Okay, I have 2 questions for you guys. What is the normal oil pressure on a cold start according to the dash ( i have no other way of checking it) for the 3.8L. Its in a 97 Camaro if it makes a difference. About a month ago i tore out my ac compressor and put in a bypass pulley. The compressor was shot and was seizing and what not. Well in the process of removing i snapped the oil pressure sensor in half. Went out and bought a new one. EzPz. After i got the car back together my oil pressure on a cold start was sitting very close to the 120 hash. Where as before i changed the pressure sensor it would always be around the 60 mark no matter what. under acceleration or idle it would always be around 60 psi. Im not sure which one is incorrect. Second question, is there a way to test the gauges. In my fathers 04 Dakota you could hold the trip reset down and turn the key a few times and it would light up all the lights and move the gauges. Is there a similar trick the Camaros have or not? Much thanks in advance.

 

Ours have no check to my knowledge. However, you can probe the wiring/sensor. It has a specific resistance value based on its readings. Another way is to buy a manual gauge (~$15) and install it in place of the factory sensor to verify and then reinstall the factory sensor.

Quite possible you got a faulty sensor as it does happen, though usually it pegs out to one end all the time.

When you pulled the old sensor, was it gummed up at all or did it look clean? When was the last time the oil and filter changed?

As far as normal pressure goes, book calls for 10psi minimum per 1000 rpm when at operating temp.

 

The old one didnt look to bad other than being in half. lol. And i changed the oil after i finished the other things i was working on. Im running seafoam through it now and im gonna change the oil again to see if fixes anything. As far as hooking up a manual gauge where would one go about hooking up the plastic hose. as far as ive looked ive never seen a place to put one.

 

i would say you either got the wrong sensor or its bad, well maybe you have a wire that is shorting or grounding.

 

I hope so, i ordered a oil pressure tester, should get it tomorrow. Hopefully nothing is wrong. Ive been driving it to work for about a month and it doesn't seem to have any issues. Not that id know what to look for, but it just seems to run as it always did. If i do actually have 100+ psi of pressure what would be the most plausible cause, and best course of action as far as repairing that issue?

 

only time i have heard of pressure increasing that much suddenly is a spun bearing. you would have found out by now if thats what it is.

 

in older systems or grounded sensor wire would max out the gauge. not sure it these do that. a failing sensor can do same thing

 

mine jumps sometimes, like 5 lbs more, then goes back down after a while. not sure why. lol.

 

There is no way the 120 PSI is real, the only way that would happen is if you spun a bearing and your pressure relief valve failed. If that happen your hydraulic valve train would sound insane. You are talking 12 valves all tapping at the same time.

 

Well I got the tester and i have about 35psi at idle at 190 degrees. Not sure if that's too low, but im happy its not actually 120 psi.This is also 5w 30 with some sea foam in it and not the recommended 10w 30. So that may make a difference. Ive come to the conclusion that the pressure sensor was calibrated wrong or something as it still reads pressure and will decrease as the vehicle warms up. The pressure sensor will say about 90 psi at the same temp so it safe to say not a grounding or short in the system.