I was very discouraged in reading all of the comments that are made by people on this forum when people report low oil pressure readings, among others. Over all, quite a few people on this forum are quick to alert the person inquiring about the problem the WORST possible cause; i.e., bad oil pump, pick-up falling off, bad engine in need of a rebuild (i actually read this one dozens of times).

Case and point- Why do nearly all people on this forum quickly respond with the worst case senario when a person asks about sometimes SIMPLE problem. Why, if your doing that, can't you at least re-phase it like, "well, the most common problem which might cause this is..., but there is also the chance that...", instead of the common "well, it sounds like you're ****ed and need to rebuild your engine."

Every problem which I have had with my car in the 2 and a half years which I have had it ultimately had the simplest fix, not requiring an engine rebuild.

Low oil pressure- Broken oil pressure sending unit!

 

Cause some like to start with the most expensive parts and work backwards? Must be nice to have money lol

 

I always try to start with the most obvious/simple stuff, based on the information in the thread.

 

Same here.

 

I'm not saying everyone does it, nor did I say that before. But there are quite a few people that do do it, and they know who they are without naming names.

 

Exactly!

Many people don't go about solving problems in an orderly or "scientific" manner. Step #1 in problem solving is: "Define the problem." As simple as this sounds, it's often the most difficult thing to do.

Case in point: NO OIL PRESSURE! HELP! That may sound like a definition of the problem, but it's just a symptom and probably an observation of the gage if the engine is still running and not making expensive noises. If the true problem was zero oil pressure, the engine would soon seize up. Those folks who jump to the conclusion that the "sky is falling" (aka Chicken Little Syndrome) probably aren't good problem solvers like Mr. shoebox. I look at who is posting before I consider taking the advice. shoebox, among a few others, gives excellent advice. IOW, Consider the source!

 

One way to HELP with the problem would be to simply post on the thread, and point out what the other causes of the problem might be. There's a lot of incorrect info posted in repsonse to a lot of threads. You can either get "discouraged" about it, and complain, or you can be part of the solution in helping the person to reach the correct answer to his problem.

Something to think about.

 

Perhaps those quick to respond with the worst-case scenario have that pessimistic point of view where if u think it's the worst possible problem, then it can only be better when you discover what it really is, or if it was that worst case, then you prepared for it. Either way, not a good way to diagnose a problem.

 

I like the posts that start out blaming the GM engineers.

You know right away from that tone, that the thread is could get messy.

Just as when you ask a question to any group of people, you will get a cross-section of responses. Some replies will be on the mark, some not. It takes a little while to get to know the people in the target audience before you can feel confident about who you can trust and get good advice from.

I read more posts than just the ones I reply to. That way I not only learn, but I also am able to get an idea of how other people think and of the legitimacy of their advice. There are some very smart people posting around here. I take from them what interests me. I just try to ignore the kooks.

Nobody knows everything, but after a while, you can clearly see where people's strengths lie. It's great to have all these resources!

 

I wish I had said that. Great reply!

 

my low oil pressure problem ended up in a 383 le3 project... worst case scenario??