red92rs

So short story 2010 TL SH-AWD with 123k. Car has been dealership maintained all of its life. Fully xynthetic oil changed every 5k. Mostly hwy miles. I have noticed it eats 1/2 a qt of oil (valvoline) every 3k miles so usually I drop in a 1/2 a qt at that point and run to 5k then change it all.

Today I am right at about 3k, I am driving and coming up to a stop light. I am slowing down and all of a sudden I get a low oil level light and then it goes off when I come to a stop. It never came on again the next 15 or so minutes the rest of the way home. I pop the hood when I get home and check the oil level. Its right at about the bottom of the cross hatches as usual at 3k, I drop in another 1/2 qt and I am right back to mid hatches on the dip stick. I normally see it get this low and oil light has never come on. Remember it was at minimum oil level per the dip stick, not below.

I am trying to figure out what caused the low level message and am wondering if that warning is based on oil shifiting to the front of the pan while braking, or if that light is based on oil pressure and I have a bigger issue lurking. I suppose the start of the answer comes down to if the car has both an oil level sensor and an oil pressure sensor, or just an oil pressure sensor. Again while oil level was down it was still in the hatch marks. I have never got an oil light at that level

Thoughts?

meowmeows

I had the same issue where it would light up while coming to a stop but go away afterwards. Oil level was fine too. In the end, the issue went away by itself.
I believe this TSB may be related. Looks like there is only a pressure switch: https://www.autoserviceprofessional....a-oil-pressure

EE4Life

See TSB 09-012 - MID or Navi Shows a Check Engine Oil Level Message, Low Oil Pressure Indicator May Be On in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 TSB threads.

https://acurazine.com/forums/fourth-...inside-945434/

RenoTL

About 2 years ago, I was getting the same "Low Oil" message. The oil level was fine. Turned out to be the Oil Pressure sensor. Had it replaced and haven' seen the message since.

alxhastngs

Same issue here. 2012 3.7 at 100k the sensor went bad, replaced and haven't seen it since.

wmliedtke

Adding to any already old post.... I bought a used 2009 TL with only 60K miles on it. Left dealership before playing with tech. package features on way back home (60 mi.) and discovered this "info" button which revealed I had one trouble message which was "check engine oil level". I did NOT have that "i" which stands for info lite on instrument panel and had no big yellow "oil can" error on instrument panel which I assume would also trigger the Check engine light. Pulled over and oil was clean and full to the very top. WTF?? I have plenty of oil, but Check oil level message. Join this forum and did search which led me to TSB 09-012 which describes my issue exactly and says it is due to faulty oil pressure switch. I looked for a way to clear these messages to see if condition could be cleared and possibly not return. Found no such reset for messages. Bought the 3 volume set of Acura service manuals. Pricey, but if you do your own work, gotta have. Hoping to find means to reset messages, I came up empty handed, so I ordered that pressure switch $35. Was going to change it (low priority since I knew oil was good) I addressed a more critical issue first. On highway, had a whining sound from front end which increased with speed. Car had crappy tires so bought new 18" and nicer 18" wheels feeling tire noise could also cause the whine. New tires were so quiet, whine became even more apparent! Now felt wheel bearing. To determine which wheel bearing is bad (or both) you put car in air on lift, put car in drive, and while using special bar to hold one front wheel still at a time while other is spinning I isolated to right side bearing as bad. Changed and noise gone. Great right? Well, kinda. Now message center indicated I had check oil level error still PLUS rear wheel speed sensor errors #16 and #18 and statement that ASC was therefore disabled! I suspected that in the logic of many cars, my prior BMW taught me this, if computer sees front wheels turning but rear wheels not (no output from speed sensors) they must be bad as how can a car go as indicated by front wheels turning and rears not!? Now my mission became to find out how to clear old error messages. Most cars will clear these messages or errors if condition not longer exists that set arrer message in first place after XX number of ignition key cycles without sensor sending error indication. Apparently, our cars have neither a means to reset messages nor do old messages go away after time if error no longer present. So, U-tube to the rescue! Googled "how to clear Acura messages". Found numerous videos showing secret to do this. Different years of gen 4 Acuras have slightly different buttons to push, but find the video as accessing this secret menu affords you many options to clear error messages and to actually access, in detail, all your various car systems like ASC/SRS and tons more. very clear and logical prompts will tell to how to clear your old messages one at a time. Also, it will tell you precisely the date message was originally set as well as you may access every message in the car's history. Helpful if you are not original owner and want to see what was up with your car prior! I cleared the wheel sensor error and cleared that pesky "check engine oil level" message that I saw was set 2 YEARS AGO and would never go away no matter how long you drive car, until reset. Cleared it and it has never come back. Was probably a valid message at some time, but oil was added, but msg. never clears! That's shitty. What if I really did lose oil? message is already there! I would now not now if a new condition presented itself. Essentially, to access hidden menu to clear old messages all you have to do is press three buttons simultaneously, hold for 5 seconds, a new screen will appear which will allow you to delete them. different years have different 3 buttons to push. My year was press "cancel" + "maps" + "menu". Some use Variation like Cancel+maps+info. You must be in your first Nav screen which is one you push "ok" to confirm. Don't. Stay in confirmation screen when pushing 3 buttons. Best to google for U-tube video as it will explain much more. Now I have a $35 sensor I didn't need, saved $100 for labor to change though, but if any mechanic does swap except Acura, they likely will not know how to clear the message and you may leave will error message still there. YMMV. Since Acura issued a TSB to change sensor, must believe many will find new part is only answer, but in my case I didn't need and learned VALUABLE lesson as clearing messages is a necessity from time to time. Wonder how many cars go to Acura, they take it in the back and clear messages, and return car :fixed". It happens. G/L

coldb

It's funny. I just had my low oil level light flash last week.

I changed my oil, and decided to use a premium Honda 2k oil filter (Mann+Hummel). It looked massive compared to proper oil filter from the same company. I then I got this oil level flicker about 500kms later.

I noticed the Honda 2k oil filter had a spring for the oil return on the filter, and the correct filler just had a disk on the bottom.

I haven't noticed a performance issue, but I am wondering if the larger filter might affect flow, or this may be a coincidence since other people experience it. Im at 160,000kms, and had the pill consumption recall completed, with resealed oil pump repair.

dopeboy1

I would bet it is unrelated to the different filter. I understand it is common for the oil pressure switch to go bad after the oil consumption recall is done and exactly that happened to me. I would just replace it as it's a $40 part and easy to replace.