If you have driven this car more than about 20 miles and you do not hear any clattering from your engine then most likely you have sufficient oil pressure. Your vehicle may be equipped with an oil level sensor screwed into the side of the oil pan. And these sensors go bad and cause the light to come on. They are designed to alert the driver that the oil is low when the oil level is actually low. But, being a sensor, and I've seen this many times, it will go bad and turn the light on. You need to have the oil out of the pan to replace this part. Look on the front side of the pan first as this area is where it is normally installed.

Oil light can mean different things depending on the car. There is a bit of universal truth though. An orange light means that the car needs to be serviced as soon as you can. an orange flashing light means something serious is wrong. A red warning light also means something serious. Often red lights on your dash indicate a problem that could be causing damage to your engine and the car should be shut off immediately.

If the oil light you refer to is orange and on solid, then it needs a change. If it's red it means you have low pressure. If you filled the engine with oil and it still has low pressure you have a problem with the oil system somewhere, or you have a faulty sensor. If you have low oil pressure, don't start the car, tow it to a shop to have it looked at. You don't want to make the assumption it's a bad sensor

You literally could not drive 12 miles with literally no oil. You filled it up yet you don't say how many quarts.

Nothing on a dipstick is not necessarily literally empty. 4 + quarts and yes likely. If it is running ok then you are seeing a oil change reminder or a malfunctioning oil pressure sender. Dad may be correct but do as JetDoc says anyway.

If the oil is full and it drives OK, it's probably not a major problem. There could just be something wrong with the oil light. Go to a mechanic and get it checked out. And check your oil frequently until you know what the problem is.

You have low oil pressure.

If you bought it from a car dealer give them a call to come and tow it in and fix it.

If you bought it privately "As Is" or "As Seen" then call a garage or mechanic for them to check it.

If you continue driving it you will do more damage than the cost of a tow in.

Did you not check to oil level BEFORE you bought it or drove it away? That should be standard practice before you drive ANY new/different vehicle, the same as checking the lights, tyres,and coolant levels.

Driving 12 miles with no oil will ruin any engine.

Probably the oil pressure switch. If you have a scan tool you can read the oil pressure with the engine off. If it's not reading 0 then you know it's bad. It's possible for a circuit problem but unlikely. I haven't encountered that yet.

You just got yourself a piece of crap. I hope you didn't pay a lot because it is going to cost you a lot to fix. Condensation doesn't happen because the car has sat for a long time. That is just the first thing I caught then there is the oil level, seems like there wasn't any and you bought it. Sorry for you.

You have no ide what the "oil" light means and yet it is fully explained in the car manual. You should not have purchased this vehicle with this problem. Most cars have an oil pressure indicator, not an oil quantity. Sensors can go wrong, wiring can be damaged. Only a mechanic can repair this problem Go find one.

ok, i see one point mentioned at least. that light may be the low pressure light which does not deal with oil level but it reads pressure with in the hydraulic system. if it is low, the light comes on. with newer cars, there is an oil life monitor. a light comes on when it is time for an oil change. if that is the case here, look in the owners manual for the reset procedure.

Try reading your owner's manual. Sometimes the oil light indicates that the car is due for an oil change.

I bought a yesterday, drove it home about 12 miles away from where I lIve, and it drove really smooth, but when I got home the oil light was on, so I filled the oil up, full but the oil light is still on, I don't know the cause of this, but the person who I bought it off said it has been standing for quite some time, hence the condensation on the oil cap, the oil had literally nothing in, so I filled it up, it is now full, but the light is still on, my dad said to me it may just need to flush through and to drive it a few days and see if it goes off, I hope he is right!?

Oil light usually measures oil pressure not oil level. If the oil pressure is low then potential major engine damage can be caused by just driving it. You need to find out why the light is on.

remove oil switch and check pressure with gauge, if there is no pressure, probably oil pump problem.