Please reassure me !
Changed oil as per below :

Removed filter + sump plug, drained oil.
Pre-filled filter over period of around 30 mins. Installed with it full of oil - Castrol RS10/60, installed sump plug.
Disconnected crank sensor.
Filled with approx 4.25 litres - to allow for top up as opposed to overfilling then trying to drain excess.
Turned engine over - have done this for 30 seconds, waited 2 mins, 20 seconds, waited 2 mins, 20 seconds. Oil light is still lnot gone out. No major oil leaks and engine sounds fine (other than it obviously not firing due to CPS not connected)

Tempted to plug CPS back and fire it up as the repeated attempts at cranking the engine sounds as if the battery is starting to lose it's power a bit and I don't want to have to contend with a flat battery.

Do I have a problem ?

 

Start it up,job done.

Edit..its not rocket science changing oil and what you've done sounds right so there should be no problem once started.



[Edited by planky - 11/13/2003 8:04:39 PM]

 

Maybe the cranking speed under compression is too slow for your pump to prime so you could either remove the plugs and try again or reconnect the ccs and start it. If the light doesnt go off in a second I would be careful.


Steve

 

Bit the bullet, connected CPS, started engine.
Gulp.
Started no probs, oil light on for maybe 1 - 2 seconds, went out then flashed for a fraction and is now off and engine idles sweet as a sweet nut. Sounds slightly quieter than before the change I think.
Phewwww.
A happy chappy now !

 

Just wonder if the oil light not going out when cranking the engine with CPS disconnected is something that others have experienced - I don't see why I should have had a problem as engine was fine before the change, used correct procedure all bar the plugs being removed.

 

By rights, the oil light "should" of gone out whilst cranking the engien over, but may be showing signs of either a sticking oil pressure releif valve or possibly fault with oil pump, as the bolts that hold the back plate on "can" come loose and drop the pressurised oil out the back of the pump.
I'd keep an eye on the warning light, if it seems to stay on a little longer one morning,give it some more thought.
Its either that, or the battery is loosing capacicty and that is why the engine is not turning over quick enough to extinguish the light.

 

The engine certainly seemed to turn over quick enough and it was only after I'd continued for 20 secs or so did the sound change a little and start me thinking the battery wasn't going to be abel to do this for ever.
After I'd left it last night for a few hours I checked the dipstick and topped the oil up a bit more then fired it up again. Started no problem again.
One thought I've had is to see what happens if I disconnect the CPS again and try cranking it like this to see if the oil light goes out or not.

 

I've been changing oil 20yrs, your reading too much into it, let the engine run, if the light dont go out within 10 seconds, then you have a problem..

 

using the shell helix plus 10W40 oil my light used to always go out when cranking the engine.
now using 15W50 mobil 1 motorsport and the light doesnt go out, but when starting the engine it goes out straight away.

so i suppose the oil will affect it due to different viscosities.

ian

 

Guess I'm just paranoid after the occasional tale on here of 'big-end failure after oil change'.
I spoke to a good friend of mine last night who knows his stuff when it comes to engines etc, has worked at a Subaru garage and he was familiar with carrying out the pre-fill oil filter step but reckoned disconnecting the CPS and/or remove plugs was OTT and what I'd done was absolutely fine. Recommendation was to drive the first few miles gently (which I always do anyway) and I'll be fine.

Maybe I should just swap the car for a MkII Escort - oil changes on them used to be nice and simple !

 

Agree with Legacy..

My oil light will no go out with Mobil 1 15W50 Motorsport or the Motul Competition oil I now use..

I crank it a few times, wait for the neighbour to come out and ask if I have car trouble.. cranks it a couple more..

then reconnect CPS and start her up.. light goes out straight away and there is none of that cringe inducing top end tacking / rattle which I used to get if I didn't disconnect CPS and crank it.. so disagree with your mate.

I then reset the ecu to remove the CPS error code from the history..

JGM

[Edited by Jolly Green Monster - 11/14/2003 12:26:43 PM]

 

Andy

I had the same problem when I changed oil (Mobil 1 15w50) - cranked for about 45 seconds, and light still didn't go out. Reconnnected CPS and nervously started. Still took a couple of seconds after firing before light went out. But all has seemed fine since.

Dave

 

Thank you for the reassuring replies guys. Engine certainly sounded pretty quiet after the change (haven't a clue what oil was in it before as it was on the Japanese stuff that was in the car when it was imported a few months back, plus the filter was not marked as a Subaru one). Oil was certainly black but didn't look particularly gungy but it should be a happier engine now !
Cambelt change soon !

 

I found exactly the same problem after my engine rebuild. First time I cranked the engine for around 5 mins total in 40 second bursts, the light just would not go out. I then started the engine and immediately switched it off as it fired up, the repeated with the crank sensor off and it was OK. I have since found that letting the engine cool right down before attempting the cold crank puts the light out every time. I'm using Castrol RS 10/60.

 

I don't really think that cranking it with the sensor disconnected to get the oil light out is strictly necessary after a straight oil change. All the oil galleries are as full as for a normal everyday start and provided you have filled the filter properly until no more will go into it, there is only a little oil space to refill directly above the filter. I dont think there is any more load on the engine to start it at idle RPM than there is to crank it. I have just done an oil/filter change and the oil pressure light was out in less than 2 seconds, before the engine had reached idle rpm anyway.

If I had just done an engine rebuild from scratch, then I would certainly crank it with the plugs out and a good battery to fill up the oil galleries. Mind you I would have made certain that I had squirted oil into the oil galleries and lubricated the bearings and cylinders etc well during the rebuild as well.

Les

 

Leslie,
I would agree but for the opinions of people who know far better than myself (Greasemonkey, API David, etc) who advise that due to the flat 4 design there is a higher chance that the bearings are dry after oil is drained than on non-flat 4 engines and performing these (to many OTT) actions helps to aleviate the risk adn it is not really much extra time or effort although pulling the plugs which is the final action that I didn't perform is a bit of a PITA.

 

cant even tell if I have oil pressure until defi's have finished their little dance, which is a good couple of seconds..

pull the plugs my ***

turn the key and grit thy teeth.

 

Thanks for the info Andy, I am at a loss to see the difference and why the bearings should drain more quickly on a boxer engine. Perhap's it depends where the oil galleries are. I wonder if someone could explain why that is.

Les

 

Try checking this thread as it has some input from those that know far better than me :
Good tech info on oil changes