Low Oil PSI

ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.

ANSWER : It is possible that they put in the wrong viscosity oil. In rare instances, a defective filter will also cause low pressure. If there is too much oil, it will aerate and cause low pressure. Be sure the oil level is really not above "max". The P2187 code will appear if the oil fill cap is not tight but it will also appear due to a myriad of causes because that code only "generally" identifies a lean running condition. Consequently, numerous parts would have to be tested including the O2 sensor, gas cap seal, manifold air leaks, any vacuum leak anywhere including PCV and EVAP systems, exhaust leaks, and fuel system faults such as failing fuel pump, clogged filter and more. Since the car has relatively low mileage, you would not expect a failed oil pump, although the pressure sensor (or switch) could be bad. However, the occurrence of the oil pressure warning light is quite coincidental to the oil change, thus I would suggest bringing the car back and asking them to redo with a new filter and double check the viscosity of the new oil that they use. If the problem persists after that, you will have to test actual operating oil pressure (at idle for instance) as well as the oil pressure switch. Finally, if the oil pressure warning light comes on continuously, unless the warning circuit itself is malfunctioning, that means the oil pressure is too low to operate the engine without damaging it. Anytime the light comes on for more than literally an instant, you should shut down the car and thus an issue like this obviously has to be repaired.

If you’d like, a YourMechanic certified mechanic can come to your home or place of business to inspect the vehicle and perform an oil pressure light is on inspection to diagnose the vehicle and suggest potential repairs.

ANSWER : Bob: Thanks for your inquiry. Oil level and oil pressure are measured using separate sensing systems. If the level sensing feature stopped working at the time the pan gasket was replaced, either the level sensor was damaged, not reconnected, or the wire harness and terminal were damaged. There is a possibility that the wire harness was just never re-connected to the level sensor so check that first. If you desire that this problem be diagnosed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a warning light diagnostic – oil level and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hello. If you put too thick of an oil in the car, then you may have damaged the engine bearings but this should not have caused oil to get in to the spark plugs unless the oil got into the intake of the engine or one of the pistons rings broke. If you ran it without oil and then tried to put oil in thinking it would be okay after that, then you were not that lucky and broke or damaged all of the rings on the pistons. If you would like to have this looked over, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the stalling issue and go over all of the relevant systems for a better diagnosis.

ANSWER : Hello – assuming an adequate oil level, which you have checked, there may be a real oil pressure problem. It’s worth checking with a know working oil pressure gauge, so that you can get the real readings (i.e. 40 psi at running RPM, 10 psi at idle – both hot – would be acceptable). It’s expected that your oil pressure will drop at a hot idle, as long as you have good pressure above idle. Low hot pressures all around are indications of excessive connecting rod or crankshaft main bearings, camshaft bearings, or oil flow bleeding off elsewhere in the engine. For professional assistance, I recommend a low oil pressure inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : You will need to have a mechanical gauge hooked in with sender to see if the pressure is dropping to zero after it warms up. If it drops to zero then the oil pump pickup may be getting clogged and the pump may be going bad. Have the pressure test done by a mechanic like one from YourMechanic and then if pump is bad have it changed with a new pump screen.

ANSWER : This light will usually come on when one of two things are happening. Either the motor is in fact low on oil or the oil pressure sending unit is not working properly and may be producing a faulty reading. I would recommend first, to check the actual oil level in the motor by using the dipstick. Be sure the oil level reaches the "full" mark. If this registers as "full" then you likely have a faulty oil pressure sending unit. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle to determine what may be causing your low oil pressure light to come on.

ANSWER : Hello – great question! Good for you as a new (to you) car owner, being cautious with a used, unfamiliar car. For sure, check it often for the first few months until you get a sense for whether it consumes oil , and how quickly. If you are inside an oil change interval – whether 3K or 5K miles – and it’s low, simply add enough oil to get the level back up to the "Max" marker on the dipstick. Repeat if necessary before the next oil & filter change. Change the oil and filter at the prescribed interval.