1kzte oil light

[muttly]

hi can some one help me i have a 1994 landruiser prado and was parked with truck ideling and the oil light came on

 

[jeepmadmike]

hi can some one help me i have a 1994 landruiser prado and was parked with truck ideling and the oil light came on

When was the oil last changed?

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

Have you checked your oil level? On the 80's the light indicates low oil level...

 

[John_McCartney]

It's a low oil level warning on the KZT engine too. I first experienced this halfway down through France on the way to Spain towing a caravan. The engine was cold and a mile down the road that wretched light came on. Scared me shitless! Thought the engine was about to let go and dump us in France. It seems to me that it happens when the oil is below maximum and - for whatever reason - can't drain back down to the sump fast enough. So using 20w50, sludgy oil, old filter, cold engine - all can contribute to this. And it's a very common problem.

So now I do an oil change and (genuine Toyota) filter change every 4,000 miles and use 10w40 semi synthetic oil - not had that problem for six years now. My engine is 50,000 miles older than when it first happened and still going strong

 

[roscoFJ73]

What sort of oil level sensor does the 1KZ T have? If its the same as the 1HZ and 1HD T ,the sensors have a habit of dying causing the light to come on.
Just something to consider if the oil level is ok.
You could also check that the wire is attached to the sensor

 

[John_McCartney]

Trouble is the oil level can look OK (and it might be OK) but it's too low for the sensor. If I remember right, Roger has actually lowered the sensor in his sump wall somehow to avoid this problem. I can't remember this ever being down to a faulty sensor - surely the light would be on all the time then?

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

Never heard of an oil level sensor being too low. I can't imagine Mr T wouldn't have put a fair amount of thought into the location of the sensor... I wouldn't move it ad I'm not anywhere near as smart ad those that designed our trucks.

A short to earth may be the cause of your light coming on and this could easily be intermittent. As mentioned previously check your sensor and wiring first. There should be a straight forward test in the FSM.

Also when last did you change your oil? Could be worth doing if you haven't recently.

 

[John_McCartney]

No, the oil sensor is, if anything, too HIGH. So a slight drop in level* when a cold engine is running can cause it to come on. This is not a figment of my imagination - there are plenty of threads on this and other forums about just this topic.

*Could be sludgy oil, knackered filter, cold weather, too viscous a grade of oil, partially blocked oil galleries etc etc

 

[ModelMakerMan]

I can back up John on this one the light is waaaaaay too sensitive and sometime blinks on on very cold days before the oil is fully up to temp. I doesnt happen very often for me, generally only if its due an oil change when its cold and its at an odd angle but Ive actually had the light come on, switched the engine off and jumped out to check the level on the dipstick (bear in mind the oil doesnt have time to drain back to the sump in this time) and the level was still above the low mark!

 

[roscoFJ73]

I can't remember this ever being down to a faulty sensor - surely the light would be on all the time then?

Im still not sure if the 1KZ T oil level sensor is similar to the 1HZ/1HDT sensor.
If it is the same ,it is a thin wire that sometimes come loose and can cause the light to flicker or come on permanently.
I had one that had been damaged by rough handling from a mechanic,it would come on for some reason when the engine had warmed up.
But they do stop working of their own accord.

Here is a pic of mine I posted on IH8MUD some time back,you can see how the yellow bit got bent on the bottom.
The square thing on top is some kind of float from memory.
My parts list says they are 437 euros or something ridiculous.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

The standard oil level sensor is set so that it will operate when the level has dropped approx. 3mm from max. This is nowhere near the minimum level allowed. I modified mine to operate approx at the halfway point. In standard form, it will also come on after a cold winters day start when a large amount of cold oil is pumped into the cam box and can't get out fast enough. This creates a false low oil level in the sump.

On Vivs Shogun, this same problem was alleviated by the replacement of the standard oil level rod with another one with the min/max markings suitable etched further up the shaft. This required a further 500ml of oil to reach the correct level.

Roger

 

[roscoFJ73]

Roger,is the 1kzt sensor like the 1HZ type in the pic?

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Roger,is the 1kzt sensor like the 1HZ type in the pic?

No, the sensor fits to the vertical face of the sump and then dips down about 50mm or so. This section is pressed steel and easily extended as is the wire that connects to the switch assembly. This is a simple float operated job.

Roger