Low Oil 200 TDI

I checked my oil level on Sat and it was just under the max line. I noticed that there was a drip around the oil filter housing but it looked like a small weep on one of the oil cooler pipes, so I left well alone.

Yesterday evening it had been raining where I was parked and I noticed a bit of a rainbow around my car so I drove home to check it in the morning as it was dark.

When I checked the level this morning, it was so low, it did not even register on the dipstick!

I had put 2.5 L in to get it to the minimum. I then started the engine and could see that there was very bad leak from the temp stat housing that the oil cooler pipe bolts to. It was very loose, I'm guessing the bolts have vibrated free. I've nipped up the bolts and then added another L to get it to the max. I'll threadlock them at the weeekend.

My oil pressure is 60 PSI cold at idle, reducing to 30 when warm (80 degrees water temp, hard to get it hotter in this weather though, so I think it will probably reduce further when hot).

I've not noticed any change in engine noise or performance - is it likely that the low oil level could have caused any damage, and if so, what should I be looking for. Hope I've caught this in the nick of time.

Hard to say but wouldn't have thought so unless you were revving the nuts off it....did the red oil pressure light come on? Does your oil pressure light work? It would also be useful to know how accurate your dip stick is...they can often move up or down and give inaccurate readings...I filled mine up with the exact amount of oil required and it only showed half way on my dipstick

The oil light never came on and oil pressure has never been below 30 psi. I would consider the engine toast if it had come on as they only come on below about 5 psi! My dipstick is fairly accurate and like you, I also measure my oil and put in the correct amount after changes. I'm guessing there must have been enough oil to cover the pickup.

That's good. The fact you always didn't below 30 psi has got to be good. Funny I had exact the same thing about a week ago and just caught it aswell. Lucky for you it was raining to give you the rainbow warning feature that land rovers have

No kidding, I only do short journeys but I don't reckon I would have got away with it for even another day.

Still, if it does die, I've got an excuse to go shopping for a 6 litre perkins or cummins.

If the oil pressure never dropped and the light never came on, the engine will be fine.

Good job you noticed before it ran out of oil completely! I was told that if you lose oil pressure while an engine is running you have thirty seconds to shut it down before damage is done.