Hey guys, I was wondering if you could help me out on this.

Over winter break, I was driving, when I noticed that the "Check Gauges" light was coming on when I was stopped at stop lights. The oil pressure was way down in the red. I got the car home as soon as possible and checked it out.

The dipstick indicated that I was down a quart on oil, so I added the oil, started her up, and oil pressure was back up. I was driving around, and, on the freeway and everything, oil pressure was in the normal range, no problem.

Then, after driving and stopping after the engine has heated up, at a stop, the oil pressure is still down to the "Check Gauges" light level. If I put it in neutral at a stop, the oil pressure goes back up out of the red (barely).

Anybody dealt with this before? I'm not entirely sure as to what it could be, and I'd really rather not pay any more for repairs on the car at this point.

 

hope for the best, hope its just a problem with the sending unit for the oil pressure. I could be a problem with the oil pump. good luck with it what ever it is.

 

The sending unit is only like $15 form autozone if I rember right I almost changed mine.

I ahve had some bad fluctuaionts with my oil pressure which were fixed by doing oil change and filter swap I think they were all filter related.


could be the oil pump, what worries me is you said you were low on oil, I would check your plug, and see where your oil is at now maybe you are losing oil reeeeal fast. I woudl look into getting it figuring it out, oil pressure problems are not stuff to play with.

Anyone know if a heag gasket would cause this?

 

More than likely it's not a blow head gasket. If it were, coolant would be getting into the cylinders and into the oil and would discolor the oil. Also air pockets would be able to get in the coolant flow. Are you having cooling problems?

I'm assuming you have a leak somewhere, I'm not thinking sending unit. Could also be your pump.

 

1) Sending unit
2) Oil pump (pressure release valve stuck open?????)
3) Plugged Oil Filter (what brand is it)....but where would all the "crap" have come from????
4) Worn main bearings (how many miles do you have on it???)
5) And yes......a head gasket can cause a oil leak..... Head gaskets don't necessarily have to break into a coolant passage......but the can runs ok....so more than likely its not that.

I'd get the oil and filter changed 1st....and then swap out the sending unit if the problem is still there.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Last time I got the oil changed was in late August, but I've been doing pretty much exclusively highway driving, and using synthetic oil, so I wasn't planning on changing it again until the end of February. Maybe I'll see about getting it taken care of this weekend.

Also, on an unrelated note, I had to replace the alternator over winter break too. The problems never quit on this car!

 

I'd put money on a bad sensor. Hopefully that is the case...

Good luck...