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Oil Pressure Low. Perhaps faulty gauge?

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Old Feb 4, 2012 | 05:06 PM
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davidjr74's Avatar
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Car: 1985 Camaro Iroc
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Oil Pressure Low. Perhaps faulty gauge?

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My oil pressure seems to stay at 14 psi. (or it will sit somewhere lower). Even after I punch it and hit higher RPMS she doesn't move. I just replaced the oil pressure sending unit and that didn't change anything.

I don't think I am having low oil pressure....otherwise my engine would heat up if I'm not mistaken and my temperature gauge works.

Questions:


Perhaps the electrical wire that goes to the sending unit is faulty and if so what is this part called and how do I change it?

And if this connection I fix doesn't work then where should I proceed next? Oil Pump?
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Old Feb 4, 2012 | 07:47 PM
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Re: Oil Pressure Low. Perhaps faulty gauge?

I'd hook up a mechaniac gauge to test your pressure.
Does the gauge move at all, like when the key is on,but the engine is off?
Some of these early efi engines had two oil pressure switches, one for the gauge & one for the fuel pump relay. I'd look at a wiring diagram to be sure. How many wires go to the sensor you changed?
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Old Feb 4, 2012 | 07:56 PM
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Re: Oil Pressure Low. Perhaps faulty gauge?

The factory oil pressure sending unit is the FIRST thing you should replace when you are seeing obviously low readings. They go bad A LOT. And when they go bad they often read low, stick at a fixed (low) rpessure or won't show above a certain pressure (a "plateau"). Replace that first and see how it goes. On several 3rd gens I've owed the OPSU was the only thing that needed replacement for sanity to return.

On others it was a combination of the sender and the gague in the cluster. If the OPSU didn't make a differnece re-seating the cluster into the dash receiver (remove and replace the gague cluster without making any other changes) fixed the problem about half the time thereafter. Beyod that you're into real wiring harness issues or a bad gague in the cluster.

Between replacing the OPSU and reseating the gague cluster the problem was fixed about 75% of the time. The remaining 25% was the difficult stuff.
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Old Feb 4, 2012 | 08:15 PM
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Re: Oil Pressure Low. Perhaps faulty gauge?

The factory oil pressure sending unit is the FIRST thing you should replace when you are seeing obviously low readings. They go bad A LOT.
^^^^

That's the 99.999% solution. Especially if it leaks. Quick, easy, cheap. Just do it, and let us know if it didn't fix it, and we'll help you take the next step.
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