hey there,

i went to test drive a 1990 3.1 Firebird V6 today and the car was solid, but i had one concern. THe Oil Gauge...

I started car and it was "normal" around 40 of 80 and then the moment i give the car some gas the oil gauge red arrow maxes out...and it stays like that until i take the foot of the gas pedle.

I rev'd the engine up to 5k RPMS and it sounded healthy then took the car for a test drive and drove really nice. The oild gauge is a concern though, could it be faulty? or an engine issue? or what? I checked the oil in the car and it was fine.

I did a search for related issues in the forums but didnt exactly find the problem :-(

If there are any pointers, please toss me some ideas or solutions to what this might be. Its really the only thing stopping me from buying the car. It has 94k miles on it and the interior and exterior are in good shape, but the RAPID Oil Gauge increase worries me.

Any help would be appreciated. THanks

~Matt
cheapsuitcase@hotmail.com

 

Oil pressure is supposed to increase as RPM increases. Doesn't sound like anything unusual.

 

It's supposed to increase and decrease as I give it gas? 40to max as soon as I push the pedal. Also, I thought something was wrong becuase a friend of mine has a firebird also and his does not increase with such rapidness(V8 model though). Thanks for the quick reply!!!


-Matt
cheapsuitcase@hotmail.com

 

It could be simple like a faulty sending unit. One of the guys at a similar problem. But then it could be something else.

 

I would be more concerned about the lack of engine displacement , but that's just me.
Only way to be sure would be to put a "real" gauge on it and be sure you're not buying an engine full of STP.

 

Id have to agree- plug in a machanical gauge real quick and take a good reading at idle, 1000, 2000, and 3000 RPMs. It should go up to around 55 tops. Unless the engine is new and the clearances are really tight, you should never see above 60 psi in an engine running 5w30 or 10w30.

 

phew...sounds like a good pointer, but I dont understand :-(

im still a nub with cars for the most part..is there a way you can break it down into a "retard" form please? lol.

engine displacement?real gauge? how do they work?

sorry for the inconveinence

Thanks,

Matt

 

No problem.
The first wisecrack is a cheap shot at V6's. They have smaller displacement than V8's. This problem is not easy to "fix" for us horsepower junkies.

The second part is to actually connect a hose with a gauge on the end to the engine to measure the oil pressure without using electronics.
If the actual pressure is really above 60 psi when hot then it may be a worn out engine that someone has poured full of STP in order to sell it.
More than likely it's just a faulty oil pressure sending unit that is reading "high", but you have to be sure.

 

As far as displacement (the volume of the cylinder when it is at bottom dead center multiplied by the nmber of cylinders), we mean that you would be better off buying a V8 car so you can burn more gas and imports at the same time (or mustangs, take your pick). Now, on to the real issue: the gauge that is in the dash for the oil presure runs off of an electric sending unit at the far back of the block (I think, not too sure with v6) near the distributor. If you remove the sending unit, you can screw in a mechanical gauge, one that directly conerts the oil pressure into a reading. This leaves no room for error, as long as the gauge you are usig is calbrated. This way, you will rule out that the stock gauge and sending unit is giving you the bad reading. If the reading is still that sporatic (40 at idle then 80+ psi above 1000 RPM) you may assume that the engine oil is not 10w30 and there are some internal engine issues that need to be dealt with (read- don't buy it). Hope this helps,

 

phew...alright guys. Thanks alot for the QUICK steady HELPFUL replies, i appreciate em alot...now all i have to do is choose whether or not to buy the car for 1800 or not >.<

the interior and exterior are both in pristine condition and the engine has 94k miles on it. Either way, if the engine goes i was thinking of removing the v6 and replacing it with a Real Mans V8 :-)

haha. tough decision, but you guys helped me alot.

Thanks alot,

Matt

 

Id say save yourself some work and $$ and find a v8 car to begin with. Check out craigs list, I see them all the time on there for under a grand. Good luck, you won't ever regret using more gas for some extra burnt rubber