maximase86

iTrader: (24)

Well...it's been back for a little bit. Basically what happens is after the car has warmed around 2000-3000 rpm oil pressure drops close to nothing. If I downshift and kick rpms up to 3000+ rpm, oil pressure gains past 45psi. Under 2000 rpms, oil pressure hoovers around 20-25psi. On cold start up oil pressure is a full 90psi. It seems to only drop when the motor runs at a certain range....otherwise it's fine. It doesn't seem to make sense to me though. Why would oil pressure be fine at a lower or higher rpms, but not between 2k-3k rpms? Thoughts have been that the pick is got some build or oil level is too low....but wouldn't readings be consistently low in all rpms? Could it just be a bad oil pump (that already looks like a ***** and a half to replace). Thoughts?

S

Big_E-Dog

iTrader: (14)

could be the gauge?

max95q

iTrader: (10)

Mine is doing the same thing Sarin and I havent been able to trace why myself as well.

maximumrideus

Let me know if you find anything out Mine is doing the same thing as well. For now Im making sure I check the oil everyday to ensure the oil level is ok. When I check the level everything is fine but on the move I get the same symtoms as you Sarin.

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

Well I'll definately look into trying to replace the sensor. When I do install the turbo I will be pulling the oil pan, so I'll have a look in there and clean stuff out. I also might get a cheap aftermarket oil pressure gauge and might use that to verify.

S

max95q

iTrader: (10)

Hmm I like that aftermarket oil pressure gauge idea to see if it gives you the same readings. I might just have to check that out as well.

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

wow i thought i was the only one....
i have an appointment with my work to get the pressure checked to see if mine is the pump for sure...they have a tool that will screw into where the sending unit goes and its hooked up to a more readable guage other than the 60 and 120 PSI on the dash....and by doing it that way its sure fire to find the fault for the pump or some where from the sending unit back

another thing...when was the last you guys changed your oil?

i changed mine last weekend and it gave me 5 or so more psi but not enough to make me not worry

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

I have only about 300 miles on the oil in the car. I don't drive it a whole lot any more.

S

max95q

iTrader: (10)

I have alittle over 400 with this oil and filter. About to change the spark plugs soon too.

max95q

iTrader: (10)

Once we find the culprit this is definately going up in the stickies.

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

i was noticing today my oilpressure warmed up hovers halfway between 0 and the first line...the problem with having the pressure checked where i work is they'll do it when they have a mechanic thats got alot of time with nothing to do....so it may be a while

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

What's the marking for the first line? I know on the 85-86, the marks are 0, 45, and 90 psi. On the 87-88 they read up to about 120psi?

Anyway, went to the NWMaxima meet. After I drove about 30 some odd miles there, car has been sitting a little bit, start up the car, really low oil pressure, and lifter noise (aka tick tick tick). Bring the RPM's up, ticking goes away, and pressure goes to 45psi. I also notice that the range where it drops varies a little bit. Sometimes it happens about 2k-3k, sometimes it's 2k-3200 or so. Either way it sucks because I can't use 5th gear unless I go 35 or slower, or 75 and faster, else oil pressure drops.

S

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

the first labled pressure line is half way and its 60...and now i am going o ****....


i just had head work done less than 10,000 ago why the hell didnt i do this then....****

maximumrideus

I have about 300 miles as well on my last oil change. I just changed plugs, wires, rotor, vaccum lines, air filter and thermostat. Running great besides the suspect oil pressure

UberZogster

i changed my oil around 1000 miles ago and my oil pressure is around 70psi over 2000rpm but as soon as i get below that it goes down to around 5. I just checked my oil levil and it is right at the high mark.

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

ok, i dont know if they are related but i am freaking out here...
i was driving arround town today and my temps were fine and it all seemed well but i wasnt paying attention to the pressure guage...i get to my parents house and right as i turn it off the pressure....well the guage says i dont have any...so oh **** i shut the car off right away and i figure i'll let it cool off....less then 5 minutes later my god damned dad of course has some place he has to go right then and now and i start it up and its all stumbly and lopey to move it over and then i shut it off....popped the oil cap off and theres oil on the heads from what i can see where the cap is and its was dripping off the rocker arms but still...

some one please tell me the stumbly part was something else, i was running the ac and the temp wasnt much further than half way

oh and my dad throws gasoline on the fire by saying its just the bearings...the hell dude the car doesent have marks from the rings on the cylindar walls why would the bearings go before scoring the walls with the pistons?

i dont know what to do...i dont have any money and it sounds like i am about to not have a car

UberZogster

well my car runs like **** when it is already warm and i try to move it around the driveway. Unless you drove it hella far you are probably ok. I drove my other car 550 miles withought getting oil to the top half of the engine and it is fine well we think we fixed the problem and it has seemed fine since.... also if you just looked at the pressure at idle it would probably be low-bairly reading... i donno like i said mine says almost none under 2000rpm and my Dad says that it has allways done that since day one.

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

I get the stumbling, but I've had it way prior to this problem. Basically it's the like my hot start problems I get from time to time.

S

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

ok, hot start...yea thats what i am going to think what that was because i dont want it to be any thing else....

it was odd, i got a ride form my mom and she just said out of the blue i should get a new car which i found very odd, they said they would even help out with the payments...i kinda wanted a project car...mabe i have had one the whole time and i am waiting for my daily driver

max95q

iTrader: (10)

Its weird we are all getting the same symptoms. Ive been trying to trace this thing for some time but cant. I havent had the stumbly problem in a long while, cross fingers. The only time my car has been stumbly lately is if I wait until the last minute to fill up. At that point it will stumble alittle upon warm start up after filling up.

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

hmm didnt pay attention to the gas, the thing is i have noticed a steady drop in pressure ever since i got the car and its only recently acceleratedly gotten worse...

wow thats not even proper english..well tommorow i am going to go to work early so it still cool out so my oil doesent get to thin and then i am going to try to bump my test to asap....it could be a sending unit but i dont want to take the risk that its not

MaxWgn

iTrader: (1)

Here's a list of the most common causes of low oil pressure...

1. ) Low oil level (DUH!) - and most of you have ruled that one out..
2. ) Bad pressure sensor
3. ) Main or rod bearing gone or about to go
4. ) Oil pump about to go out
5. ) Oil pump pickup screen clogged
6. ) Oil passages in head/block clogged
7. ) Camshaft center bores worn ****

These are not in any particular order, so take your pick...

**** Note, I do not say cam bearing, as our cars do not use cam bearings...the cam shaft's center lobe turns directly on the bore surface. The bore has oil passages in it, so in essence, the cams are riding a 100% liquid bearing...

As for clogged passages, etc...a good engine flush and/or SeaFoam should help clear that little problem up...

Clogged screen, you'll need to drop the pan, and either clean the screen, or replace it...

Bad pump, sensor, or bearings, well, you all know what THAT means...

in any case, good luck guys...a lot of you guys that are dealing with this issue are running higher milage engines, anyway...

SurraTT

iTrader: (59)

here is my .02

well if you havent allready fed up the oil pressure wire when getting the oil filter out

i would check the gauge itself, i got a diff cluster in and it seems to work a lot better, it onl has 170,000 miles, it seems to have better responce


but i gotta get the miles on it to 240,000 somehow

max95q

iTrader: (10)

Unfortunately I understood every word you said in that broken sentence.

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

well put it this way my car has 169,000 on it and i am having this problem...

i was thinking about the main bearings going out thing and if they were would there be a heavy ammount of oil shavings?

oh and my car will be checked out tommorow to see if its truly the pressure or the sending unit

maximagxe90

you guys have a cam bearings to,

wylie-c

Hmmm, everyone has the same problem it seems. Mine also reads high when it's cold, but comes down to about half or just under when warm and at a driving rpm. When it's idling it drops to almost nothing. It's always been like that as long as I've had it, and I've put 100,000 kms on it in that time for a total of 323,000. The fact that the oil pressure is better when the engine is cold though indicates that the pump is worn and is having a harder time picking up the oil once it gets hot and thins out. The oil is much thicker when it's cold. So my solution is to just run 20-50 instead of 10-30. I only run 10-30 in winter. It's my opinion that a high mileage engine should have a heavier oil in it anyway, due to the increased clearances on all the internals due to wear.

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

ok i got my results....not good...i'll have scans later tonight, i am at lunch right now

UberZogster

i have 125,000 on mine not that high of milage espicially for age.

Helmuth48

I have a 85 with 290,000...have run only 20-50 wt oil and a can of Restore with each oil change....3 to 5K miles
Have had two problems with oil pressure...
1. Damaged wire to sensor as a result of changing the oil filter from the top....could not see the broken wire, it was under the insulation...causing intermittent a connection.... Replaced that section of the wire.
2. Bad Oil Pressure sender......first was erractic pressure reading...high/low/none...the gage is designed work on a linear output of pressure vs resistance to ground...when the sender goes bad...it is non-longer linear and products erratic signals...
3. Put a new one in...work great.... hot and cold.
That's my story.....for what it's worth!!