Automotive

Check Engine Light After Oil Change – General Causes and Fixes

Check engine light is a very important problem that most car owners generally haveç And generally if you are seeing check engine light on your dashboard, generally you understand that you have a problem with your engişne system. Also if you change the oil, you can see the check engine light is on. If you are curious about the general reasons for the check engine light after the oil change, you are at the right place. Here we examine the general reasons for this problem.

Why Check Engine Light After Oil Change Take Place?

There can be several reasons for this after an oil change. You need to change your engine oil in specific periods to make sure that you are using clean oil. Oil is very important for the lubrication of the various engine parts.

But some of the drivers can take the check engine light after an oil change.

Dipstick is not Seated Correctly

The first and the most common reason for the check engine light after an oil change is the not seated dipstick. Dipstick is a very important thing that we check the engine oil level at the oil sump. It is very important to check the oil level with the dipstick.

After changing the oil, we generally check the engine oil level with a dipstick. And once we are attaching it, the dipstick is not placed correctly. And air can escape to the engine system which can cause very serious damage.

The air inside the engine is always filtered. So there are not any kinds of bad particles inside the air. So, if external and unfiltered air escapes from the dipstick hole to the engine, the particles can be very harmful.

Because of this reason, if you do not attach the dipstick correctly, the check engine light will be on.

The Solution

The solution to this problem is very simple actually. You just need to attach the dipstick correctly to the engine that you have. You need to make sure that the stick is first to the seal snugly. And you need to check it correctly. And check the dashboard if the check engine light is off.

Oil Fill Cap Problems

The oil fill cap is where you add your engine oil. It is generally placed at the top of the engine. If you do not close the cap correctly, the check engine light will be on. And you will have a problem with the check engine light after an oil change.

This is also very important that air can escape inside the engine from the oil cap. Like in the case of the oil check dipstick, this is a very big threat to engine life. You need to check it correctly to be sure that it snugly fits.

You need to be sure that the oil cap is durable enough. If it is not you need that you need to change it with a new one.

Oil Pressure

Once you changed the oil with new oil, the oil ğpressure measurement system must reset itself. Once you drain the old oil completely from the system, the oil pressure will be zero inside the engine. And once you add the new oil to the oil sump, the new oil will not circulate in the first stage throughout the engine.

Once you start the engine, you will see that the check engine light is on. But you need to be sure that you checked the first two things that we stated above. If you are sure about these things, you need to run the engine and make the oil circulate inside the engine for minutes. And the oil pressure measurement will measure increased oil pressure and the check engine light will go off.

So, in most cases, this is a common thing. But if the oil pressure error is permanent, you need to bring your car to service.

Oil Level

Because of the oil level in your engine, you can see the check engine light on your dashboard. If the oil level is too high, you need to drain the excess oil from the engine. You can use some special oil siphons or oil drainers to take the engine oil levels to the application level.

Also if the oil level is low, the check engine light on the dashboard will be on. So, this can be a problem for your car. You need to add extra oil to your engine to make sure that you have a sufficient level of engine oil.

After you are sure about the engine oil level, you can wait for minutes before the check engine light will go off.

Checking the Engine Oil Level

Checking the engine oil level with the engine dipstick is a very basic process. You need to follow these steps to measure the engine oil levels;

  • First of all, you need to stop the engine where you want to make the measurement. And you need to leave the engine for 10 minutes before making the eengşne oil measurement.
  • Be sure that the ground is flat.
  • After that, you need to take the dipstick carefully.
  • After taking the dipstick, you need to clean the end of the dipstick with a towel.
  • And then, you need to attach the dipstick again firmly. And take it again.
  • Check the end of the dipstick if the engine oil level is between the two lines. If it is not, you need to add or take oil from the engine.

Type of Oil

Also, the wrong type of oil can cause a check engine light after an oil change. It is very important to refill your engşne with the correct oil type.

For example, you used engine oil which is not the correct oil for your car. Because different engine oils have different properties. Especially the viscosities change.

You need to add the correct engine oil type to your car engine.

Resetting Check Engine Light After Oil Change

If you are sure that you solved the problem of the check engine light, you can reset the check engine light by applying these steps. You will need an OBD scanner.

  • First of all, you need to find the port to which you need to attach the OBD scanner. In most cases, the place of the pory is right below the fuse box door that is under the steering wheel.
  • Connect the reader to the port and turn the device on.
  • After a while, the error codes will show on the screen. You need to take these code notes and check the manual of your car about these errors.
  • There will be a code that reflects the check engine light. You need to find that code and delete the code.
  • You just need to come to the code with the scroll button. And erase it. This will reset the check engine light of your car.
  • After that, restart your car to check if the check engine light problem is restarted.

Other Important Reasons for Check Engine Light

Also, there can be other important problems that you face with the check engine light. The only problem with the check engine light is not the oil change.

  • Check your gas cap is completely fitted. Loose gas capo can cause check engşine light.
  • Problems with the oxygen sensor or MAF sensor can cause the problem of the check engine light. You need to fix the oxygen sensor in your car.
  • Also if you have a problem with your catalytic converters, you will get the check engine light.
  • Problems with the electrical system of your car will on this light.
  • Spark plug problems are also among the reasons for this thing.

Last Words on Check Engine Light After Oil Change

These are the general things that we can state about the check engine light after an oil change. You can check most of the steps and causes on your own easily. We hope that this guide is helpful to you.

Do not forget to leave your comments and questions about this topic below. Your precious feedbacks are very important to us!

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FAQ

Can a check engine light come on for an oil change?

Yes. If you leave your oil cap or dipstick loosely, the check engine light will be on. And also, if the oil level is high or low, you need to check it.

How long does the check engine light stay on after an oil change?

You need to run the engine if you want to be sure about all the parameters that we explained above. And once the oil will start to circulate the engine, the check engine light will go off after 10-20 circılations.

How do you reset the check engine light after an oil change?

You need to use an OBD scanner. You need to attach the scanner to your car and select the code that makes the check engine light open. Delete it by using the buttons. And restart the car.

Will the oil light will go odd after the oil change?

If you changed the oil in a good way without any problem, yes it will go off.

Uğur Uygun

Hello everyone, I am Uğur. I am a mechanical engineer who has experience in different R&D departments of HVAC companies. With my best friend, I decided to build this website to share out knowledge and experience. And also, I am interested in automotive. So, I am writing about automotive and automotive-related articles here. Sharing my knowledge and experiences on these topics is a very big pleasure for me. I am willing to answer all of the questions people have about these topics.

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