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this is normal, when the car is cold or off. the oil sinks down in to the oil pan.,.

If this is a GM engine you may be using an aftermarket oil filter that allows oil to drain back this is not a good thing and can cause engine damage. GM has a TSB on this very problem.

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Q: Why would the engine have no oil pressure when it is cold?
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What does an oil pressure switch do in a 1997 Cadillac Catera?

oil pressure switch sends message to oil pressure gauge in dashboard,telling what the oil pressure in engine is


Where is the oil pressure sender on a 1985 Toyota Camry?

The 1985 Toyota Camry oil pressure sender is located on the left-hand side of the engine. The oil pressure sender will be just above of the oil pan.


How long should it take for oil pressure to build up on a cold v-8 engine?

Oil pressure should be almost immediate. You should see high oil pressure as soon as the engine is started within no more than 1 or 2 seconds. If it takes longer then the anti-drainback valve in the filter may be sticking open. Change to a quality filter such as Purolator, Wix, Bosch, Motorcraft, AC/Delco. Avoid Fram or store brands.


Location of 2001 Bonneville oil pressure sending unit?

On the passenger side of the engine above the oil filter


Why do your oil light come on while the car is idle?

Oil pressure lights work off the pressure of oil in the engine. When the car is idleing and out of gear the engine is turning a certain RPM (Rounds Per Minute). The speed that it is turning is fast enough to keep the oil pressure at a level high enough not to trigger the light. When you place the car in gear, the engine slows down and thus the oil pressure drops to a point low enough to trigger the light. Once you accelerate, the speed of the engine increases and brings up the oil pressure. Now, the cause of this could be numerous. First make sure you have plenty of oil as this is the least expensive to fix. The oil could be too thick and needs to be changed to solve this change the oil if it's been a while. Finally there could be several mechanical reasons for low oil pressure such as a bad oil pump (not likely), clogged oil lines/ports, worn main bearings, clogged return oil ports from the heads. None of these last things are cheap to fix. However, if it's a motor with clogged oil ports (thick oil, gunk on the inside of the valve cover, etc) there are products that will disolve it that you can flush the motor with and then change the oil. This 'fix' can sometimes cause more problems to crop up and should be used as a last resort. Good luck.

Related questions

2001 Ranger XLT the oil pressure gauge sticks at zero when it is cold. When the engine warms up the gauge works fine How do you fix this?

I would start by replacing the oil pressure sending unit. If that does not correct the problem, I would look closely at the gage itself. If you hear any valve train noise at cold startup, you need to have an oil pressure test run to make sure you actually have good oil pressure when starting the engine cold. Possibly the gage is correct and you do have 0 oil pressure when cold.


Why does oil pressure gauge fluctuate?

From the moment you turn on the vehicle, it changes in two ways: 1. When it is cold and the oil is cold and thicker, it needs more pressure to pump the oil through the engine. You will notice a change in the oil pressure at idle when it is cold and at idle after the engine has had a chance to warm up. 2. The higher RPM the engine has to operate in (such as going through speeds 1, 2, 3, OD, or flooring it to pass someone), the more lubrication the engine will need and thus the higher the oil pressure. As soon as the engine slows down, so the oil pressure lowers.


What would cause a Chevy 350 engine to have oil pressure when cold and lose oil pressure when at running temp?

When the engine is cold, all the parts are tight. Meaning, the bearings, rods, and all have less gap. The oil is also thick. As the engine warms, the oil also warms making it lighter or more fluid. If the main bearings have too much gap, then with the warmer oil the oil flow will increase which in turn will lower the oil pressure. It would not be abnormal to start out with 50 or 60 lbs then have it reduced to 20 lbs at idle. Although the pressure would increase to around the 50 lbs. mark as the engine rev's up. If the oil pressure goes down to say 10 lbs, even at high rev's, then have the pressure checked with a mechanical gauge to confirm the reading and if so, well, time for a rebuild. Low oil pressure will not reach the outer parts of the engine and will eventually cause a lot of damage.


Oil pressure gauge is wiggle when engine running hot. Could be oil pressure switch defective or the oil pump?

the engine gets hot and while your engine is running your oil is going through your engine lubbing it. by the time the engine gets hot the oil is spread throughout the engine. if you have too much oil in the gauge will act weird because its hooked up to your oil to read its pressure. if it was youroil pump or switch it would do this when the engine was cold to. make sure the oil is at the correct level b4 spending money on a switch or pummp


Where is the oil pressure switch on the Saab 95?

The oil pressure sender or pressure sensor is located on the side of the engine next to the fire wall.if you are facing that side it would be to the upper left of the starter.i believe you want to use a 23 mm semi deep socket and do it when engine is cold!


Why is an oil pressure gauge spiking then back down to normal on a 3800 engine?

Oil pressure gauges are notoriously inacurate. Pressure should be high when the engine is cold, or the accelerator is pressed hard. It's also possible the sensor is damaged.


Can a 2000 jeep 4 liter 6 cylinder camshaft sensor-oil pump drive fail and not drive the oil pump with the engine at temp but have oil pressure when engine is cold?

No, if the oil pump drive is working cold it will work hot. Low oil press when warm is due to internal engine wear.


Will a bad harmonic balancer cause fluctuating oil pressure?

No. The harmonic balancer does exactly what it says. It is to keep the engine from viberating. You need to install a manual oil pressure gauge and run the engine cold and hot to determine if you really have a pressure problem. Most likely you have a bad oil pressure sending unit.


What would cause low oil pressure on 351 ford?

low oil pressure is caused by, either low oil in engine or a bad oil pump


What does it mean check engine gage light indicates oil pressure is low when starting 2001 ford explorer sport in cold weather?

It means that the oil pressure switch is showing low pressure.


What would cause high oil pressure in a harley Davidson evolution motor?

I thought I had high oil pressure, When I would rev the engine the oil pressure would max out on the oil pressure guage. Luckily it just turned out to be loose connections to the oil pressure sensor. I tightened the terminals and the problem went away.


Can a oil pressure switch stop the car from cranking?

Most cars would not have any oil pressure until after the engine starts turning because the oil pump is driven mechanically off of the engine.