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this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2024
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Asklemmy
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Especially in older cars, the warnings usually are fully legit - as in, there is no software stack in-between that could be buggy.
However, it's important to note that quite often the probe fails before the car. Meaning that if the oil probe is signaling oil level too low, it might actually be the probe or its wiring that is damaged. This shows up as the same error because hey, it is rather important for the average user to have that warning should the oil level actually be too low, so they make "I cannot know" look as scary as "It's broken" just to make sure you go to the repair shop with that.
I'm not sure what it is but I've gotten no warnings when oil levels were dangerous, I only noticed because I checked the oil stick. Anyway the temperature gauge seems to be working and I keep an eye on it as much or more than the fuel.
The majority of cars don't have a warning for low oil levels, the sensor for that has historically been the owner checking the dipstick. Oil level sensors are becoming more common now as more models appear with them but are still not ubiquitous even in brand new cars.
The oil warning light in most cars is for low oil pressure, and if that one comes on it's time to pull over immediately and hope you managed to turn the engine off in time to save the bearings.