how do you keep oil pressure up?

[Tyler]

after driving for about 20 min.. i notice at idle my oil pressure drop a tad passed the halfway mark..

in my moms 2000 camaro it doesnt do that. and her car has more miles than mine.


how do i keep it up there

[MustangEater8251]

Doi you have the right sized oil filter on your car?

I had the delaership put the a small one on my car killed my oil pressure.

Also jsut before my oil sending unit crapped out, it was reading really low,once the car heated up. Then it cracked open and pressurized oil shot everywhere, pretty funny I dorve like a week just adding oil to it, since I had to wait for the part to be orders(yeah an oil sending unit :rolleyes: )

Either way once I replaced it read, nice high pressure.

[Tyler]

yea.. after about 15 min or driving.. i sit at a red light... and my oil pressure ****s out. i havent had any oil spit anywhere or anything. but when the oil pressure is low.. its really hard to get the car through first gear. its starting to worry me.


how much is an oil sending unit?

this might be a new part on my christmas list

[Devilsy2k]

I broke my oil sending unit not too long ago while trying to install headers, went to the dealership and bought a new one for $32. Now my oil pressure reads higher then before, I didnt think that my old sensor was going bad. Tyler, i think you can get sensors cheaper at the parts store like Autozone etc, but dealer price is not bad, thats why i bought it from them.

[Tyler]

where is the sending unit located?

[Devilsy2k]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tyler:
where is the sending unit located?<hr></blockquote>

Mine was on oil filter housing. I have 3.4, so you might have it some place else, but i think it should be the same place. There should be two wires with screw in connector coming out of your oil filter housing.

[awesomeame]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tyler:
yea.. after about 15 min or driving.. i sit at a red light... and my oil pressure ****s out. <hr></blockquote>

so your oil pressure is fine until the car gets warmed up, eh? what happens to oil when it gets hot? it gets thinner, which means it can fit in smaller spaces.

i had this exact same situation with my plymoth acclaim. my main bearing were shot, so the oil, after it warmed up, just flew through my worn bearings. (with 10w30) i put in some 20w40, and i didn't have any probs.

with this case i'd do an oil change, put in some 20w40, and if your oil pressure is good after it's warmed up, you'll know something is worn inside the engine.

--matt

[strange_trp]

no need to worry unless you drop really really low. it is normal to drop a bit when the engine warms.

[need4speed]

yes, my sensor read near the 1/4 mark (whatever pressure that is, 20 psi i think) after it got warmed up, then it all of a sudden started jumping around like crazy. Bought a new one from the dealer for $12 or so, and it reads at the half mark now after warmed up.

[imported_admin]

How is it at idle compared to when you're driving? It is supposed to drop a bit when you're sitting at a red light. Then when you accelerate and start driving again, it rises back over the halfway mark.

This is not a problem but it might seem like it. The 93 LT1 had so many complaints about this "problem" that GM put a filter on later models... made it read "normal" when it was in fact dancing all over the place. All psychological.

Now, if it stays low when you're moving, something's wrong...

[Tyler]

after the engine is warm, and is dropped its barely halfway when im driving.

when its sitting there its about.. 1/3rd of an inch lower.

but after say 20 min of driving i never see it above half way.

could i have damaged something when my car overheated about a month ago?

[strange_trp]

it is possible you damaged the engine by overheating but not very likely unless you ran it hot for a long time.

you really can't trust gauges on your cluster for accuracy. they are simply there so you can see relative change. if you want to see what oil press is really doing at idle and when the throttle is snapped open, remove sending unit, install a manual oil press gauge and observe readings.

you may wish to check the circuit for your sending unit. ensure the connector is plugged firmly onto the sensor, make sure there is no debris or corrosion on the contacts, and make sure the contacts fit together tightly. also check to make sure the wiring is intact. if you have a few bucks laying around you could throw a new sending unit at it, but i really don't think there is a problem.

[6birds]

I usually drop two Viagara in at every oil change. Keeps it up for a while.