Where is the oil leak coming from in my Opel Astra?

Hi lads. I have a 2005 Opel Astra four-door saloon. there is a lot of oil leaking from what looks like a plastic valve about two inches in length at the front of the engine. It leaks when driving. Looking into the engine on the left side above the alternator. What is it called and what does it do?

Thanks a mill, Michael

Michael Maguire (Duleek)

Dec 2011 Filed under: fault

---

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

That sounds like the oil light switch to us. It monitors the oil pressure in the engine and switches on the oil light in the dashboard if it drops too low. It's quite common for them to develop leaks and they're relatively cheap to replace.

Hope that helps.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D