Jump to content

Oil pressure light


edselg
 Share

Recommended Posts

My oil pressure light has been coming on sporadically for about a month. When I start the car I can drive for about 20 minutes before it starts coming on. It only comes on when I'm stopped. It  turns off as long as i'm driving or when I put it in neutral at a stop and give it a little gas. I figure it a pressure sensor going bad. Has anyone had this issue? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How many miles on your car?  Regular oil changes? I assume you've checked the oil level

 

OIl pressure will drop as engine temp heats up. In an engine with big (bearing) clearances due to wear, that'll cause the pressure to drop too low and trigger the warning at idle.  At higher engine speeds, pressure rises so the light goes out.  The only way to make sure it's actually too low or just the sensorfailing is with a gauge.  The pressure sensor is removed and the gauge is screwed in in place of the sensor.  Then the reading is taken with the engine fully warmed up.

 

Here's an example in which an old Ford Fairmont, with an easily accessible sensor, is used to illustrate the fundamental principle.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...