Oil (not) Pressure

[svenedin]

A maintenance record log book is recommended........

I have such a book and also a lubrication chart on the garage wall. If you like technology you could of course keep a spreadsheet. I like an A5 size book kept in the car.


Stephen

[Nickol]

I have three english classics so you are quite correct, that I should keep better records so as not to confuse myself from one to the other. This episode is a warning shot, if ever there was one.

My test drive just now was super. i have mentioned in the forum before and noted low oil pressure generally. The old filter may well have been the cause as now I get a good 20psi on a warm engine tickover and 50 on cruising speed. However, the outside temp is cool today and my trip was only 20km so cannot draw conclusions yet.

[geoberni]

We have 3 cars in the household including Basil, and now I always try to write the month/year and mileage on the side of the canister.

It's particularly important to remember the oil change on the Corsa (wife's car) due to the Vauxhall/Opel DPF cleaning system. I don't know the niceties of it, but a few years back, when the Corsa was still well under it's mileage for an oil change but it had been almost 2 years, it got a Check Engine light and the codes indicated a problem with the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter for those who don't know).

All Diesels with a DPF have some sort of cleaning system, where having gathered all the minuscule particulates, it periodically blows it out the back as bigger bits that don't cause respiratory problems, Different manufacturers have different systems.
Apparently the DPF was clogged because the Vauxhall/Open system requires the engine oil to be of a minimum quality before it will do a clean.
It doesn't tell you it needs an oil change, it just doesn't clean the DPF, so it gets clogged .
It cost me about £300 for two 'Forced Clean' cycles at the garage using their computer, after injecting cleaning fluid into the DPF and soaking for several hours, with an oil change between each cycle.