Oil pressure issues
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (29)
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 15
From: Olive Branch, MS
Oil pressure issues I am a little worried about the oil pressure on my car. It is a little low at operating temp (190) I think. It's at about 18 psi at 750rpm. I'm reading this off of the factory gauge. When I rev it up it goes up just like normal. At 2000 rpm it is at 30-35psi. I run mobile 1 10w30. Is this normal? What is causing this? I've read about people running mobil 1 and their oil pressure drops. None of my friends run mobil 1 in their cars but their oil pressure is higher. Car runs great, no noise from the bottom end or anything. 70000 miles on the car. Thanks
Trey
Trey
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, Tn
I know exactly where you are coming from. During 90 degree weather in traffic I was at 22psi when at idle. During normal driving 35psi on average. During start up 45psi or a little higher.
I was worried. I even asked around to see what others thought. My first LS1 never would idle with that low of oil pressure so I thought my new one was acting up. When I bought it in the winter ithad just had an oil change done and so I decided that after 3000 miles I'll change it to my preference oil and filter. In that winter no worries, but as it heated up my oil pressure dropped. When I went back to my old oil, German Castrol 0w30 and the Amsoil EaO64 filter I instantly was over 40 at idle and 50 plus always under driving. During WOT I am 70psi when I glance. My entire problem was the oil and the filter. Mobil 1 was what was in it and it had a K&N filter on it.
I purposely tested the Mobil 1 and K&N to try them out as I had only used GC and the EaO64 only. Night and day difference. Change your oil and filter to what I run and see what happens. It's $25 for the filter shipped and $50 for 6 quarts of oil. $75 total and you'll have good oil pressure I believe. My motor has 168xxx on it untouched so you should be ok. Try that first and don't get scared like I did. I had people telling me oil pump failure, cam bearing failure, pinched o-ring, etc. These are all problems you MIGHT have but change your oil to what I put in mine and then come back and ask questions if it doesn't solve the problem. Otherwise you'll be just getting hypothetical solutions that all would have to come after an the simplest solution of an oil change.
I was worried. I even asked around to see what others thought. My first LS1 never would idle with that low of oil pressure so I thought my new one was acting up. When I bought it in the winter ithad just had an oil change done and so I decided that after 3000 miles I'll change it to my preference oil and filter. In that winter no worries, but as it heated up my oil pressure dropped. When I went back to my old oil, German Castrol 0w30 and the Amsoil EaO64 filter I instantly was over 40 at idle and 50 plus always under driving. During WOT I am 70psi when I glance. My entire problem was the oil and the filter. Mobil 1 was what was in it and it had a K&N filter on it.
I purposely tested the Mobil 1 and K&N to try them out as I had only used GC and the EaO64 only. Night and day difference. Change your oil and filter to what I run and see what happens. It's $25 for the filter shipped and $50 for 6 quarts of oil. $75 total and you'll have good oil pressure I believe. My motor has 168xxx on it untouched so you should be ok. Try that first and don't get scared like I did. I had people telling me oil pump failure, cam bearing failure, pinched o-ring, etc. These are all problems you MIGHT have but change your oil to what I put in mine and then come back and ask questions if it doesn't solve the problem. Otherwise you'll be just getting hypothetical solutions that all would have to come after an the simplest solution of an oil change.
