Hey folks, I'm back with my semi-anual oddball technical question. This time it's my oil pressure. Normally my OP never reads higher than 60psi, maybe as high as 65 if I start driving right after I first start her up. After it warms up it averages about 58psi at freeway or higher speeds and around 20 at an idle.

2 days ago I started it up and it spiked to 65+ while it warmed up, didnt run funny, no smoke, no leaks, no smells no nothing other than a high gauge reading. let it warm up but the pressure stayed around 60, while driving it spiked up to around 80+ but no higher than 90. After a few miles it normalized around 60 while doing freeway speeds but would remain much higher than it ever has showed at low speeds.

Now, it's still doing it but I don't notice anything adverse about this. My seals aren't leaking, shes not smoking, I cant smell anything out of hte ordinary, runs like a champ, oil levels are normal but I am due for a change. I use a 10W40 synth and a mobile 1 filter. No oil additives ever and no recent work done, also no noteworthy road incidents like hitting a huge pot hole or anything.

So, any ideas as to what the hell may be causing this and are there any hazzards to running her at 90 psi however breifly?

 

Change your oil and see if it still does it. I suspect that it could be worn out oil (or dirty oil... making it extra thick).

 

Well that did it. Changed the oil and filter and flushed the tranny too cause it was due. Oil pressure is back to normal. Damnedest thing, I've never seen it do that in the 8 years I've had this car. Ah well, OILS well that ends well!!

HAW HAW HAW HAW!!! Ok, I'm going to go get more coffee.

 

Weird, my car is doing that too! I'm not due for an oil change yet, but I might try it anyway.

 

It could be the oil pressure sending unit as well.

 

Thats what had me worried, some sort fo mechanical or electronic failure that I just don't have the time to deal with right now. I got lucky it would seem, hopefully Nis has hte same luck.

 

I was thinking originally that it might be the sending unit. However, I just replaced it roughly about a year ago...although that doesn't rule it out by any means. It's a piece of cake to change, so if the oil change doesn't resolve things I guess I will try replacing the sending unit again..