Low oil pressure
Discussion
Ive never had an oil pressure gauge before so im not quite sure how to read it properly. Does the pressure need to bi high if you have full oil? Does the pressure drop if you are low on oil. When im driving around my pressure is above the red some what but not over the 1/2 mark. Does this mean im low on oil?
Hi,
Your oil pressure gauge is not an indicator of the oil level in your engine. It is an indicator of whether the engine is pressurising the oil sufficiently or not. While it's true that oil level can have an effect, do not rely on the oil pressure gauge to judge the amount of oil in the engine. For this you should use the dipstick, and this should be check frequently. I check mine each time I take the car out, but it would suffice to check it at every fill up.
The type of oil you use will affect the gauge readings as a thinner oil will not pressurise the gauge as much. You should be using Mobil 1 20/50 or 15/50 at the minimum and change it and the filter at the regular scheduled interval. This interval has both a mileage and time component to it. Every 5,000 miles or 3 months. If you don't drive the car 5k in 3 mos., you need to change the oil at 3 mos. anyway because of all the moisture the oil absorbs which can cause rust and corrosion to internal parts. This is the one area you do not want to scrimp on as it is responsible for more engine repair than anything else on these cars. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
Your oil pressure gauge is not an indicator of the oil level in your engine. It is an indicator of whether the engine is pressurising the oil sufficiently or not. While it's true that oil level can have an effect, do not rely on the oil pressure gauge to judge the amount of oil in the engine. For this you should use the dipstick, and this should be check frequently. I check mine each time I take the car out, but it would suffice to check it at every fill up.
The type of oil you use will affect the gauge readings as a thinner oil will not pressurise the gauge as much. You should be using Mobil 1 20/50 or 15/50 at the minimum and change it and the filter at the regular scheduled interval. This interval has both a mileage and time component to it. Every 5,000 miles or 3 months. If you don't drive the car 5k in 3 mos., you need to change the oil at 3 mos. anyway because of all the moisture the oil absorbs which can cause rust and corrosion to internal parts. This is the one area you do not want to scrimp on as it is responsible for more engine repair than anything else on these cars. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
thanks for the info. Im learning alot about my car through this forum!! I also have a question about the big plastic hoses that run along inside of the roof line behind the cabin window. What are they, because one of my hoses feels cracked when i felt it , but nothing seems to be flowing through them...
Hi,
The hoses you are referring to are the dreaded fuel evaporation lines, they route either to the carbon cannister or return to the fuel tanks. They are made of awful vinyl and will deteriorate as yours seem to be doing. Once that happens, you will get an almost nauseating STRONG smell of gasoline. The fix is pretty simple, remove the old cracked hose and replace it with fuel line or other suitable hose. That is a permanent fix. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
The hoses you are referring to are the dreaded fuel evaporation lines, they route either to the carbon cannister or return to the fuel tanks. They are made of awful vinyl and will deteriorate as yours seem to be doing. Once that happens, you will get an almost nauseating STRONG smell of gasoline. The fix is pretty simple, remove the old cracked hose and replace it with fuel line or other suitable hose. That is a permanent fix. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
solar said: my hoses are worn but i dont get a gas smell. what does that mean???
It means you will probably smell fuel soon. I just had mine replaced a few months ago.
In regards to your low oil pressure gauge reading, mine barely moves above the red even when started cold. I had it checked twice at the dealer, both times the actual oil pressure was perfect, it was the gauge that was bogus. Yours is probably the same, but a real check couldn't hurt.
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