hey guys im not expert mechanic or anything like that but know basic components of engine and how they operate. i have a 89 2.8L v6 firebird i jus recently bout a month or so ago gave a nice new oil change. but instead of using cheap crappy oil that my engine burned up from walmart i bought some Castrol GTX high mileage. my od. read 128xxx and i was driving the other day and notice my oil pressure Dropped from operating at 40-60 range to 20- lil over 0. i was wondering do you think the oil did it? or can my oil pressure sender switch be out??? this has me questioning.
btw. i have no valve noice no knocking at all. only mods are exhaust and **** warm CAI. CAR IS A DAILY DRIVER. will need it for school, practice
thanks any help would be awesome!
-89_kitt
thanks again!

 

Yes, your sender can be out of wack.Get a mechanical gauge and hook it up.Even a cheaper quality one ($5-15) will be better than the electrical unit.

 

I would replace the original sender with a new one. Your factory gauge isn't that bad. You're not trying to get rocket scientist measurements. You just need to see when things change from normal to indicate problems, like it just did.

I don't like the high mileage oil. They put additives that soften up the seals to keep them from leaking. It also kills the seals faster...

I just use regular Valvoline...

 

hey thanks guys for the help i really appreciate it! so does the bird. u said jus replace the sender and i should be good i will try that tonight then! i was woundering how to get it out?

 

I don't think they said it will be good just replace it. they do go bad often enough to suspect it. it's not like a map sensor that rarely goes bad. anyway you can replace it or hook up the mechanical oil guage to see what is really going on. they just unscrew it's that simple. if you have room a large wrench will work. they have oil sender sockets for the tight areas. some large sockets have been known to fit as well. (the sender specific sockets fit best due to the rounded corners of the sender)

 

hey thanks 88 350 tpi formula. i will keep that in mind i lost light outside so im gonna do it tomaroo most likely.

 

I like to keep a cheapy mechanical gauge just for testing purposes.
I didnt know about the seal softeners in the oil...

 

I use standard Castrol GTX 10w-30. I'm guessing you live in a warm climate, like me, and have had no problems in any of my vehicles using it year round. Some of the synthetic blends are good, too, but I go with what I know.

Yes, the sending unit is cheap, and easy to replace. Make sure you put some thread tape on the new sender, or it will leak. Also be careful when pulling the sensor wire connector off, as the 18yr old plastic is usually brittle. When I was installing my turbo and put a tee fitting in the location of the sender to feed the turbo, I was so careful when removing the connector, then snaped the sender in half when tightening the tee on it , IIRC I only paid $15 for a new one, and use a small pair of channel locks to remove it. I did it with the car up on stands, and went under with a creeper.