s130 oil pressure light came on for one second

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hey guys the oil pressure light came on in my s130 today for just a second, it shut off and never came back on. i used it at least another 30 mins if not more and it never came back on. does this sound like maybe a loose connection on the pressure sensor or maybe the sensor itself? i would think if the oil pressure was low the light would have stayed lit and shut the machine down. thanks

 

[flyerdan]

Normally the sender is a pressure switch that makes the ground to illuminate the light in absence of pressure. That's why after an oil change if you put the filter on dry it will take 10 or 15 seconds for the light to go out on first startup. If the oil is really low and you exceed a certain angle you could momentarily uncover the pickup tube and suck air for a second; that shouldn't happen as it generally means the oil is so low it doesn't show on the stick.
A loose connection is unlikely as the light requires a complete circuit to come on; a fault in the wire before the sensor going to ground could cause it to come on, as that would bypass it completely. That seems unlikely in your case as it should happen more than once if a wire is compromised to that degree.
I had a Ford 390 once with main bearings so worn that the oil light would flicker at idle when warm, but that was consistent and identifiable.
Not knowing the circumstances makes it harder to offer a guess; was it at idle or at pto speed? Was it stationary, or bouncing around? Chances are it was a one-off glitch. For peace of mind, you could get a mechanical gauge and put it in temporarily to see what the actual numbers are. If you do, be careful as Kubota used BSP pipe fittings on some of their senders, they are close to 1/8 NPT but different enough to bugger threads up and cause leaks.

 

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Normally the sender is a pressure switch that makes the ground to illuminate the light in absence of pressure. That's why after an oil change if you put the filter on dry it will take 10 or 15 seconds for the light to go out on first startup. If the oil is really low and you exceed a certain angle you could momentarily uncover the pickup tube and suck air for a second; that shouldn't happen as it generally means the oil is so low it doesn't show on the stick.
A loose connection is unlikely as the light requires a complete circuit to come on; a fault in the wire before the sensor going to ground could cause it to come on, as that would bypass it completely. That seems unlikely in your case as it should happen more than once if a wire is compromised to that degree.
I had a Ford 390 once with main bearings so worn that the oil light would flicker at idle when warm, but that was consistent and identifiable.
Not knowing the circumstances makes it harder to offer a guess; was it at idle or at pto speed? Was it stationary, or bouncing around? Chances are it was a one-off glitch. For peace of mind, you could get a mechanical gauge and put it in temporarily to see what the actual numbers are. If you do, be careful as Kubota used BSP pipe fittings on some of their senders, they are close to 1/8 NPT but different enough to bugger threads up and cause leaks.

It was at very low idle I had my nephews in the bucket driving slowly giving them a quick ride. Like i said went back to working it hard and it was fine. I should check oil level and stuff I haven’t had a chance yet

 

[wings5j]

It was at very low idle I had my nephews in the bucket driving slowly giving them a quick ride. Like i said went back to working it hard and it was fine. I should check oil level and stuff I haven’t had a chance yet

One of my MOs is that when I turn the key on (not sure of the S130 setup) I make sure both the oil pressure light and the hydraulic system light are both on. Then while cranking the starter I watch to see them extinguish normally. This is my basic check to give me an idea my warning systems are operational. FWIW. John

 

[Hotrod1830]

One of my MOs is that when I turn the key on (not sure of the S130 setup) I make sure both the oil pressure light and the hydraulic system light are both on. Then while cranking the starter I watch to see them extinguish normally. This is my basic check to give me an idea my warning systems are operational. FWIW. John

When servicing my machines, I will cut the oil filter's apart and inspect for metal. Both engine and hydro. Small particles of metal are normal. If something it wrong, you will see large amounts of metal, often flakes or chunks. Usually accompanied by oil that looks like it has glitter in it.
In your case, it may not hurt to put a oil pressure gauge on it and call around to see what is normal on a S130 at a hot idle. Better to know you have a gauge problem than a engine problem.

 

[flyerdan]

When servicing my machines, I will cut the oil filter's apart and inspect for metal. Both engine and hydro. Small particles of metal are normal. If something it wrong, you will see large amounts of metal, often flakes or chunks. Usually accompanied by oil that looks like it has glitter in it.
In your case, it may not hurt to put a oil pressure gauge on it and call around to see what is normal on a S130 at a hot idle. Better to know you have a gauge problem than a engine problem.

Since it was at very low rpms and moving, it's highly likely that due to typical wear and maybe a bit of gumming up of the sender, it might have momentarily dropped below the typical 5-7 psi it takes to open an oil sender.
Based on it being a one-off situation, I wouldn't worry about it, especially since you seem to be pretty good at monitoring the annunciator panel for problems.