I thought I had posted on this a while back, but I could not find it in the search. I also looked at soem of the posts to see if I could find an answer, or similar problem, but could not find a clear answer.

My oil pressure never reads above the 1st mark. I'm assuming its the sendign unit, but I want to make sure before I go and buy it.

When I rev my car, the needle seems to move, but never goes above that 1st mark. When I say it seems to move, I mean that it wont move more than the thickness of the needle itself.

I have read soem post, and the ones that people are sure that its the sendign unit, are the ones where the needle goes up and down all the time, mine seems to stay put. My car has 10w- 30 oil in it, and it is filled to the mark.

Does this sound like its the Oil Press sending unit, or coudl my problem be somewhere else?

Thx for the help

 

when was the last time you had your oil changed? maybe the filter is clogged and it is bypassing causing you to have low oil pressure.

 

Trey had the same problem as you... Regardless you are probably going to have to drop the oil pan. My recommendation is to drop the oil pan then pick up the parts after you spotted the problem.

 

Drop oil pan??

I might have mixed up my terms. I was talking about the Oil pressure Sensor behind the intake manifold (94 and up).

I'm goan do a search right now on Trey's problem, but jsut in case, this might clarify what I was talkign aobout.

 

I would do the easy thing first. Just change the sensor. If that does not cure it, then you can drop the pan and replace the pump. If it has been this way for a while, you sure aren't going to hurt anything now.

 

Yeah its been like this since I bought the car about 7 months ago. Car is runnign fine (much better after plug and wire change). I'm just gona do that some tiem this week or next tuesday, and then take it from there.

I jsut read the posts on TreyZ28's problem, and I'm hoping I wont have to go through that.

They only diff I see in trey's psot is that he says his needle was "rock solid", but he did say it would go down if he braked hard. So I'm kinda confused on that, but I'll find out soon enough.

Like I said, it has been 7 months and no damage, who knows how long before I got the car.

 

The only way to REALLY KNOW is to put a known accurate mechanical gauge on the car. You could have a bad sender or bad gauge or a little of both. OEM spec oil pressure is
6psi@1000rpm
18psi@2000rpm
24psi@4000rpm
These are minimum according to GM. I would perfer a little more myself, 10, 20, and 40psi would be my minimum.

 

i had a similar problem not to long ago. the gauge wouldn't move at all. i replaced the sending unit and it was fixed.

good luck getting behind the intake. i think i had to use the old mirror to see what was going on back there.

part was $25 or so.

hope this helps.

 

Now that the Lt1's are starting to get a little older the oil pres. sending unit looks like it is going to be a very common fix. I had my go bad last summer. It is cheap but a pita to change out.

~Adam M.

 

Thats what I want to hear, I'm realy hoping thats it.

I jsut chnaged spark plugs, so I'm not gona bee too worried about this one I did see some where (I'm thinking aynes manual), that with the valve cover removed, its easier acces.

Before I go and do that I'm gona ask this next question, but remember that this is my 1st Piston car (had RX-7 before)

Is there a seal you have to change when ever you remove the valve cover?

 

First piston engine, wow!

The valve cover gaskets are usually reusable if you take a little care in removing them. They are quite rubbery.