Oil Pressure...

[Firebirdkid96]

Okay so at Idle my oil pressure is only like 45-50 psi and then around 4k rpms it gets up to 60....anyone else experience anything like this...i just pulled the valvle covers not too long ago...new gaskets needed?

[chevy the kid]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Same here, at wot oil pressure is 35-45psi. When cruising in city oil pressure is 50-50 at 1500-2000rpm. Cold start is 65 and in higway max 60.

When i got the car it never been under 55. I have had to remove the sensor and since an oil change i got this.

The strange thing is if i use 10w40 instead of 5w30 the pressure is under. It should be better .

Maybe the sensor

[Rob Bell]

Re: Oil Pressure...

It's probably the sensor. You would hook up a mecahnical oil pressure gauge to see what the pressure really is. If it does not match the sensor, then the sensor is bad. If it does match the sesnor, you're still OK because 45-50 PSI at idle is plenty of pressure.

[Firebirdkid96]

Re: Oil Pressure...

It's probably the sensor. You would hook up a mecahnical oil pressure gauge to see what the pressure really is. If it does not match the sensor, then the sensor is bad. If it does match the sesnor, you're still OK because 45-50 PSI at idle is plenty of pressure.

Well I don't quite get it because when I first start the car its up around 63 psi...then after driving a while it drops to like 50 idle... i was thinking either leaky valve gaskets or bad/going bad sender...

[Skinny]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Leaking valve cover gaskets won't cause an oil pressure drop, as there is no pressure in the valve cover gasket area. The only way a leak there would cause a pressure drop is if it leaked enough to make the oil level low. Your oil pressure will vary with heat. Cold oil is much thicker than hot oil. 50psi at idle is nothing to worry about.

[Firebirdkid96]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Leaking valve cover gaskets won't cause an oil pressure drop, as there is no pressure in the valve cover gasket area. The only way a leak there would cause a pressure drop is if it leaked enough to make the oil level low. Your oil pressure will vary with heat. Cold oil is much thicker than hot oil. 50psi at idle is nothing to worry about.

Thanks. I was pretty sure about the valve covers, but it's the 1% I worry about, and I just got done doing a bunch of stuff to my car, just wanted to make sure that I didn't F anything up too bad.

[chevy the kid]

Re: Oil Pressure...

I have exactly what you have.

But with 10w40 the pressure should be better no?

In warm day like today my oil pressure about 15km of heavy traffic is 35-40idle and 50 in cruise.

What do you think. I always look at this guage because i'm worring.

[Skinny]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Switching from a 10w30 to 10w40 should make a small difference in the oil pressure, but it really depends on the oil. Going up to something like a 20w50 should make a noticeable difference. In any case, I wouldn't be too concerned with the oil pressure until you see something below around 25psi at hot idle.

[chevy the kid]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Yes but when i got the car 1 year ago the oil pressure was just on the spec and since the oil change and sensor removal it drop day by day

[Rob Bell]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Before you get too worried, just verify that the sensor is working properly. The odds are much better that it's a sensor issue rather than a mechanical problem.

[Skinny]

Re: Oil Pressure...

Before you get too worried, just verify that the sensor is working properly. The odds are much better that it's a sensor issue rather than a mechanical problem.

Agreed. Verify that the sensor is working correctly first. Verify it with a mechanical guage, or hell, a new sensor isn't too expensive... ($30?).

[chevy the kid]

Re: Oil Pressure...

I will see if it will be worse. My car run fine.

If a day it drop to 10-15 i will change the oil pump and if it doesn't work i will change the rod bearing.

In france it's not easy to find an engine and as i can see the oil pressure droping is know on the 3.8 as the intake gasket.

[96redbirdgt]

Re: Oil Pressure...

so is it bad that mine is 45 start up and about 40 hwy and 30 idle? and after i drive it a while when i park and idle it will twitch real fast. sensor? engine is out of an 02 booniville, but used the f-body pan. it is due for an oil change.

[tmon930]

Re: Oil Pressure...

what about 30ish when warm. about 55 when i'm cruising.

[IwannaCamarosoBad]

Re: Oil Pressure...

When I start mine up its at about 40 at idle but progressively goes down, but when I hit 55 it'll jump back up to about 45/50 and stay but then it progressively drops back down again. I hope it's nothing major with any of our cars.