STOP ENGINE, NO OIL!!!!!! (warning) Topic is solved

Post by **BlackBart** » 04 Jan 2026, 13:43

We had a weirdism last night on our ‘04 XC.
My wife was on the way home (a mile) from a college basketball game and the red oil warning lamp popped on, along with the NO OIL PRESSURE STOP ENGINE message. She was only a block from home.

I went out to check - no wet motor, no oil on the skid plate, no puddles on the street. Dipstick was a quart or so low, but there WAS oil on it.

This morning in the daylight I checked - no leaks, no drips. The book tells me the ticks on the dipstick show 1.6 quarts between marks, so it’s low - my fault. Topped up the oil. Started her up, runs fine, warning light and message still there - shut it off right away.

So it’s full of oil….which leads me to a sender maybe? I see #3545696, pressure sensor. I think this is on the left / radiator side of the block, correct?

Is this the most likely source of the warning?
Thanks -

dikidera · Post by **dikidera** » 04 Jan 2026, 13:49

Could be, or..something made it lose pressure.

Post by **BlackBart** » 04 Jan 2026, 13:51

Well the warning is still on, every time I start it.
I’m wondering if it’s actually electrical. That sensor was leaking last time I was up there.

Post by **abscate** » 04 Jan 2026, 19:16

You need to get a gauge on the oil port to make sure you have pressure to the bearings and lifters and such

It’s probably a bad sender

Post by **vtl** » 06 Jan 2026, 07:05

I've read these pressure sensors rarely but die. Of course make sure your engine still makes pressure. If not, it's either cracked O-rings in oil sump that allow oil foaming or stuck pressure relief valve in oil pump. If the message first lit up after high engine speed, like taking up on the ramp, then I'd be thinking it is a relief valve most likely. In both cases start to look for a replacement engine unfortunately... Unless your oil viscosity is 40 or higher, then the engine may have a chance of surviving the oil starvation.

Post by **erikv11** » 06 Jan 2026, 08:53

Once I had 850 throw a constant oil pressure light, due to the oil pressure sensor (yes located on radiator (right) side of the block, down low) had somehow become unplugged. Given your "no pressure" report I'd for sure get eyes on that connector, maybe unseat and re-seat it.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 06 Jan 2026, 09:10

Before you get excited, get a pressure gauge reading.
Who can tell us where the oil pressure port is located?
volvolugnut

Post by **vtl** » 06 Jan 2026, 09:12

volvolugnut wrote: ↑06 Jan 2026, 09:10 Before you get excited, get a pressure gauge reading.
Who can tell us where the oil pressure port is located?
volvolugnut

Done via the pressure sensor hole IIRC

Post by **BlackBart** » 06 Jan 2026, 09:59

Fixed. Cold wet garage floor was fun. There’s about 3” of clearance between the bottom of the pan and the subframe. You can get your hand up there, but hard to rotate it or thread the sensor in blind. It’s somewhere around 23mm, which of course I don’t have. No way a deep socket and ratchet would fit. I tried a long box end 15/16 and that didn’t fit. So I caveman-ed it with a channel lock to snug it tight (to the specified torque of course).

No dash warning, full of oil.

Post by **scot850** » 06 Jan 2026, 12:48

While not what I consider a common fault, I am glad it has hopefully turned out to be the oil pressure switch. Realistically, at the age these cars are now, the chances, especially when cold of electrical parts acting out is increased.

Funny, I do not hear of the oil pan o-ring issue as much with P2's compared to P80's. Maybe I am just not reading about it.

Neil.