Low oil pressure at idle.

[Vistagecko]

Read around a bit and most similar topics seemed to do with stroker motors, or faulty CEL.
97 Gst rebuilt motor, nothing fancy.

At idle the oil pressure on my aftermarket gauge reads at about 2-3, and after 2-3 seconds at idle the oil light on the dash will come on and the car will bog down to about 400 rpms. I checked the oil, and its good, new filter, and the level is normal. Once I give it a little throttle the light flickers off and it will go up to 25-30 around 3k. Bad sensor? Regulator? Help?

 

[97vadergsx]

Mines kind of low too once it's warmed up, a little below 25 on an Autometer gauge. Like a mark or two below. But mines not rebuilt, it has almost 99,000 on it. My light never comes on though, what is your idle set at?? Mine's 950.

 

[scott90gsx420]

Read around a bit and most similar topics seemed to do with stroker motors, or faulty CEL.
97 Gst rebuilt motor, nothing fancy.

At idle the oil pressure on my aftermarket gauge reads at about 2-3, and after 2-3 seconds at idle the oil light on the dash will come on and the car will bog down to about 400 rpms. I checked the oil, and its good, new filter, and the level is normal. Once I give it a little throttle the light flickers off and it will go up to 25-30 around 3k. Bad sensor? Regulator? Help?

It could be a lot of stuff. My old gst did the same thing but mine was because it burned oil(bad turbo seal) and once the car lost about a half a quart or so the oil press. would be way down and the light would come on. Lol thats how i wrecked my gst headlight once acctually.
First time the light ever came on i was looking at it. As i went threw a light and a guy had ran the redlight. I barely looked up intime and swirved and just clipped his car and sent him spinning. Lol he and like 3 guys get out and start flipping on me. I was like you ran the red light. There car had died when i hit it because i clipped them beside the gas fill up hole. As they were pushing it cops rolled up on them. They ended up having a bunch of coke in the car and they all got arrested
Our cars are really sensitive with oil levels is it filled up to the top notch? If not do it and let us know if its fixed. If its to the top notch id stop driving the car if possible untill you can get it fixed. Post back well get her fixed for ya.

 

[Cold Chill]

Could be sending unit going bad or possible dented oil pan at the oil pump pick up.

 

[empie1]

I would start by checking the sensor. Mine did the same thing when it died. Are you saying your gauge only says 2-3 psi?

 

[milby43]

On my 1g my stock oil pressure gauge reads lowest at idle, sometimes a little higher. Then once i drive it around, putting a little load on it, itll go up to the normal marker. I think its the gauge personally, i have to install this Sun pro gauge, but i cant find the hardware to tap into the stock oil pressure sender anywhere.

I changed the oil/oil filter but still the same. I just really wanna try a new sender first, its like $10 at autozone i think.

Light never comes on, and theres two sender right? So maybe the one for the light works, and the one for the gauge doesnt.

 

[Vistagecko]

I can't be 100% the guage is right since it was on the car when I bought it. But my new turbo does have a bad seal and leaks oil pretty bad haha. The weird thing is tho, the oil i s about half a notch over where it should be on the dipstick. But ever since we got it running again, even when it had a good seal on the turbo, the oil pressure has always been under 5psi. I thought it was normal for these cars. So once I fix the bad seal, new sending unit?

 

[Vistagecko]

So I swapped a new sensor in, and same thing, its reading below 5 after warming up at idle. When I was underneath i noticed the oil pan was dented a little bit towards the rear end. Could that have damaged the oil pump?

 

[scott90gsx420]

So I swapped a new sensor in, and same thing, its reading below 5 after warming up at idle. When I was underneath i noticed the oil pan was dented a little bit towards the rear end. Could that have damaged the oil pump?

It probably didn't damage the pump but its restricting flow and thats why its got low pressure. Drop the pan and slowly pop the dent and throw her back on. I wouldn't run it too long like that because its going to ruin the oil pump.

 

[Vistagecko]

Whats the best way to pop the dent? Ball peen hammer?

 

[scott90gsx420]

Ya that should do the trick.

 

[Vistagecko]

Worth a shot. Illl give it a try and see what happens.

 

[spoolingreen20]

I have a 96 Auto TSi AWD (torn down) and I now own and drive another auto TSi AWD but it's a 95. With the 96 oil pressure was always low if not at the lowest it could be at idle. Then it would climb to normal when cruising. I notice now on this 95 that it does the same thing. I drove the 96 around like this for ever and never had a problem. I think on the 95 I have that I have just a small oil leak at the turbo drain line. I am wondering if it is somewhat normal for an auto to be like this????

 

[Vistagecko]

Well mine is a 5 speed. But i have a leak at my turbo seal. Ill let you know when I fix my problem, how, so far Iv done the sending unit, and switched to a lighter oil, and that didnt seem to help.

 

[Seth1191]

I know this is a old fourm but im hoping that someone can still help me with a issue im having the same problem when sitting at idle the factory oil pressure guage is extremely low and had caused my oil light to flicker its happened twice in a 5 month period once it does it ill feather the gas to get it back up also when i drive the car the oil pressure is always between the half way mark and high mark the car had been sitting for over 5 years when i bought it i did all the maintenance first thing before the the car was even started any help would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance

 

[miliman13]

I know this is a old fourm but im hoping that someone can still help me with a issue im having the same problem when sitting at idle the factory oil pressure guage is extremely low and had caused my oil light to flicker its happened twice in a 5 month period once it does it ill feather the gas to get it back up also when i drive the car the oil pressure is always between the half way mark and high mark the car had been sitting for over 5 years when i bought it i did all the maintenance first thing before the the car was even started any help would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance

The factory gauge / sender is unreliable.

Maybe you coud, idk replace the sender?
Look at your oil level...
Many vehicles don't have oil gauges, many who do are there for decorations

 

[boostdawd]

Get yourself a reliable aftermarket oil pressure gauge to see what your actual pressure is. Avoid the mechanical units and get an electronic one.

 

[Seth1191]

The factory gauge / sender is unreliable.

Maybe you coud, idk replace the sender?
Look at your oil level...
Many vehicles don't have oil gauges, many who do are there for decorations

Alright theres no reason to act like that i came on here for help not to be ragged on and yes i just bought a new sender lastnight

 

[spyderdrifter]

I don't think he was ragging on you, what he said about the oem gauge is actually fairly true. It isn't an accurate gauge, and neither is the oem boost gauge for that matter. They're just there to let us know the system is functioning really. None of the turbo DSMs I've owned had an oil gauge that even worked, yet nothing was physically wrong with the gauge or the senders.

 

[miliman13]

I keep forgetting society has become hyper sensitive, and facts are offensive .......

 

[Vegas Smith]

If it makes you feel any better, my car's gauge is bottomed out at idle...scared the hell out of me at first.

 

[Cool]

Sounds like you might have a bad/plugged gauge and the "low oil" sensor might be plugged with debris. This was a legendary problem on 1G's and develops over time in any car. You can clean the sensor out with some carb cleaner.

If you have a mechanical gauge, the oil sitting in the tube that the gauge reads from can "Coke" and block flow reducing the accuracy or slowing the read of the gauge.

Best of luck

 

[Seth1191]

I keep forgetting society has become hyper sensitive, and facts are offensive .......

Im just saying there was no need for the idk maybe replace the sensor it came across wrong in my opinion but thank you for ur input i replaced the sender and sensor today and issue is fixed and just bought a oil psi gauge