94 camry blinking oil light

100

Asked by missjay Sep 21, 2013 at 10:26 PM about the 1994 Toyota Camry

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

hi
i have recently bought a toyota camry 94 its had a full service including oil change
everything seems to run smoothly until its warmed up the temperature sits half way
and when its in drive idling at the lights it vibrates slightly and the oil light flashes it
disappears as soon as i take of or put it in neutral no more vibrations no oil light until i
stop at the lights again
its recenty come back from mechanic due to a blockage and no oil getting to the top of
the head he put in some sort of treatment in the oil as well
any ideas please

41 Answers

199,605

Sounds like low oil level or low oil pressure. Is oil level to the full mark on dipstick. Might be faulty oil pressure sending unit. All of these might turn the oil light on.

3 people found this helpful.

Get your timing belt changed...this way slack in the belt will show and the oil pump can be examined~ hopefully you've changed it in 60,000, the tensioners idlers get worn, the belt goes slack as the wear happens at a slight angle until chafing and making sounds (sometimes against the timing cover) but the oil pump is driven off of the timing belt and has thrown up a RED flag in this guru's estimation~

6 people found this helpful.
199,605

Another good catch judge. I did not even think about belt driven oil pump. I agree to change it if it has not been done yet.

3 people found this helpful.
100

apparently the timing belt has been done there is plenty of oil on dip stick where can we locate the oil sending unit to have a look at it

2 people found this helpful.
199,605

A quick way to determine if the gauge (idiot light) or sending unit is faulty is to disconnect the sending unit electrical harness and ground it (if two terminal, jumper between the terminals). If the gauge responds, the sending unit may be faulty. Proceed with the sending unit test. --- Disconnect the sending unit electrical harness. --- Using an ohmmeter, check continuity between the sending unit terminals (sending unit terminal and ground). --- With the engine stopped, continuity should exist. --- With the engine running, continuity should not exist. ---- If continuity does not exist as stated, the sending unit is faulty.

2 people found this helpful.
100

ok the alternator belt just freyed and is almost in 2 peices now argghh this car is never ending is there a quick easy way to change it

1 people found this helpful.

Picture a little mechanic with a little clicky-oil can at each oil port under the head covers...that's all the motor needs is SOME oil...doesn't need to be awash with oil...the oil pressure increases as the rpm's increase...that's integral to the design~

199,605

I agree with judge. You stated that there was a clog stopping oil flow to the upper head area. Was it fixed properly or just something poured in to increase oil pressure so oil would get to upper head area?

1 people found this helpful.

the alternator belt is a spring loaded tensioned one on your model...will investigate and report~

2 people found this helpful.

If there is insufficient lubrication to the top end would look for blockages, like someone accidentally dropping an oil bottle cap into the oil fill and melting and blocking the oil's return, for example is the only thing I can come up with, but if it's not tickin' excessively would replace the sender and call it skippy~

2 people found this helpful.
100

as far as i know the blockage was fixed properly at the mechanics it is running much better other than when its warm and idling in drive at the lights there is no ticking

1 people found this helpful.
100

thank you we will try to find where it is and change that over as well as the belt thanks for taking the time to answer my questions

1 people found this helpful.
100

think the oil sender is at the top of the rocker yeah? about to get a new drive belt, when i put it back on, is there a specific tension setting or just give it about a quarter of an inch slackness so this flashing oil light, is it being controlled by the sender unit, or can i access something for it under the dash

1 people found this helpful.

thought this had a self-adjusting spring tensioner, already, but if not 5mm or about 3/16 shall be thy tension~

1 people found this helpful.

doesn't have the tensioner...perhaps on your model does~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la5glgDcnnc

1 people found this helpful.
3,360

just a couple thoughts. you said it runs rough in drive and smooths out and puts the light out in neutral. any idea what rpm it is running in drive when it's rough ? how many miles on this baby ? you might find the belt adjusts by a screw on the side of the alternator bracket with a 10mm head.

1 people found this helpful.
385

I think the oil strainer can be blocked by dirty oil.Before you do anything , you better sart there.

2 people found this helpful.
3,360

blocked oil return would normally make the light come on as rpms increase and possibly stay out when the pump is requiring the least amount of feed.need to know if when the light is on ,is it running 500 rpm or less,? if the oil was just changed what viscosity did they put in it ? how many miles are on it ?

1 people found this helpful.
100

so my partner pulled things of and cleaned all the old caked on oil and new belt and it seems to have stopped :s thank you to everyones advice

1 people found this helpful.

Way back up to the price of serpentine belts: some of them are made in China from inferior materials, not to mention quality control. A good Gates Belt cost me $70..Dealer wanted $90...they has $25 ones too but I don't need to be stranded on the shoulder of Hwy 395 going to LA because I chose to save $35

2 people found this helpful.

that's right, Mr fifty thousand fifteen....people do not seem to think about whether or not a Denver employee gets to keep his job today...but shnibbilin' on in with their elbows at Walmart dressed in the latest fashions that can be had~

...timing belts will unaplogetically lose it all with one mighty snap...not go bald for sudden changes~...rather wear the tensioner and see a ration of abrasion on one side and loose, chunky performance that hiccups~

100

yeah cleaning the PCV valve looks like it has stopped the blinking light yay! man there was some gunk in there, a recommendation for any camry owner to try now for a clean IAC and some new HT leads & this car will be the bomb! theres a heavy vibration in the engine when sitting at the lights (cars in drive & brakes on) dunno what this could be?

2 people found this helpful.

cold or hot? I suspect the IAT (intake air temp) sensor is not telling the computer of ambient temperature conditions forcing a "rich" condition...not sure what to do with "heavy vibration" other than perhaps a misfire due to improper air/fuel mix~

3,360

you may want to take a close look at the chance of a vacumn leak. a small leak can create havoc at idle/low rpm.

2 people found this helpful.

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