Oil light on at startup

Billw

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After a couple of years of ownership finally have my 72 Euro E3 sorted out well enough to drive regularly. Noticed that the oil light is on for a about 3-4 seconds after start when car has been sitting for more than a few hours. Don't recall this previously occurring. From what I have read this may be due to a faulty check valve in the filter housing. The current filter housing is the top bolt canister style, so I assume it was upgraded at some point as it looks like ones advertised on the net out of E23's and E28's. I believe the block to be original and rebuilt at some point; head is from an 81.
My questions would be;
Is the check valve a replaceable item?
Should I just buy a used housing off the net and hope the check valve is good?
Read somewhere there is a hole that needs to be plugged with the newer housing but not sure what to check for. This may have already been done in this case.
Don't know that any damage would occur, as not under load, if not addressed but just don't like the light on with a running engine.

Not well versed in BMW's but learning. Thanks, Bill
 
The oil light on the M90 that Don installed says illuminated for about 3 to 5 seconds when I start the car (3 seconds if the car is warm, a bit longer when cold).
I use 15W50 Mob 1 oil. I have a pressure gauge and it starts to come to life right when the light goes out (FWIW).
 
Don
Here are pictures of current setup. Let me know your thoughts.
Oil is 20W50. Car is kept in my shop so always 65 degrees or above.

To everyone else thanks for your input seems I am not alone.
 

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Found these diagrams of the later style and early filter housings.
Note that on the later they added the Return flow inhibiting valve
- opening pressure = 0.1 ±0.05 bar (1.4 ±0.7 psi). Marked #4

I believe the reason for the update was to stop oil from the block and head that is higher than the top of the filter canister to back flow through the filter and then seep past the oil pump (if it has some ware) and drain back into the pan. The equivalent of wet sumping on dry sump motors as experienced on most old motorcycles. Because the filter canister is full it takes less time for the pressure to build then after an oil change. BMW probably felt that this eventually might shorten the lifespan of the motor and made the update. My rational anyway.

The housing is easy to access and hopefully can find a good used one on the net. Will let you know the results.
 

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What you have installed is the best one as far as I’m concerned.
Nothing to change except the hardware the next time you change your oil
 
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