why does my oil temp sensor say "LOW"?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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why does my oil temp sensor say "LOW"? i installed headers... car ran like complete ****. replaced plugs and have not started the car back up... however, i did notice that the entire time it was on before the car said "LOW" when i checked the oil temperature. this has never happend before. the car is a 2001 Z06. could i have possibly damaged the sensor when swapping headers? where is it located on a vette? i do not recall unplugging anything like that, but could it just be unplugged?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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well the spark plugs were fucked... one was cracked. i have the rear o2's hooked up even though the x pipe is not connected. does anyone know where the oil temp sensor is located?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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did not cross the o2 wires. i did them one side at a time, would have been almost impossible to cross the wires.
car is throwing no codes at the moment. hp tuners will be arriving today, so i will be able to scan the car friday.
what about the fact that i had at least one cracked spark plug? the rest were black as night and i think i might not have had the plug wires all the way snapped on, on at least 1 of them.
also i have the rear o2's plugged in, but the x pipe is connected to NOTHING. still need to have the exhaust fabbed up.
i think i am just going to try starting the car friday after i take a look at hp tuners with it. i am really thinking that the plugs created the terrible conditions, and contributed to the "LOW" oil temp reading
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Pasadena, MD
The low oil temp might not be related to the header install. My car read low oil temp recently out of the blue. I drove it for about 25 minutes and the display still read “low”. When I arrived at my destination I shut the car off and immediately restarted it and then the oil temperature registered correctly (210 degrees). It has been fine since then. Maybe the sensor is on the way out?
Take a look from the drivers side down at the oil filter. The sensor I'm thinking you might of damaged or came unhooked is right next to the oil filter. I disconnected mine since the header was hitting it when I was doing the install. 1 7/8" Kooks installs isn't exactly a piece of cake to squeeze in. I believe this is the oil temp sensor.
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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Take a look from the drivers side down at the oil filter. The sensor I'm thinking you might of damaged or came unhooked is right next to the oil filter. I disconnected mine since the header was hitting it when I was doing the install. 1 7/8" Kooks installs isn't exactly a piece of cake to squeeze in. I believe this is the oil temp sensor.
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On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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well, i cranked the car tonight... it sounded much better in terms of idling. however, when i revved it(only to about 1700rpms, and it was in the garage) the oil temp still says low...
also, i am still getting a very nasty backfire sound above 1500. i am guessing i did not fix my problem from last week with the plugs and wires.
does anyone have any idea as to what it could be doing? i will try to get some hptuner logs tomorrow to show what its doing when it backfires. i have not been able to test it properly in fear of pissing off my neighbors.
also, i am still getting a very nasty backfire sound above 1500. i am guessing i did not fix my problem from last week with the plugs and wires.
does anyone have any idea as to what it could be doing? i will try to get some hptuner logs tomorrow to show what its doing when it backfires. i have not been able to test it properly in fear of pissing off my neighbors.
did not cross the o2 wires. i did them one side at a time, would have been almost impossible to cross the wires.
car is throwing no codes at the moment. hp tuners will be arriving today, so i will be able to scan the car friday.
what about the fact that i had at least one cracked spark plug? the rest were black as night and i think i might not have had the plug wires all the way snapped on, on at least 1 of them.
also i have the rear o2's plugged in, but the x pipe is connected to NOTHING. still need to have the exhaust fabbed up.
i think i am just going to try starting the car friday after i take a look at hp tuners with it. i am really thinking that the plugs created the terrible conditions, and contributed to the "LOW" oil temp reading
car is throwing no codes at the moment. hp tuners will be arriving today, so i will be able to scan the car friday.
what about the fact that i had at least one cracked spark plug? the rest were black as night and i think i might not have had the plug wires all the way snapped on, on at least 1 of them.
also i have the rear o2's plugged in, but the x pipe is connected to NOTHING. still need to have the exhaust fabbed up.
i think i am just going to try starting the car friday after i take a look at hp tuners with it. i am really thinking that the plugs created the terrible conditions, and contributed to the "LOW" oil temp reading
Also sounds like that oil pressure sensor needs to be replaced. Check the wiring for and corrosion in the terminals and for nicks in the wire before replacing that sensor.
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 261
Likes: 1
From: Nebraska
The most likely thing i see here is that you damaged the wires to the oil pressure sensor.... There is no connection between headers and oil pressure.. How ever.. sometimes we forget to check all of our guages until something cuases us to look it.. You haven't said what your oil pressure is at... btw.. GM says anything below 18psi will damage your motor... Check your oil level. low oil will equal low pressure. also depending on the type of oil can also effect pressure. First thing... check your oil level.. if thats ok... i suggest pushing the gauge button on your dash until you see oil pressure and see what that reads. if it's low and possibly really low shut off immediatly.. Next. Go to your local parts house and buy and oil pressure sensor. THey run like $30. unless you have a pressure gauge you can hook up... thats up to you.. either way you need to attempt to get information on your oil pressure from something besides the current sensor. Your best bet is an oil gauge that can you can hook up. You might want to look into a relocatoin of your sensor or cutting a hole in the firewall to make it easier to get to the sensor later... There is a good write up on this topic over on corvetteforum.
If your still getting shitty results. the next things to check are the pan... make sure nothing is stuck in the pick up tube... if all is good there.. clean it out and put it back together. Last but not least... the oil pump. Your oil pump is rare to failure but it can still happen that or the O ring that connects the pump and pickup tube is breaking up and causing a leak.. (internal of course)
.02
If your still getting shitty results. the next things to check are the pan... make sure nothing is stuck in the pick up tube... if all is good there.. clean it out and put it back together. Last but not least... the oil pump. Your oil pump is rare to failure but it can still happen that or the O ring that connects the pump and pickup tube is breaking up and causing a leak.. (internal of course)
.02
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 261
Likes: 1
From: Nebraska
i would also like to say that i doubt you damaged the oil pressure sensor wires becasue of the way the harness directs teh wires it would take some real "talent" to damage those wires while installing headers.. Most ofthe time when the sensor goes bad it pegs out... your dash will say 130psi.. this is not true.. it's just a bad sensor... however in some cases the bad sensor can do weird things like tell you, that you ahve lower that normal oil pressure or higher but not pegged out oil pressure.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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ok, here is an update. the car runs, fairly well actually for being untuned. i scanned it and stft's were not off by much. i had ltft's disabled, i did just re enable them.
the problem with the popping is gone. i had the rear 02's plugged in, and that was causing that. however, the "LOW" oil temperature is still the same. it will not hurt to drive the car like it is, will it?
i have fine oil pressure, cold crank up at about 35psi, warm driving about 45-53. i dont remember exactly. if i had 18 psi of oil pressure, id already have this thing parked and shopping for a new engine. i guess i will replace the sensor, can it wait till my cam goes in? i drive the car 1 day a week tops.
the problem with the popping is gone. i had the rear 02's plugged in, and that was causing that. however, the "LOW" oil temperature is still the same. it will not hurt to drive the car like it is, will it?
i have fine oil pressure, cold crank up at about 35psi, warm driving about 45-53. i dont remember exactly. if i had 18 psi of oil pressure, id already have this thing parked and shopping for a new engine. i guess i will replace the sensor, can it wait till my cam goes in? i drive the car 1 day a week tops.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
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ok... when i get in my car and crank up the car, i scan through the guages(especially if i just cold started). i do not like to floor the car or get on it under 150 degrees oil temperature or until the coolant is up to temp.
however, after the header installs my oil temperature guage(factory guage, reads out temperature in degrees farenheit) usually, when i cold start the car it will read about ambient temperature give or take a few degrees. however, it is now reading "LOW" instead of 54* or 75* or when up to temp, 170* or there abouts.
this should not be happening, it should give me a temperature in numbers reading, not "LOW".
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 261
Likes: 1
From: Nebraska
my fault... i read a few responses and got traped into thinking pressure. The only time i get the LOW is when the oil level sensor says my oil level is low. This sometimes happens when i'm parked slanted... I'd jack the car up and check the wires running to the sensor.. maybe they are touching the header and are sending "odd" signals to the car and the car translates it as "low" if the wires look fine just replace the sensor and do an oil change.
Have you checked your grounds??? Thats usually the first thing i do when my car starts acting up.
Have you checked your grounds??? Thats usually the first thing i do when my car starts acting up.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 127
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my fault... i read a few responses and got traped into thinking pressure. The only time i get the LOW is when the oil level sensor says my oil level is low. This sometimes happens when i'm parked slanted... I'd jack the car up and check the wires running to the sensor.. maybe they are touching the header and are sending "odd" signals to the car and the car translates it as "low" if the wires look fine just replace the sensor and do an oil change.
Have you checked your grounds??? Thats usually the first thing i do when my car starts acting up.
Have you checked your grounds??? Thats usually the first thing i do when my car starts acting up.
i have checked any and all wires close to the headers, none seem to be touching them or close enough to get hurt. im going to have damian look at it when my cam goes in, but still waiting to hear from futral as its been over 2 weeks and no card charged, no follow up email. im hoping the sensor just decided to take a crap on me, and not something more serious.
the oil shouldnt be low, put nearly 7 quarts of fresh 5w30 mobil 1 in there and changed out the filter.
Since grounds was mentioned it reminded me, there is a ground wire on that side of the motor that was in the way when I installed my headers. It bolts down on top of the frame rail below the brake fluid res. Take a look to make sure that's back in place and tightened down.
Glad to hear you've taken care of some of the issues already.
Good luck
Glad to hear you've taken care of some of the issues already.
Good luck
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 127
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Since grounds was mentioned it reminded me, there is a ground wire on that side of the motor that was in the way when I installed my headers. It bolts down on top of the frame rail below the brake fluid res. Take a look to make sure that's back in place and tightened down.
Glad to hear you've taken care of some of the issues already.
Good luck
Glad to hear you've taken care of some of the issues already.
Good luck
the low oil temp thing is driving me nuts though.