Oil pressure thoughts

[techspy]

Well, I am really getting tired of the low pressure reading on the oil gauge and the flicker of the oil light. When the engine is cold, it indicates correctly, but after it warms up, I get low readings at idle and the oil light flickers as I pass 1600 rpm and the pressure raises again. I know that this is a "They all do that sir" situation, but I refuse to accept that. Someone mentioned to me that it may have to do with the location of the sensor and that it may be at the "end" of the flow and by the time the oil gets to it, it has less pressure than where it is in the vital areas. So, maybe move the sensor location? Or how about a supplemental electric oil pump? Either one that is full time, maybe a preluber, or one that only comes on at lower oil pressure?
In the end, I don't believe that the oil pressure is too low in my car, but what good is a sensor and gauge if you ignore it?

John
94 S4
http://hometown.aol.com/oneshotcop/myhomepage/profile.html

[JK1]

John,

What oil are you running?

[techspy]

I am running 15 w50. Also, anyone know the resistance value and what it translates to for pressure from the sensor? Maybe I will get a good digital gauge to hook up temporarily and use resistors inline from the original sensor to get the calibration correct.
By the way, instead of vehicles having an oil pressure guage, shouldn't they have an oil flow rate guage? Seems this would make more sense anyway.

John
94 S4
http://hometown.aol.com/oneshotcop/myhomepage/profile.html

[wedg1e]

techspy said:

By the way, instead of vehicles having an oil pressure guage, shouldn't they have an oil flow rate guage? Seems this would make more sense anyway. John 94 S4

Not sure I agree with you there. You could, for example, drop a main bearing shell. With a fit oil pump you could have a hell of a flow rate... straight back into the sump, but with no pressure in the rest of the syatem. A pressure reading shows that 'something' is opposing the output of the pump: i.e. all those night close tolerances filled only by oil.

Ian