Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 So I was goin for a drive today, and the oil light started coming on at low rpm. This is kinda strange as it was completely fine yesterday. The engine is a 5mge with a 4m oil pressure sender, pickup and sump. Oil is brand new 20W50. As I said, it was mint yesterday and not so mint today. Not keen on running a bearing just after I get the car going again.. Throw me some ideas on what could be causing this. The pickup didn't look like it was worn out or anything Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheater_5 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 How olds the engine? Worn bearings can cause low oil pressure at idle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Requiemk Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Chuck in a oil pressure gauge so your getting a correct reading no oil leaks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 How olds the engine? Worn bearings can cause low oil pressure at idle Yeah did think that. Somewhere about the 200k mark. Thicker oil maybe? Not that keen on a cheap fix though / engine overhaul in a can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Chuck in a oil pressure gauge so your getting a correct readingno oil leaks? Yep will do once it cools down a bit and hopefully stops raining. No oil leaks that I know of and is still full Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclejake Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 A factory oil pressure light will usually come on around 8-9psi which is extremely low. If you have not just changed to this oil I would be replacing your oil filter as they can fail and cause blockages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Yeah its new filter and fresh oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclejake Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Either could be the problem mate. I don't know your engine so can't comment on what oil you should run but the filter could be crap. Genuine factory filters are the safest bet as far as I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Requiemk Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 youd think itd be a bit extreme for a brand new oil filter to be that bad? im not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 I think it wants 10-40 but I went with 20-50. Has a repco jobbie filter. Maybe I'll chuck some flush through it and another new filter and see what happens. I don't know how the old owner treated the engine but it ran mint up till today. Seems a bit odd that it was fine yesterday (although that could just mean the oil was only a bit higher than the pressure sender... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclejake Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I am personally VERY anti engine oil flush. Think about where all the crapo will end up. A brand new aftermarket filter has every chance of not being suitable. It hasn't happened to me yet but it does happen. If you still have the old one you might even be able to see a difference between the two once they are both on the bench. Go a different brand filter, I am not saying this is the problem but it is a fairly cheap experiment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Last one was also a repco one. Ended up with a screwdriver in it Will try it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuel Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 if it has low oil pressure on 20W50 it's going to have even less pressure with 10W40. It could be a blocked oil pickup/strainer, worn oil pump, stuck open relief valve, blocked oil filter, or even a dodgy oil sender unit. Had a problem with my ma and pa's old trusty '86 Sigma which they had since new, got a service every 6 months on the dot despite doing bugger all kms between services - oil hardly got a chance to go brown/black etc. The oil light started flickering on and off at idle... thought fark something's buggered, definitely wasn't low on oil and it just had a fresh filter - chucked on an oil pressure guage and all was reading well, it was just a dicky sender unit in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheater_5 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 get a mechanical/non electric oil pressure gauge and save yourself the annoyance plz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 if it has low oil pressure on 20W50 it's going to have even less pressure with 10W40. It could be a blocked oil pickup/strainer, worn oil pump, stuck open relief valve, blocked oil filter, or even a dodgy oil sender unit. Had a problem with my ma and pa's old trusty '86 Sigma which they had since new, got a service every 6 months on the dot despite doing bugger all kms between services - oil hardly got a chance to go brown/black etc. The oil light started flickering on and off at idle... thought fark something's buggered, definitely wasn't low on oil and it just had a fresh filter - chucked on an oil pressure guage and all was reading well, it was just a dicky sender unit in the end. youd be surprised with the first comment , i put diesel oil into the ca when i first got it (to clean the fuck out of it ) , is is a 15w40 weight oil and my guage read normal , i put 10w40 in it and now the pressure is off the heeezy . yea get a mehcanical gauge and check the oil pessure before beginning to think its somthing that has gone horribly wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abarth Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Check the electrical connection on the end of the pressure sensor, could be lose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Another tip is to find a smaller filter that fits, Us backyard racer types do that to bump oil pressure up on higher kms engines......IE if its a falcon with a Z9 ryco filter use a Z700 off a cortina...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Gauge has the wrong thread so did not fit, but a spare sender I stuck on gives the same results... Just when I thought everything was sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Gauge has the wrong thread so did not fit, but a spare sender I stuck on gives the same results...Just when I thought everything was sorted tbh get someone with a mech gauge and hook that up and check so you know for SURE that its ok . it would suck for you motor to slowly die cos its not getting enough pressure lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 10-5 brought his gauge over, and it is reading a definite zilch. Off comes the sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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