I have a question. I recently had my plugs and wires changed along with an oil change. I noticed after a few days, my oil pressure would run at around 60 where it should for the 3800 v6 (99). Well it then all of a sudden while the engine got warm, dropped to 30 and hovered around there. I checked the oil thinking I had too little to find the oil went up the dipstick about twice the length of the guage on the dipstick its self. I changed the oil and put in the correct! 4.5 liters. Everything was great until yesterday. While accel'ing, it will stay at 60, when I idle, it drops down to 30 again. I know a little flux is ok but 30lbs? Any clue as to what could be causing this problem? Has my engine been damaged? Thanks!

 

Has no one came across this problem before? The vehicle stopped for about a day but started back up on my drive home from work yesterday. Thanks!

 

I was going to say maybe it was a faulty oil pressure sensor until I read that your car died. The oil pressure drop is normal although down to 30 (I'm guessing the 1/4 mark?) is low. Mine will start up around the 1/2 mark and then dip just under that line at idle after warmed up.

You might need to check that out if it is causing you driveability problems. Good luck.

 

What was it like before?
What kind of Oil did you use before and after the oilchange?
Notice any performance issue's? Car run sluggish or anything?

I don't have my car at the moment so I can't look at the gauges and tell you. But I can tell you that when Oil warms up, it gets thinner and will tend to give lower preasure readings. This would also explain as to why it's halfway up your dipstick. Check your oil when your car is cold and see where it resides. When you're on the gas you will ALWAYS have higher oil preasure (About half for normal accelleration) than you would at Idle. It will reside around the quarter mark at idle or low accelleration.

 

I'm sorry, the car didn't die. The problem with the pressure guage dropping stopped for a day or so. Prior to the oil change that started all of this, it was just whatever oil the place I took it to put in. I think Shell Oil started the problem with the overfill. I currently have that Max Life $2.50/qt.... (I figured it might help) and at least it stays right around 60 with my foot on the gas. Before it used to drop just a little down from 60 possibly 50-53? Now it goes right down to 30 (1/4th mark) and sometimes a little below. I'm just worried that my pressure will just drop and bye bye engine. If it might be something that's covered by warantee I'd like to get it taken care of in my last 500 miles. I would go right away but if there isn't a problem, I'm also slammed with a $80 diagnostic fee from Chevy.... I'm about tired of the dealerships because everytime I go, I'm getting a whole story about whats wrong and how they'd love to charge me mega bucks to fix (ie. leaking high pressure power steering hose. My fluid level hasn't moved in MONTHS). Thanks for the responses.

 

Forgot to answer a few questions. I have noticed in the past month, I've had slow accel's until I hit 3000rpm (right at 3000rpm it takes off). I cleaned the K&N air filter and it helped ALOT. I can still feel that it is taking place but not near as bad. Would a dirty fuel filter cause that? Thats next on the list of maintenance.

 

If you are still covered under warranty, I would take it in. Better to have it taken care of and they pay the majority of the bill (you would have to pay a deductable though). I know my warranty saved my butt plenty of times from really expensive repairs when I still had the warranty. Low oil pressure is a valid concern, they shouldn't tell you it isn't a problem. My oil gauge has never gone anywhere near 1/4 before.

Do your own oil changes. Saves $$$, you know what is going in and you know it isn't some jerk doing a halfass job. I wouldn't waste my time or money with MaxLife...if your car is having problems, MaxLife won't fix it. It is a good oil, but not for that price. Pennzoil would work just as well for a bit cheaper.

The oil and filter wouldn't make that big of a difference with your pressure. Some filters are more restrictive on flow than others but not enough to toy with the pressure like you've been having. Warm oil thins a little but not enough for the pressure drop you're seeing.

 

30psi at idel won't hurt your engine.
My Z28 gets about 15-20psi at idel when hot and it has been like that for as long as I had it and it has a fresh engine in it less then 20,000 miles.
How many miles does it have?
If you want more oil pressure get 15-50 weight oil or 20-50 oil. I have expermented on my own cars and for years and I think (key word if think as in maybe) the only oil that might have ever hurt an engine was 0w-30 weight oil during winter. Won't use 0-30 own stuff any more.
Thick oil for summer time works great, year after year.

 

Why would the 0w-30 hurt an engine? 0w will flow better than 5w and 10w at the lower temps while still having flowing like a 30 oil. I haven't heard any complaints from any f-bod guys running 0w-30.

Our engines are pretty hardy. They actually like heavier oils so a 40w would still be OK. Maybe if you ran a 5w-20 you might have problems.

 

My vehicle has just about 90k miles on it. The problem has just started in the past 3000 miles so I'm kind of worried. The temp here in FL has been in the high 80's low 90's. I do recall a time in the past during last summer where my oil pressure was fluxing during idle. I could watch the needle jump about 5-10 psi. I ran right into Chevy and got an oil change and it was gone.... Clueless here.

 

As the oil filter gets cloged up it restricts oil flow. as the engine gets more miles on it the oil pump wares a little producing less oil volume at higher pressures and the rod and main jornals start to ware letting more oil leak by.
When the car is ideling the pump makes it least volume out put. at higher rpms it makes much much more volume. The pump is a positive displacement gear type, once the oil pressure gets high enough it opens a releaf valve that bypasses oil back to the pump inlet.
That is why your oil pressure goes up to a certain point and stops even at high rpms.
When the engine gets older it can't flow enough to creat enough pressure open the buy pass while at idel.
So as it gets older the pressure will get lower and lower at idel.
I don't run 0-30 oil becasue I had a 2.8 that suffered low oil pressure and when I put 0-30 oil in there I had all most no oil pressure. Then the engine died. That wouldn't hapen to do a fresh engine.