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Low Oil Pressure at Idle

JeffsJeep04

JeffsJeep04

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Eau Claire, WI
Aww crap...

On my drive to work, truck ran great. It was -10 today, so I'm hoping that's the issue. I was coasting up to my second to the last turn and my "check gages" light came on. I immediately saw the oil pressure was low. Not at zero, but the next line up. The truck generally settles into a "40psi while cruising, 20 at idle" when warmed up. Thats what it was doing the whole way. When I got back on the throttle, the pressure picked right back up to a tick over 40 and was fine. It never knocked or ran any different. When I went to turn into work, same thing happened. I checked the oil, it's not to the full mark, but it's not even a half quart low. Can an oil filter gel up?

I really am not in a great position to be putting in a new motor...and when that time comes I'd really like to go to a 12v cummins and an NV4500...but that's surely not in the cards right now. I guess we'll see how she does on the drive home.
 
JeffsJeep04 said:
Aww crap...

On my drive to work, truck ran great. It was -10 today, so I'm hoping that's the issue. I was coasting up to my second to the last turn and my "check gages" light came on. I immediately saw the oil pressure was low. Not at zero, but the next line up. The truck generally settles into a "40psi while cruising, 20 at idle" when warmed up. Thats what it was doing the whole way. When I got back on the throttle, the pressure picked right back up to a tick over 40 and was fine. It never knocked or ran any different. When I went to turn into work, same thing happened. I checked the oil, it's not to the full mark, but it's not even a half quart low. Can an oil filter gel up?

I really am not in a great position to be putting in a new motor...and when that time comes I'd really like to go to a 12v cummins and an NV4500...but that's surely not in the cards right now. I guess we'll see how she does on the drive home.
Click to expand...

Check that the gauge (electric sender) oil pressure is not bad. Sounds like mechanically you are ok sounds like a sending unit. When in doubt use a mechanical gauge to tell for sure.
 
When I'd coast down it'd drop, it wasn't necessarily the turn. I thought OPS at first, but it seems to be reading accurately when it's off idle. I'll have to hook it up to a mechanical gauge and see what's really going on...otherwise I'd imagine it's time for at least a new oil pump.

Just for grins, I put in a request from auto world to see what it would cost to get a 12v and an nv4500 swapped in...I might just have to deal with a truck payment in the form of a personal loan to get the truck I really want :eek:

...or just buy a junker and let this one sit for now :(
 
i have the same problem with mine and its freshly rebuilt, itll run about 35-50 pounds down the the road then if you hit the brake it go down close to 0 close enough to scare you but its idel is only like 500 rpms i dont know never knocks i put a new oil pressure switch on there i guess it could be that or the guage
 
Ran absolutely perfect on the way home. 20psi at idle, 40 under load. Checked the oil before I left, and good to go. I think it was either a fluke, or the cold (-17 when I got into town) cause the oil filter to stop up temporarily...who knows. She's running like a new motor now though, so I'm not gonna jinx it.
 
My pressure gauge has gotten quite erratic lately I've noticed. I'm usually on the high side, but the fluctuations happen at a constant RPM so I'm pretty sure it's the OPS or the guage. In the summer I was even on the low side. I'd say guage or sender.
 
An update:

Whenever it gets much colder then -10, it does this. Never completely drops to zero, but gets quite low. I think my oil filter is gelling up. The truck is getting the oil changed today, so we'll see if the new oil and filter help any.
 
mgray; Whose OPS are you using? I hope it's not an A/C Delco, or maybe it's just at the end of it's life.... Stuff does wear out eventually.
 
RadioMan said:
mgray; Whose OPS are you using? I hope it's not an A/C Delco, or maybe it's just at the end of it's life.... Stuff does wear out eventually.
Click to expand...

Does someone else make a superior OPS over the Delco? I thought they were all the same?

I haven't changed mine since I bought the truck, but since the previous owner threw in a new Delco OPS, I assume the one thats in there right now.
 
I had this same problem this morning. Its -26 up here in North Central Wisconsin this morning and my "check gauges" light comes on when I get off the highway and close to work. I looked at the oil pressure gauge after reading this thread yesterday and sure enough its in the same place Jeff's was. Sounds like the same exact thing.
 
my oil pressure gauge fluctuates when Im towing and sometimes empty too, it goes anywhere from halfway between 40 and 0 to halfway between 40 and whatever the max is, I checked the oil level and needed slightly over half a quart, topped off but still does the same.. first was the lift pump issue, now I read this.. I'm positive now I need a new OPS
 
After the oil change, it did it once today (-33 without windchill this morning, I heard -60 on the radio with windchill....yikes), but it was overall better then it had been. I really think the oil filter is just getting super-cooled and causing a slight restriction at idle.

NVW, I haven't checked my grounds yet, too freaking cold out :D
 
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