Hey 2.7 guys,How long should my oil light stay on, first start?

New member here, but long time follower here. New owner of Gen 3 Taco 2.7l. From Day 1, noticed oil light stays on, (or lingers on), for half a second or so on cold start. Now with 15k Miles, I can say that little red oil light stays on for at least 1 or 1.5 seconds right after a cold start, give or take, first start of the day, and I can tell you it's for real, because I can here the motor sounds different until she builds up oil pressure. I am a mechanic by trade, been making my living as a gm tech since 1982, and thinking my perfect new truck is "dry starting" is worrying me. I know this is "drain back". I've been using only Toyota oil filters and 0w-20 Mobil 1 since new. Change oil and filter every 5 k. I live in Florida, so really not that cold here. I can't get a straight answer from the dealer, in fact, I wonder if they even pay attention to things like that. Only a tech like me would listen for stuff like this. I started another identical truck, and it didn't do it, so here I am to ask the experienced 2.7 guys. You 2.7 guys, plz chime in, worried here, thanks for your input! My first 2.7l.

 

1.5 seconds seems a bit long but nothing crazy. Does the engine crank for a second before it fires? Or does it fire immediately when you start cranking? It should crank for a moment before firing, the engine starts building oil pressure during this time before ignition. If it fires very quickly, this might seem like a good thing ("runs great!") but it also could explain the extra time needed to build oil pressure.

Also I doubt this is caused by drainback as the 2.7 oil filter is mounted vertically and there's no way for the oil to drain out after the engine shuts off.

You could find a way to attach a pressure gauge to the oiling system and get some hard numbers. Also measure pressure readings at different temperatures and RPM. Not sure if this is possible... just a suggestion.

This is what I see with my 2.7 in northern California:
In everyday normal operation, the oil light stays on just a fraction of a second after the engine fires (cranks for 1 second before firing).
If I just did an oil change and filled the oil filter before installation, the oil light stays on for maybe 1 second.
If I just did an oil change and did NOT fill the oil filter before installation, the oil light shines for around 3 full seconds, give or take. (I don't do this anymore)

 

What youre describing seems normalish but idk I couldnt tell you without seeing it or hearing it. I know this is gonna sound dumb but are you putting the correct amount of oil, when you do oil changes? I just did an oil change 2 weeks ago with Castrol full synthetic and used 5 quarts and a K&N oil filter. I've owned the 2.7 for over a year and havent had any weird problems. I've actually havent had one problem at all.

 

Hey, thanks for the info. Yea, got the right oil, amount and toyo filter. Only reason for concern was that another 2.7 I started doesn't do it. Just curious if most of you experience this, lingering red oil light, first start of the day, as is this normal for 2.7l? Mostly what I am reading online is that light goes out during cranking. Being a mechanic by trade, I don't like to see that, as most engine wear occurs during first starts, ie dry starts. If there is anything I can do to alleviate this, I will, (short of replacing an oil pump). I figure it is just oil running back through the oil pump, to the pan. If this is the norm for 2.7l engines, as most of you experience this, I will just ignore it lol. Can't get an intelligent answer from my dealer. Thanks Again.

 

Using my truck as a single example, my oil light does not go out during cranking. It goes out almost immediately after the engine fires... which happens after nearly 1 full second of cranking.

 

It should stay on until oil pressure is up. How long that takes isn't a set time.

 

Are you getting any other signs of oil starvation? The 2TR has hydraulic lash adjustment, and the one time I didn't fill the filter during an oil change, the resulting cold start was loud and "clacky". Also, without proper oil pressure there might be some stumbling on startup due to the VVT system not being adjusted correctly. My oil light does not stay lit for more than a fraction of a second on cold start.