VW Up Oil Pressure Warning Light Causes and Fixes

I had a similar issue with my 2013 VW Polo with the 1.2 TSI engine. As someone with moderate experience working on VW engines, I initially thought it was just a faulty oil temperature sensor reading. After checking the basics like oil level and pressure myself, I noticed the engine temperature readings were inconsistent. The workshop found that the wiring connector to the oil temperature sensor had corroded, causing intermittent false readings and warning lights. The fix was simpler than expected, they cleaned the connector pins and replaced the damaged wiring section near the engine sensor. Total cost was 95€ including diagnostic time. No need for a complete sensor replacement in my case. Before suggesting more specific solutions, could you share: Engine size and type, Current mileage, When exactly do these warnings appear (cold start, highway driving, etc)? Are there any other warning lights or unusual readings? This would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced, as temperature sensor problems can have various causes in different VW models. Your oil pressure warnings could be related to either the oil temperature sensor or a wiring issue, but best to get the exact error codes checked first.

Thanks for sharing that experience. Just had my service done at 50625km and started noticing these warning lights shortly after. In my case, the warnings mostly appear during cold starts and occasionally during regular city driving. After reading your post, I checked the connectors around the oil temperature sensor and found some visible corrosion. The automotive sensor wiring looks worn in that area too. The oil gauge readings fluctuate quite a bit, which matches your description of intermittent sensor issues. Since the engine oil pressure itself seems normal when tested, I think I'll have the workshop focus on the sensor connections first before replacing the entire oil sensor assembly. The 95€ repair cost you mentioned sounds much better than a complete sensor replacement. Will update once I get it checked, but the wiring connection definitely seems like the prime suspect here.

Glad to hear you found similar symptoms with the sensor connections. Your mileage is pretty close to when I started having these issues too (mine was around 48000km). The fluctuating oil gauge readings combined with cold start warnings strongly point to electrical connection problems. The engine temperature sensor system in these VW engines is quite sensitive to connection issues, especially around the wiring harness near the oil pan. After fixing the corroded connections on mine, the car diagnostics showed clean readings with no more warning lights for over 30000km now. The workshop also applied some dielectric grease on the sensor contacts to prevent future corrosion. One tip from my experience: have them check the entire engine sensor wiring bundle while they are at it. Sometimes moisture can travel along the harness and affect multiple connections. Getting all potential trouble spots cleaned and protected at once saved me from repeat visits. The temp sensor diagnostic and repair should indeed cost much less than replacing components. Just make sure they clear the error codes after fixing the connections to get accurate readings.

Thanks for the advice. Just got back from the workshop and wanted to share the outcome. You were right about the wiring, they found significant corrosion in the engine sensor wiring bundle, not just at the oil temperature sensor connection. The car diagnostics showed multiple intermittent faults related to the oil gauge and temperature readings. Total repair cost came to 120€ including cleaning all sensor connections, replacing a section of damaged wiring, and applying protective coating to prevent future corrosion. The oil pressure warning lamp hasnt come on since the repair, and the engine temperature readings are now stable. They also cleared all stored error codes after the fix. Really glad I checked the connections first instead of jumping straight to replacing the automotive sensor assembly. For anyone searching with similar issues, definitely worth checking those sensor connections before assuming you need new parts. The warning lights can be quite misleading when its just a wiring problem.