Arts and Entertainment

What causes an oil pressure gauge to be erratic?

Is it true that your oil pressure gauge fluctuates while you drive?People don't believe in dash gauges.There is a few more miles left in the tank when the fuel gauge shows empty.When the oil gauge fluctuates, what should you do?

The gauge for oil is different.If the engine is malfunctioning, it can be a bigger problem than looking for a gas station.The easiest way to figure out why your oil pressure gauge fluctuates is to follow a logical trouble shooting procedure.

Cars get low on engine oil because we no longer have full-service gas stations to check it.As little as one quart can make the gauge reading erratic because some cars don't hold much oil to begin with.Top it off.

The gauge reading on an engine that is in good mechanical condition will not be affected if the oil is too thin.Something is wrong inside the engine if the oil pressure is raised by installing a thicker viscosity oil.Modern cars are designed to use very thin oil.

It is very rare that the dashboard gauge goes bad.It is not usually possible to repair a dashboard or gauge.The gauge gets its data from a simple sending unit on the engine, and those sending units go bad a lot.Which one is at fault, the gauge or sender?

An inexpensive universal oil pressure gauge can be found at an auto parts store.The parts store can sometimes tell you where the oil pressure sending unit is, so it's a good idea to locate it on the engine and remove it.If you want to see what the gauge does, drive the car.As you do this, be careful to watch the road.Don't get fixated on the gauge.

If the oil pressure is stable and the sending unit is malfunctioning, replace it.A bad sending unit can show signs of leaking engine oil.

The repair shops did not get the correct information from the customer.Miscommunications happen.

The gauge reads very low after a few seconds after starting the engine.There are some loud noises coming from the engine.The gauge suddenly shoots upward and the noise stops.

You installed the wrong oil filter.An anti-drain back valve is required for many engines.When the engine is not running, that prevents oil from draining downward.

The oil supply passages inside the engine lose their oil if the valve is missing.After the engine starts, it will take a few seconds for the oil pump to fill the supply passages.The problem will get worse after the car sits overnight.Fix the problem by installing the correct oil filter.Simple.

It is accompanied by loud knocking noises from inside the engine.If the engine is damaged already, it will soon be ruined.

Don't drive the car and have it towed to a repair shop.It might be possible to catch a problem before it becomes too big to fix.

For good luck, add an extra quart to the oil when you top it up.Adding one extra quart seemed to make sense at the time.

The high oil level inside the crankcase allows the crankshaft to dip into it and whip the oil into a foam.It happens when you put too much oil in your car.

The gauge reading will be erratic because foam won't supply oil pressure.Hopefully the problem of excess oil will be solved.

There are rare mechanical problems that can cause an oil pressure reading.They happen after an engine is fixed.

If that sounds like you, you should look for a faulty oil pressure by-pass valve or spring inside the oil pump.Some engines can have valves stuck or installed wrong.Springs can be left out unintentionally.

There are other things that can go wrong with a new engine.A loss of oil pressure can be caused by a machine shop accidentally leaving out an oil passage galley plug.Think of it as a big internal leak.

Anything else is serious.A bad head gasket can cause the oil to leak into the foam.It will be a mess on the dipstick.

You could get lucky with that.A leaking intake manifold gasket will cause the same symptom as the engine oil leaking.If you do a simple online search, you will find factory service bulletin on that issue.The intake gasket is easier to replace than the head gasket.

Heavy sludge can be seen inside the oil filter or valve cover.Not good.The sludge can accumulate on the oil filter pick up screen.It ruins the engine because of the erratic gauge reading.

You can replace the oil pan if you don't want to.We have had to remove the valve covers and the intake manifolds to get rid of the sludge from the engine.It is a messy job.Why don't you remove the sludge?

There is a detergent Additive in engine oil.It can loosen accumulated sludge and put it into circulation inside the engine, where it can cause all kinds of damage, like an oil pickup screen.You know it.

Our latest news, features, photos and highlights are sent right to your inbox.You can sign up for the newsletter.

We all like to show off our cool wheels.Do you own a project car, a rare find or a sweet ride that you would like to share with the world?We would love to show it off.

Even if you don't know much about cars, you can easily learn how to replace a fan belt.Let's look under the hood.

It will feel like winter will never end.If you want to enjoy the sun and not the garage, you need to get your car ready for summer.

Save time and money by learning more about your vehicle.All at the same time.How?It's possible to do car repairs.There are 10 that you can try at home.

Do you not know how to change a tire?Don't worry, we have you covered.A step by step guide will prepare you.

Even if you don't know much about cars, you can easily learn how to replace a fan belt.Let's look under the hood.

What causes an oil pressure gauge to be erratic?

Related Posts: