Low on oil. But no oli light coming on

[LEEDS]

Hi I dipped my oil and it seemed to be dry. So I put in 1 ltr 3 weeks ago and all seems to be OK. I serviced the car 9300 miles ago. Is this normal. Thanks

[wheeler]

The oil warning light coming on indicates low oil pressure not oil level.
Top it up to the max & check it more regularly so you can have a better idea of how much its actually using.

[PaulC5]

Which engine does your car have ? The petrol vti ones are known for oil use, we had a 1.4 vti and that used about 1 litre every 2000 miles from when we got it on about 12000 miles.

[Armidillo]

Hi I dipped my oil and it seemed to be dry. So I put in 1 ltr 3 weeks ago and all seems to be OK. I serviced the car 9300 miles ago. Is this normal. Thanks

A typical sump hold 4 - 5 litres, but the dipstick only measures the top 1 litre. For the oil light to come on the oil level needs to be below the level of the oil pump pick-up - so probably 1 litre or less.

So there is a significant safety margin between the bottom of the dipstick and the critical level for the oil pump strainer. However, if your sump was reduced to half it's normal volume, the oil is going to circulate twice as often, leading to faster degradation, and the potential for hotter (and thinner) oil than normal (although I realise that any form of overheating is unusual for you at this time of year!). I would recommend changing your oil well before the recommended distance travelled. Also, if there are no significant leaks (no drips where it's parked) then it might be worth investigating a "Stop Smoke" product - add the recommended dose at each oil change.