Low engine oil level light
A level sensor in the sump says the engine oil is down to around the minimum mark. It is an early warning to top up — not the red oil-pressure light, which means oil is not circulating and can wreck an engine within minutes.
Yellow / amber
Not defined by regulation: a maker convention
What to do
Check the oil soon, with the car on level ground and the engine off (Peugeot says an electronic reading is only right after 30 minutes on level ground), and top up with the grade your manual gives. Mazda says the light means the level is around MIN and to add 1 litre. Do not overfill: Kia says keep it below the F or MAX mark. If the light stays on after topping up, Kia says have it checked after 50–100 km; Volkswagen says a flashing lamp may mean the level sensor itself is faulty. If the red oil-pressure light comes on, stop where you can do so safely and switch off.
Makes differ: what this light means on your car, the other colours it may use for the symbol and what the car wants you to do are set by the manufacturer, so your car's owner's manual is the authority.
- Symbol
- Oil can above a wavy level line
- Also called
- Engine oil level warning light; Oil level light; Check oil level light
- Colour
- Yellow / amber
- Standard
- None — a maker convention, described here from 5 makers: Volkswagen, Mazda, Kia, SEAT, Peugeot
Where makes differ
Volkswagen's page says to stop as soon as it is safe and top up. SEAT's page uses the oil can for both: red means the pressure is too low, amber means check the level and top up soon. Mazda says add 1 litre. Kia fits a level light only to some diesel models, so many cars have none and rely on the dipstick.
Not defined by regulation: a maker convention
Neither US FMVSS 101 (Tables 1 and 2) nor UN Regulation No. 121 lists this light, so no rule fixes its symbol or its colour. What follows is what the makers cited below say; other makes, and other model years of the same make, may draw it differently.
Neither FMVSS 101 nor UN R121 lists an oil-level tell-tale; both list only oil pressure.
Related lights a regulation does define
Other yellow / amber maker lights
All yellow / amber dashboard lights, regulated ones included
Sources
No regulation defines this light, so it is described from 5 carmakers' own manuals or owner pages, each fetched and checked on the date shown:
- Volkswagen: Volkswagen UK — Engine oil level (amber lamp, lit or flashing) — Amber: stop the car as soon as it is safe. Lit continuously: top up the engine oil as soon as possible. Flashing: the oil level sensor may be faulty; check the level and top up if necessary. checked 2026-09-28
- Mazda: Mazda owner's manual, Mazda3 (Europe, 8HC2-EO-19A) — Engine Oil Level Warning Indication/Warning Light (Action to be taken) — The light means the engine oil level is around the MIN mark; add 1 L (0.3 US gal, 0.2 Imp gal) of engine oil. checked 2026-09-28
- Kia: Kia UK — Dashboard warning and indicator icons (PDF) (Engine Oil Level Warning Light (diesel models, if equipped)) — Check and add oil as soon as possible, never above the F or MAX mark; if it stays on after topping up and driving 50–100 km, contact a dealer. checked 2026-09-28
- SEAT: SEAT UK — Warning lights explained (Engine oil pressure) — If the oil can is red the pressure is too low: stop and contact a retailer. If it is amber, check the oil level and top it up as soon as possible. checked 2026-09-28
- Peugeot: Peugeot handbook, 3008 and 5008 (UK English, 2024 edition, PDF) (Dashboard instruments — Engine oil level indicator) — The level shown on the instrument panel is only correct with the car on level ground and the engine off for more than 30 minutes. checked 2026-09-28
Written in our own words; the makers' pages cover their own models only.