Oil Pressure Gauge

['95EclipseGSX]

So today I was driving and noticed that the oil pressure gauge needle was not moving. It doesn't move up from the position it sits in when the car's off. Check this out:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4870/img00837201010081600.jpg

It's just sitting right there at the bottom. No new lights are on. The check engine light has been on forever because of some smog thing so that's nothing new. The car seems to drive the exact same as before this happened. I drove the car about 1.5 hours with the gauge like this and nothing happened. When i got home I opened the oil-filler cap in the head cover and everything looked lubed up. Although there was a tiny bit of smoke coming out the hole. I'm guessing (or hoping) this is normal when the car has been running and is hot.

So my question is do I need to be worried about this? I don't want to ruin my engine but the fact that it drives fine after 1.5 hours with the gauge sitting like this makes me think that the gauge or the sensors on the oil pump are just bad. Which I don't care about. I just want to know if you guys think my oil pump is actually broken or if it's a faulty reading and it's OK for me to drive the car. It's my only car so I need an opinion quick. Thanks!!

 

[Orion97gs-t]

I'm guessing it is your sensor. Mine too a crap as well i just bought an aftermarket one just to be safe.

 

[tsi87889095]

I would go with a mechanical. Its very accurate and you should not have any problems. One of the first mods should be a aftermarket boost and water temp and oil psi gauges so you know what is going on with your motor.

 

['95EclipseGSX]

By mechanical you mean the sensor? Or mechanical meaning the oil pump.

 

[crash89]

Im sure hes talking about an aftermarket mechanical guage. Theyre cheap and easy to install and give a way better reading then the stocker. Have you checked under the car to see if your wire to that guage fell of the sender unit? That is actually pretty common. Ive got a zip tie around mine so it doesnt fall off.. Or if it is connected perhaps your sending unit is bad. Just a couple little cheap things to try first. But other then that if there is oil in the car and when its running take the fill cap off n look to see if there is oil being flung off the cam. Thatll tell you that your oil pump is working.

 

[bmwtuning]

They mean to get an after market guage like autometer or so. They come electrical and mechanical.

 

[VisegripMech]

Have you checked under the car to see if your wire to that guage fell of the sender unit? That is actually pretty common. Ive got a zip tie around mine so it doesnt fall off..

I'll second that. And just takes a minute.

 

['95EclipseGSX]

Which is the sender unit? Is it that weird circle thing down by the oil pan? I'm gunna check the wire in an hour or so.

 

[brian9397gsx]

its by your oil filter i believe it will be pointing down they are round theres two i believe one for the light and one for the guage

 

['95EclipseGSX]

Yea it was the wire connected to the end of that circular piece. I think it slipped off because of a minor oil leak around there. Check this pic out:

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/9882/leaki.jpg

Where I have the arrow is where it's leaking from. There's a bolt that attaches the two pieces together and it's leaking. I saw it had a little oil on it 3 or 4 months ago and decided it would be a good idea to tighten it but it wasn't because now it leaks even more. How do I get it to stop leaking? If it's a pain in the ass I am not really concerned, it's not that much oil. It is enough to lube up the oil pressure wire and allow it to fall off though.. And I couldn't find a zip tie or I would've put one around the wire I put back on.

 

[T-mun]

I would go for the electronic type gauge for the ease of setting up & no probability of having oil leak in the car interior.

 

[RadDsm]

I would go for the electronic type gauge for the ease of setting up & no probability of having oil leak in the car interior.

+1

I wouldn't want a line with 100psi of hot oil coming off and spraying everywhere.

 

[Orion97gs-t]

Yea its not pretty happened to my other dsm, covered my radiator and entire engine with yummy oil. Just upgrade to electrical and call it a day.