Oil pressure LOW...help
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Huntsville, AL
Oil pressure LOW...help I drive a 97 trans am and over the last 2 days i noticed that my oil pressure has been low...really low...at idle it is only about 10 and even when i floor it and never once goes above 20. And today it was even lower than yesterday and was almost at the red line while idling. I changed my oil saturday and didn't notice if the pressure was low beforehand. I put Mobil 1 10W30...which i always use in there so it shouldnt be that. What should i do or are there any common problems like this with the lt1...What should i do first? Does it seem that it is the oil pump or is there some kind of pressure regulator? I just had my transmission rebuilt last thursday and friday and i'm about fed up with this thing!! haha. Thanks for any help i can get!
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From: Huntsville, AL
I was told by one of my friends to check the sending unit as well. Do you know where it is, what it looks like, how to take it off, etc...I've never dealt with this before on this car and i'm lost right now,haha....Thanks for the help already!!
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Originally Posted by trans97am
I was told by one of my friends to check the sending unit as well. Do you know where it is, what it looks like, how to take it off, etc...I've never dealt with this before on this car and i'm lost right now,haha....Thanks for the help already!!
the other place is down by the filter.
Its most likely down by your filter. Its about 4 inches long and its made of black plastic. It has one wire coming out of it and should have a cover over it that looks like this....
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From: Huntsville, AL
Excellent! I appreciate all the help guys 
Me and one of my friends are going to check it out later tonight....If it is showing that the sending unit is worthless do i just buy a new one at an auto part store or is there something else i have to buy/fix, etc....
Me and one of my friends are going to check it out later tonight....If it is showing that the sending unit is worthless do i just buy a new one at an auto part store or is there something else i have to buy/fix, etc.... Not sure if you can get them from a parts store or not, it could be a gm part. If its bad just buy a new one. If its in good condition, i would just pull the thing out and check the oil pressure right there with a mechanical oil pressure gauge.
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Mine is located on the back of the intake on the driver side. I bought a replacement unit at the local parts store. I believe it was made by Borg and Warner. From what I have read, the LT1s are notorious for reading low in the oil pressure dept. If the oil pressure is as low as it reads I have never heard for sure.
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From: Huntsville, AL
Well i took the car to the parts store tonight and now i have NO oil pressure on the gauge....but the car is running just fine....so i'm almost positive now that it is the sending unit...Is that a good assumption? Also i'm going to buy the sending unit and replace it tomorrow after work. I found it on the back of the intake manifold like yall have said and does anyone know the easiest way to get that thing off??? It looks like its going to be hell....Any advice or instructions on how to replace the sending unit? Thanks alot!!!
Originally Posted by trans97am
Well i took the car to the parts store tonight and now i have NO oil pressure on the gauge....but the car is running just fine....so i'm almost positive now that it is the sending unit...Is that a good assumption?
you've got ***** man you've got ***** if i had any reason to question what my oil pressure was doing i wouldn't touch that thing until and i got a mechanical guage on there and figured out why better hope its just the sender because if its not your in for a rebuild for sure now
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From: Huntsville, AL
Well i took the advice of one of my friends in saying that because of the way that the "low oil pressure" (according to the gauge) happened....its been a slow decline the last few days, didnt happen instantly...that there is about a 99% chance that the sending unit is what it is...not only that but there isnt any knocking and everything sounds just fine and it runs really well still...also i took the oil cap off while it was running and saw oil shooting inside that valve cover so i was pretty positive it was safe to drive and i had good pressure.I also reached back and felt the sending unit and the damn thing would flop around if i moved it...not sure if thats supposed to happen or not but i have a slight feeling its not so with all that i assumed it was safe to drive...and luckily it was..i definately had the music off and was worried a little...i guess i'll work on it after work...wish me luck...and any instruction or advice would be appreciated 
Sounds like it's broke at the base. I did that once as well. However, I was fixing to pull the motor out anyway so I just replaced it then. I remember thinking how hard it would have been in the car. Be patient and careful about doing this job. That's all I can say!
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From: Huntsville, AL
Originally Posted by dhdenney
Sounds like it's broke at the base. I did that once as well. However, I was fixing to pull the motor out anyway so I just replaced it then. I remember thinking how hard it would have been in the car. Be patient and careful about doing this job. That's all I can say!
Well i'm not planning on pulling the motor...haha...But I guess we will see how it will go! I will have my trusty friend
with me to help my patience 
Thanks for the encouragement though...also, did you have to have a special tool to get it out or just a basic wrench?
Originally Posted by trans97am
Well i'm not planning on pulling the motor...haha...But I guess we will see how it will go! I will have my trusty friend with me to help my patience Thanks for the encouragement though...also, did you have to have a special tool to get it out or just a basic wrench?
with me to help my patience Thanks for the encouragement though...also, did you have to have a special tool to get it out or just a basic wrench?
Thread Starter
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From: Huntsville, AL
Good news!!!! After 4 trips to the auto parts store (because the dumbasses don't know what they are doing (one of which asked if the trans am was a ford or chevy 
), someone who boxed the wrong size sending unit, and $50 later....it is finished and everything is wonderful!!! I didn't have to take the intake off....just a socket, swivel, and an extension did the job! Thanks alot to everyone who gave me advice and instruction...it was greatly appreciated!! 
), someone who boxed the wrong size sending unit, and $50 later....it is finished and everything is wonderful!!! I didn't have to take the intake off....just a socket, swivel, and an extension did the job! Thanks alot to everyone who gave me advice and instruction...it was greatly appreciated!! 
Sounds like it would simpler to replace the factory sender. The original poster said he did it with some extensions and a special socket so I would recommend going with that.