Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a 1985 Honda Accord with 110,000 excellent miles. Recently I noticed the oil light go on. I stopped and added a quart of oil. This turned off the light for about two miles, then it lit up again. I took the car to my mechanic, who changed the oil to a thicker oil. After about five miles, the oil light came on again. When I stopped and turned off the engine for a few minutes, and then restarted it, the oil light would stay off for about two miles. My mecahnic then added STP, but this didn't work either. He then replaced what he thought was the defective switch. No good. He then replaced the oil pump. But the light still goes on when the engine is warm. What do I do next? Tom

Ray: Well, you're mechanic's getting warmer, Tom.

Tom: If the oil pump didn't fix it, it's probably your main engine bearings. If your lucky, replacing the bearings for a few hundred bucks will solve the problem. And fortunately, replacing the bearings is pretty easy on this car.

Ray: If you're a little less lucky, you'll need to re-grind the crankshaft, too. But even so, if the rest of the car is in good shape, it's definitely worth a try. Afterall, you got 110,000 excellent miles out of it. Or, at least 109,000 excellent miles, and 1,000 miles with the oil light flashing on and off.

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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