 165€, but better than a new engine! Lesson learned: keep up with those oil changes!

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