Thermal Oil Level Sensor - Operation and Diagnosis: Overview

GROUP 11
Engine

11 09 00

Woodcliff Lake, NJ
Service Engineering

December 2000

SUBJECT

Thermal Oil Level Sensor Diagnostics

MODEL

All

SITUATION

The low oil warning is shown on the instrument cluster either as a text display "Check oil" (vehicles with IKE) or as an amber warning indicator. The warning (set by the check control system) may be a Priority 1 (comes on while driving) or Priority 2 (comes on when the ignition is turned off). The operating principle is that a heating element in the sensor heats the sensor above the temperature of the oil, then the time taken for the sensor to cool back down indicates the level of the oil. The longer the "cool down" time is, the lower the oil is in the engine.

When carrying out troubleshooting, these "cool down" (low time) signals can be monitored using DIS or MoDiC. In cases where a customer complains of sporadic low oil warnings, troubleshooting is more effective if the thresholds which trigger the warnings are known by the diagnostic technician.





PARTS INFORMATION

WARRANTY INFORMATION
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