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The most important system to the "health" of your engine is the lubrication system. An engine can run without oil for about as long as you can live without a heartbeat: a matter of seconds!
Vehicles use two methods to monitor this vital system: the "idiot light" and the gage. Some cars have both. If you have a light, make sure it comes on right before you start your car and goes out soon after the engine starts. If it never comes on, you have either a sensor problem or a burned out bulb.
A gage should start at zero then rise up to at least 1/4 of the gage range on startup.
If your light comes on during a sudden stop or going around a sharp curve, get off the gas and see if the light goes back off within a few seconds. If it goes off, add oil at the first possible opportunity: you're probably 2 or more quarts low. Take it easy (no more sudden stops or fast sharp curves) until you fill up your oil!WHAT TO DO IF YOUR OIL PRESSURE LIGHT GOES ON
This means your engine has lost lubrication and is tearing itself apart inside. What you should do depends upon the circumstances. If this happens when you are just driving straight down the road at highway speeds, you should shut your engine off as fast as possible and pull off the road. Check the oil level and add oil if the level is low. If the oil light goes off or the gage reads within normal range after you add oil, you're fine; just check your oil more often. If there is plenty of oil in the engine, you may just have a electrical problem causing the light to stay on or the gage to read low: BUT DRIVE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! A $25 or even a $100 tow bill is a small cost compared to a $2500 new engine. If you suspect an inaccurate gage or light, a mechanic can insert a gage to measure the actual oil pressure and check the accuracy of your car's light or gage.
OR IF YOUR OIL PRESSURE GAGE GOES BELOW 5 PSI