Oil light keeps turning on but then off… anyone else experience this?

So for the past few days, every morning when I get off the freeway for work, this oil light comes on. I’ve already done an oil change including the filter on my 2015 Hyundai Sonata Turbo 2.0. The light comes on when I stop at a red light, but when I start driving again, it goes off. It’s been happening only in the mornings. It doesn’t turn on at all in the afternoon (around 5:30pm). Anyone have an idea what’s going on?

It sounds like there could be sludge or a problem with your oil pressure.

Austin said:
It sounds like there could be sludge or a problem with your oil pressure.

But why is it only happening in the mornings? What makes it stop later in the day?

Brandy said:

Austin said:
It sounds like there could be sludge or a problem with your oil pressure.

But why is it only happening in the mornings? What makes it stop later in the day?

It’s probably because of the cold temperatures. The oil thickens when it’s cold, which could be why you’re noticing it more in the mornings. This is why I think you might have sludge issues.

@Austin
Oh, okay! Is there any way to fix that or is that something I just have to deal with?

Brandy said:
@Austin
Oh, okay! Is there any way to fix that or is that something I just have to deal with?

It’s definitely not normal. You should ask your friends or coworkers if anyone has a borescope camera. If they do, ask them to look inside the engine through the oil cap (just remove it). It takes less than 5 minutes. The camera will be able to see if there’s any sludge and help you figure out what’s going on. An oil light is never a good sign, it’s a ‘expect the worst, hope for the best’ situation.

@Austin
Thanks! I’ll check on that .

Brandy said:
@Austin
Thanks! I’ll check on that!

You’re welcome .

C.cole4 said:

Brandy said:
@Austin
Thanks! I’ll check on that!

You’re welcome!

Good bot .

@Austin
How do I even fix sludge if that’s the problem?

Brandy said:
@Austin
How do I even fix sludge if that’s the problem?

You can’t really fix sludge, it’s usually due to poor maintenance. Sludge in the engine is as bad as mold in a house, it could be catastrophic.

@Douglas
I’ve only had the car for 7 months, I bought it used though…

Did you actually check the oil level? If it’s full, I’d say the oil pressure switch might be failing.

TheOneHyundaiGuru said:
Did you actually check the oil level? If it’s full, I’d say the oil pressure switch might be failing.

My boyfriend checked it, and he overfilled it even though I told him not to. Thank you though, I’m definitely going to have a chat with him about that.

@Brandy
Overfilling shouldn’t cause the light to come on. Low oil pressure or a faulty sending unit might be the problem.

TheOneHyundaiGuru said:
@Brandy
Overfilling shouldn’t cause the light to come on. Low oil pressure or a faulty sending unit might be the problem.

Thanks for the help .

Also, yes, before anyone asks, I always warm the car up before driving off every time.

What weight oil did you use in the car? And did you use the OEM oil filter? Some aftermarket filters can cause issues like this.

First, check the oil level and make sure you’re using the OEM filter. Then, you should take the car to a shop that can manually check the oil pressure with an analog gauge. Hyundais and Kias are known to have bad oil pressure sensors. I hope that’s the issue for you, because if not, you could be looking at an expensive engine replacement.

Many aftermarket oil filters can trigger intermittent oil pressure warning lights on Hyundais. Try using an OEM filter first. You don’t need to drain all the oil to change the filter, just check the oil level again after you start the car. The oil pressure switches also tend to fail and leak often, but start with the filter and look for leaks while you’re there.