Low Oil Pressure After Replacing
#1
01-02-2022, 08:55 AM
Low Oil Pressure After Replacing
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Last edited by user 0280838; 05-17-2022 at 08:07 PM. Reason: Please delete the thread.
#3
01-02-2022, 10:35 AM
I have a 1998 Camaro (V6). A friend and I recently replaced my radiator, water pump, and thermostat. My Camaro had a coolant leak and had started overheating. In the process, the oil pressure switch was damaged and we replaced it also.
Since we do not have socket that can fit the oil pressure switch, we had to use an adjustable wrench. Eventually, we could not get the oil pressure switch to go any further in (it was too tight). My friend thought it was fine, but the following day I had low oil pressure.
The pressure was only low when stopped or in neutral. I checked the oil and added some (since my car slowly burns oil). This morning the oil pressure was 40-50, so I took it for a drive and it stayed normal the entire time.
Since we do not have socket that can fit the oil pressure switch, we had to use an adjustable wrench. Eventually, we could not get the oil pressure switch to go any further in (it was too tight). My friend thought it was fine, but the following day I had low oil pressure.
The pressure was only low when stopped or in neutral. I checked the oil and added some (since my car slowly burns oil). This morning the oil pressure was 40-50, so I took it for a drive and it stayed normal the entire time.
Please, next time, get the correct tools. Many auto parts store will LEND you a toolbox with what you will want on the job. I only caution you that you will need to inventory the tool box, before taking it outside, or else you may have to replace anything that is "missing" when you return it. Don't borrow more tools than you will need. Something like a socket set should have a "cradle" for each socket, and a list of those tools in it.
You may have cross-threaded the hole (or the sensor) when installing. It is also possible that you bought a defective or counterfeit sensor (almost anything can get counterfeited, lately). If the threads in the hole are good, I would try another sensor, purchased from a reliable source.
Best wishes.
#4
01-02-2022, 10:49 AM
Factory type oil pressure gage systems are crap. they are not accurate when new. As Y2k said this pressure could be normal and your last sender was wrong. If you overheated the car than that could cause a permeant drop in oil pressure. You may have damaged the sending unit. Any of that is possible. If your car is due for an oil change or you just want piece of mind then change it but I would not do anything based on a factory gage (If the motor overheated then change it). The factory gages are really only good at detecting a change but since you just changed parts even that goes out the window. Even if your untouched oil pressure gaging system changes I would say there is more than a 70% chance the gaging system is what changed, unless the car was just over heated or over reved. This does assume there is no change in the way the engine runs. If the engine is rattling and it did not before then next time lead with that.
Step one on any low oil pressure work order without an engine noise is to put a manual gage on it and read the real oil pressure. As a general rule you need 10PSI per 1000 RPMs to avoid an engine damaging itself.
Step one on any low oil pressure work order without an engine noise is to put a manual gage on it and read the real oil pressure. As a general rule you need 10PSI per 1000 RPMs to avoid an engine damaging itself.
#5
02-22-2022, 06:34 PM
Hey man, I think the last time I changed my oil pressure switch it was a long time ago.. however, I’m pretty sure I did the exact same thing.. ( circa 2009?)
Our oil pressure gauges are dummy gauges for the most part. As long as it’s moving upward when you’re moving you are fine. Now if it’s zero and stays there… then you should worry.
Rhett
Our oil pressure gauges are dummy gauges for the most part. As long as it’s moving upward when you’re moving you are fine. Now if it’s zero and stays there… then you should worry.
Rhett
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