Thread: Oil pressure craziness

So I started my car this morning to let it warm up. Notice the oil light on, so I shut the motor off and top off the oil (it was down to the bottom "empty" hashmark). Start it back up and the light is still on. Dash oil pressure gauge reads 0. remembering I replaced an oil pressure sensor for a similar issue when I first bought the car, I decided to head to work as is. Well, the DIC gauge counted upward from 0 to 40, in 1 lb intervals, as I was driving. After about 10 minutes, it hits 40 psi and stays put. 5 minutes later, when the engine has reached operating temp, the gauge shoots up to 60 and starts bouncing around as it did before there were any problems.

At this point I concluded that it was a faulty sensor.

Well then I leave work 10 hours later, and it goes through the same process. Starts at 0, counts to 40 and stays there for a minute. It then shot up to 60 and started acting normal again. Now I'm starting to worry.

I will be checking the pressure w a mechanical gauge as soon as I can, but I'd like some input if anyone has experienced a similar situation. The fact that it happened twice exactly the same way is making me wonder.

Thanks in advance.

I'd replace the sensor and do the mechanical gauge test and go from there.

Sounds like a circut issue with the sensor.

The good and bad of having a gauge... you see it.

Think about it. If pressure really sucked like it appears..you'd be knockin. I went through similar with my Bonne. Came to the conclusion that I'd be happier w/o a gauge.

If it were really at 0 it wouldn't take long to knock. Ask me how I know.

Originally Posted by dsmuts

If it were really at 0 it wouldn't take long to knock. Ask me how I know.

You mastered that mod...didn't ya!

Haven't tested w a mechanical gauge yet, and probably wont. The gauge was fine on startup yesterday but then stayed pegged on 71 my whole drive to work. Def the sender unit. Appreciate it guys.

There...is one other idea I had. On the Bonneville..the cluster had 3 layers of pcb in the cluster. Sometimes when you had a gauge or multiple gauges acting up, you'd swap the smallest board behind the three gauges.

Most likely though..it's the sender

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

You mastered that mod...didn't ya!

Didn't even go 5 miles lol knock knock knock

I once made it 5 miles at highways speeds... got off highway and said .. uh oh.. better get it back home fast. Stalled pulling into the driveway.