My car is leaking oil pretty badly, and I'd like to know about what my oil pressure gauge should read. Mine is just below 30 at idle, and just about 30-40 with any gas at all. Are these numbers pretty standard? Thanks!

 

i have some minor oil leaks on my engine, but according to my guage, at cold idle my Oil pressure is 80+, after its warmed up im right under 40 (35-39psi) at idle and right about 60 at 3,000 rpm's cruisng down the highway... though i do have a nast exast leak some were causing my hole exasut to raddle....

 

my 3.4 swap is at about 50 idle 60 when im on it at all.

 

brand new oil pump, dont think its leaking any. 5w30 oil and I'm just above 40 at idle.

 

Cold 75-80psi, warm idle 35-40psi, with more than 1/3 throttle 60psi.

 

cold, 75-80, warm, about 20. My motor has 70,000 miles on it.

 

Thanks guys. I don't know about my cold temp (haven't started it cold yet, only warm. I'm going to keep a close eye on my pressure from now on. Mine seems like possibly a little low, but that could just be the engine.

 

why the new oil pump?
Did you just change the pump and nothing else in the engine?
Was it change due to lowe oil PSI?

Did ya get HV or regular?

my 300 mile try out of rotella oil isn't looking good.
Its done knocked my oil psi off it steady 40+ for 7 year run.
Making me worry

Why oh why can't GM get on the ball like Buick. Front mounted Dizzy and front mounted external oil pumps for easy service and adjustments. If I pull that pan Im not gonna be able to just stop there.

 

I get 60+ when it's cold, right around 40 when cruising warm, and about 10-15 at idle. Those numbers are fine. Too much pressure and you seals start to go bad early. Too much pressure could also mean that you have a restriction somewhere. as long as you have pressure and it's steady, I wouldn't stress out about it too much. Start to worry when you get a bouncy needle or it gets down to the red on the guage.

Remember that different weight oils give different pressure readings also.

 

Because low pressure kept blowing my cams. montess was right about that, I give him props. I changed that, then installed a test cam, which I am running right now.

Melling HV.

 

Did ya do anything else to boost oil psi?

Most time when a good running motor lose oil psi it cause the main bearings are worn out.

but thats what I wonder, if a HV pump was your bandaid for better oil psi.

would think the hv one on a all godd system would run 60-80, stockers seam to run 40-60

 

When I firsted turned the engine on, pressure was up over 80 at 1500.

After running it a while, it lowered. Today I looked at it since you asked. I have about 140-150 miles on it today. Warm at idle I would est 50-55 psi. When running at 60mph, I'm just a hair under 80psi. Remember, I'm also running thinner oil then most people right now as well.

 

ok, all these high oil pressures have em concerned... Why is my 70,000 mile engine, that goes 3000+ without dirtying the oil, have 15 - 20 psi at idle?

 

That's normal, that's what it's supposed to be. If you're running 80 PSI all the time on a stock engine, then you're almost definitly hitting the pressure bypass valve all the time and not getting volume up into the engine becuase it's being bypassed.

 

Where do you get this stuff???

why would GM put an 80 psi gauge in a car that suppose to not run evenclose to 40 as you say 10-20 is right???

That would be like having the fuel gauge only read half full, at the full mark.
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There is just no way you can say my 10-20 oil psi is normal when its been 40+ since I bought it in 99. All of a sudden my car now has proper oil psi.

[ I do say some stupid stuf from time to time but your killing my record.]

I use to know it was time for an oil n filter change when it got below 40.

 

well, mine is 80 when cold... My truck (s10) is also 20 at idle and it has an 80 psi gauge. Your psi was only lower wehn not using 20w-50 correct? Mine goes right up to 50-60 when driving however.

 

my oil psi tanked when trying some 15-40 rotella, only in there about 300 miles, change it two days ago for reg 20-50 and oil psi has yet to recover to normal range.

 

Mine bounces around a lot at idle and when I gas it it goes as far as it can past 80. Dont know what oil I have but to me the past 80 thing dosent seem right.

 

If its doing that, the sending unit is bad. Easy to fix.

 

A couple of years of professional training, work on cars, and GM Tech school...

Why give you a Temperature guage that reads up to 260* when by that time the engine is overheated already?