Bad things come in threes!

[ElPerrote]

First of I'm kind of new to this forum, because I've have not had any major issues with 08 CX 9 GT till recently. The first of my oil light can on the day before I was scheduled to service my vehicle. I figured the light would shut off after normal driving around town. After a week it's still and now it flickers. I'm hoping that it should turn off. I'm worried a little because I'm planning a trip to CA in the next month or so. It worries me because I've read it could be an indication of low oil pressure. Aside from the low level or that it needs servicing. The motor sounds and feels better after changing the spark plugs myself the other day. Has anyone had a major engine failure after the light came on?

My second issue is my headlight adjustment is not working. They point toward the bottom about 20ft from the grill. I've checked fuses and every fuse is working. I noticed threads here with the same issues but everyone talks about it but I haven't read anything on anyone having this issue fixed. I don't wanna go to the dealer and pay north of a grand. I read earlier that it could be the headlamp ballast. The ballast is around $100 and spending a 10th of the cost of a couple of new headlamps is pretty reasonable. Yet I'm in a budget because of my planned trip in the near future. I don't wanna pay if it's not the problem.

Third issue, well not really an issue! I'm curious to find out if it's just my vehicle or is it something that can be fixed. When I first purchased the CX9 (new btw) the dealer said it wouldn't work because of the Sirius radio box was installed were the aux set up goes. So I left it at that. But now with having all this information available on demand I'm curious to find out if someone else that has sirius in there car has a working auxiliary, and if they can connect to it and listen to music off there phone or MP3? The aux is located inside the armrest has never function.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or ideas of what I should do or look out for, for anyone of my problems.

 

[mpvue]

I don't know why you would continue driving if your oil pressure light came on. you need to have that figured out immediately.

 

[eskimo0101]

I don't know why you would continue driving if your oil pressure light came on. you need to have that figured out immediately.

+1. That's a HUGE issue. If that comes on you immediately pull over and shut the car off. At a minimum I'd then check the oil and even if it showed full I'd probably have the car towed. Low oil pressure VERY QUICKLY turns into needing a new motor.

 

[batmancx]

1) oil light is an indication of something pretty severe, I wouldn't keep drive it until it gets checked out. Being a 2008 model and 8 years old it might be an indication of a bad water pump, just my opinion.

2) headlight 20ft indicates to me the light bulb may have come out of it's socket and producing a wrong beam pattern, I would check that out first, other culprit might be a bad light adjustment motor stuck in the lowest beam setting, that's when the car are fully loaded with passengers and you don't want to blind incoming traffic the motor angles the headlight down, the motor may have gone bad and now stuck.

3) if you don't use sirius, why not just disconnect so the aux will work. Or better yet. Disconnect the sirius and use a y adapter at the aux port so you can use both sirius and aux player.

 

[Odrapnew]

Regarding the AUX input, my wife has an 09 CX9 which has both Sirius and the AUX input. She doesn't have a Sirius subscription, but the AUX input does work, we use it on trips and plug the DVD player into the AUX input. When we try to turn on Sirius, it pops up saying we need to renew the subscription, so I assume it would work along with the AUX input.

 

[batmancx]

Regarding the AUX input, my wife has an 09 CX9 which has both Sirius and the AUX input. She doesn't have a Sirius subscription, but the AUX input does work, we use it on trips and plug the DVD player into the AUX input. When we try to turn on Sirius, it pops up saying we need to renew the subscription, so I assume it would work along with the AUX input.

just FYI, OP has a 2008, it has the infamous Sirius / Aux conflict issue that was solved in 2009+ models,
believe it or not, for 2008 models, if Sirius is installed the AUX doesn't work, yeah very stupid, Mazda used the Aux audio line for the Sirius audio line. So if a buyer bought a 2008 with the Sirius option, the AUX plug never worked. This was fixed in 2009 after many complaints.

 

[ElPerrote]

If it was a something worst like the lack of oil pressure wouldnt the check engine light come on as well as the oil light. That's why I wasn't particularly worried about something internally being wrong with it. I did notice the level was a bit low, but within the lower part of the hash marks on the oil stick. I then serviced the car, ran it a little and the light shut off. I figured that's why the light came on because I was a combination of old oil and it was a bit low in oil. The next day the light flickered on for a few minutes the it stay on. That's I made this post. I didnt notice any oil stains on my driveway. As of today though (02/20/16) the light shut off but I noticed the first little stain on my driveway. I got underneath the car and noticed two oil leaks coming from the front and rear (or between the trans and engine)of the engine. About two weeks ago when I changed the spark plugs, the engine was spotless, no oil leaks or stain on the engine.
After the service I did take the car to the dealer and to confirm my suspicion that the light was on because of old oil and not something worst. The dealer wanted $90 to reset the oil light. I decline and figured the light would shut off after I drove it for a while in which it did. But now mpvue I have two bad seals to worry about. The engine still has power and is as quiet as the day I purchased it. Any other suggestion from you would be highly appreciated.

 

[ElPerrote]

I was told that from the dealer, but really didn't care for it at the time because I had free Sirius for six months. Thanks for the info.

 

[batmancx]

ElPerrote,
Just out of curiosity, do you have a FWD or AWD?

 

[ElPerrote]

No, FWD batmancx

 

[ElPerrote]

Well I traced the oil leak to the oil pressure sensor. I spend well over an hour replacing it, because it was sandwiched between the exhaust manifold and alternator. The oil light is still off after replacing the sensor. Now if only I could find where the headlight ballast is located, I can then fix my headlight level. I checked to make sure my headlight bulbs were on properly and they were. I notice that my turn signals aren't on with the rest of the lights, my turn signals work just not on. Is that related to the headlight level?

 

[furballs]

Check engine light is not directly related to oil pressure or any other mechanical issue. It means emissions system has an issue, which often is mechanical, but mechanical doesn't mean emissions. In other words, you could have no oil, and engine sieze, without the check engine light ever coming on.

 

[ElPerrote]

Check engine light is not directly related to oil pressure or any other mechanical issue. It means emissions system has an issue, which often is mechanical, but mechanical doesn't mean emissions. In other words, you could have no oil, and engine sieze, without the check engine light ever coming on.

Right furballs, but wouldn't that apply to older vehicles though...like early 80's and 90's cars?

 

[eskimo0101]

Check engine light is not directly related to oil pressure or any other mechanical issue. It means emissions system has an issue, which often is mechanical, but mechanical doesn't mean emissions. In other words, you could have no oil, and engine sieze, without the check engine light ever coming on.

^ This is 100% correct. You were VERY lucky it was just the oil pressure sensor.

 

[furballs]

Right furballs, but wouldn't that apply to older vehicles though...like early 80's and 90's cars?

Still true today. That light means an emissions problem, and that's all it means. Emissions problems are often mechanical, but not all mechanical issues are emissions related.