Weird Oil Problem

The Nubira did something weird during my trackday yesterday. Over the course of the event (30 minute sessions) there were no signs of trouble. The dummy light never came on, I never heard or smelled anything funny, the engine seemed strong (or at least no more weak than it normally is). When I pulled into the pits for the first session I left the engine running to cool down and pulled the dip stick to make sure there wasn't anything funky in the oil. No problem.

After about 7 minutes of cool down idling in the paddock I checked the oil level and it was fine.

During the second session I pushed a little bit harder and spent less time stuck behind slow people (which is saying something if the guy in the 1.5L Daewoo thinks you're slow). Still nothing bad from the dummy lights, no smells, temperatures are fine.

Then I pulled into the pits and stopped to BS with my buddy. The engine was idling or below 2k rpm (cruising through pitlane) for about two or three minutes when suddenly the dummy light flashes on and stays on for several seconds.

What the hell?

I go to the paddock as gently as possible and leave the engine to cool down again. 10 minutes pass. I check the oil and the level is fine, there's nothing bad floating around and the color looks brand new.

So again, what the hell?

Upon further inspection I did notice some oil splattered on the bottom of the hood, but I can't tell if it's coming from the dip stick tube or the cap on the valve cover.

I have a re-circulation system that vents to the intake, so I don't know how the crankcase is getting so pressurized.

Oil likley just got very hot so it got thin and at idle the pump could not keep up the volume to get enough presure. It's kinda normal. You can do two things.
1) Install a sandwich cooler (screws on to oil filter spot and then filter goes on the plate) you run line to the front and install a air to oil cooler.

2) use thicker oil. Not realy a fix just a cover up crutch.

3) ignore the light at idle....

Possibly, the oil is not draining back into the pan.

44dwarf is most likely correct. Run 1/2 quart above the full mark, it might help.

i'm assuming that the dummy light was the oil pressure light, and not the oil level light.

will it spit the dipstick if you rev it in neutral?

Strizzo wrote: i'm assuming that the dummy light was the oil pressure light, and not the oil level light. will it spit the dipstick if you rev it in neutral?

Yes, pressure light. And no, it will not spit the dip stick in nuetral. I think I'll just put an oil cooler in the next iteration of this engine.

Thanks

how bout a mechanical gauge

Chech the electrical connections for the light, too?

But I'd say an oil cooler is in your near future.

According to the story, all you have so far is a dummy light problem. I'd install a quality oil pressure guage and a water temperature guage and go from there. They're called dummy lights for a reason. You really aren't sure what caused the light to come on anyway. It may not have been oil related.

Got it.

Stupid question I'm ashamed to ask. Assuming I can't get a sandwich thingy to feed an oil cooler/gauge, where could I get pressurized oil on an engine without drilling holes in the block/head?