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Re: Get thee to a mechanic!! Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Mon, 8 Nov 2004 10:31:51
In Reply to: Re: Get thee to a mechanic!!, Alex, Mon, 8 Nov 2004 10:02:13 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The oil pressure sender only lights the light at a pretty low pressure - 6 or 7 psi. That's to keep the light off during times of 'normal' low oil pressure - hot oil at idle. But you need a solid 20 psi or more with warm oil with the engine under load and at speed; 40 psi or more with cold oil.
A clogged oil pickup doesn't usually show up as an oil light only at idle. As engine speed goes up, the oil flow should go up, and a clogged screen is still clogged at high rpm. Clogged oil screens show up as an oil light at speed, shortly followed by loud noises, then expensive silence.
There are two 'tests' if the oil light comes on. One is to immediately slap an oil pressure gauge on the engine. I call this the cheap one, because it's the cost of an oil pressure gauge, or a mechanic's hour's time.
The second is the 'expensive' test. Drive the car. This requires no test equipment. If it's just the sensor, the engine will still be running a week later. If it isn't the sensor, the engine will have siezed. This is the 'expensive' test because, although there is no cost for running the test, if you average the cost of it turning out to be the sensor (free) with it being actual low oil pressure (new engine), the average is pretty expensive.
It sounds like you've done the latter test, and have gotten somewhat lucky. Hey, it works. If you had true low oil pressure, you'd be hearing rattle from the lifters at speed, and the engine would probably have died by now. However, it still isn't worth chancing.
The oil pressure sender is on the back of the block, above the alternator, below the upper engine mount. It is an absolute bear to get to. However, there it be.
posted by 192.249....
, Mon, 8 Nov 2004 09:55:40, Mon, 8 Nov 2004 10:31:51 <-- Viewing This Message, Mon, 8 Nov 2004 12:23:10
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