Oil Pressure, Oil, Filters again etc

[Yatesy350i]

Hi All

I would like to run this past the experts.

Some time last year before I knew any better. I went down the local motor factors asking for oil and filter for the 350i. I came back with a Framm filter and some good quality 10w40 oil. All went in the car and all was good.

After reading the which oil posts on here and as I like to change the oil regularly even though the car probably hadn't 500 miles on the old oil. i opted for Valvoline 20w50 and the correct Unipart filter with anti drain.

With the old set up. There was no anti drain on the filter however oil pressure was instant upon start up.

With the new setup The oil warning light goes out after 2 seconds and the oil pressure gauge registers between 2-3 seconds.

So a couple of questions.

1. Is this due to the oil being a bit thicker from cold?

2. Is this something to worry about?

Instant oil pressure once the car is re-started over the next few hours of being out and about.

Thanks In advance

Karl.

[V8 Fettler]

I wouldn't think that 2 secs is a problem. I had up to 8 seconds of red warning light with a non-anti-drain filter and 20w50, so it's bizarre that you achieved 0 seconds with non-anti-drain and 10w40. It is possible that my oil pump is approaching 100k miles though.

[ElvisWedgely]

I have owned five different V8 Wedges so far and the oil light takes a few seconds to go out on all of them, and the pressure guage takes even longer to react. When your Wedge was manufactured, 10w40 oil wasn't even invented, so 20w50 is the correct one. It all sounds good to me.

Also, it's not how soon the oil light goes out or how quickly the pressure guage reacts that matters, but how quickly the oil pressure gauge rises when you press the accelerator once the engine is warm. The faster the needle shoots up the better. The other thing to worry about is if the engine makes a metallic noise when idling and warm, as this indicates low oil pressure on idle. If this happens then your guage would be reading very low and the oil light would probably be flickering. Those aside, fill her up with unleaded and make some noise.

Tony.TCB

[Yatesy350i]

Thanks Guys

That's good enough for me. See you at the Fest.

Karl.

[smash]

Have you checked the oil level again since initially filling? The filter was empty when fitted and is now retaining oil. Have you got an oil cooler also?

The oil pressure warning light is usually ereally low psi like 5 or something. It shouldn't stay on for a few seconds. the fact the gauge takes a while to come up suggests it's mirroring what the low pressure light is telling you.

Acid test would be borrowing a mechanical gauge to see what's happening.

[Henry Harris]

My 450 used to have the proverbial - as long as the light is out, then there is sufficient oil pressure. It used to run at about 20-25 psi. After the recent rebuild and now with an inline gauge rather than an electric one, the oil pressure is between 40 and 60 psi.

[adam quantrill]

A few seconds is OK - mine does that too.

Incidentally I had a Rover P5 V8 that chucked out all its oil the first time I drove it (that will teach me for doing Vmax up the M11) and the light came on 2 miles from home. Well I had no recovery service so I carried on but on low revs.

Next day I filled it with oil, nervously started up, but the tappets were all chattering away. I left if running for 15 minutes and all was well, and I carried on driving that car for many thousands of miles after. So I don't think a couple of seconds at startup will do any damage.