Jump to content

Oil Pressure Gauge Fluctuation

scott_8222

Recommended Posts

scott_8222 Enthusiast

scott_8222

Posted
Posted

I noticed on my 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3 that the oil pressure indicator on the dash is fluctuating. When accelerating the needle sits approx at the 3/4 mark and fluctuates slightly ahead and behind. What is this a sign of? What should the oil pressure be at?

cerbomark Senior Enthusiast

cerbomark

Posted
Posted

dont know what your gauge looks like but it sounds normal to me. It will normally read a bit higher when cold and when under acceleration. Doesn t sound like anything to worry about if it s reading that high. 40 is about normal at idle. Some slightly higher and a tad lower are also normal. I m not to sure those guages are that accurate. I use it just to know I have oil pressure. Hope that helps.

jzendrosky Enthusiast

jzendrosky

Posted
Posted
I noticed on my 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3 that the oil pressure indicator on the dash is fluctuating. When accelerating the needle sits approx at the 3/4 mark and fluctuates slightly ahead and behind. What is this a sign of? What should the oil pressure be at?

 

 

Sounds normal. The oil pump is driven directly from the crankshaft. The pressure will go up with engine RPM. Should be lowest at idle and go up from there. I wouldn't exactly call the oil pressure guage in the cluster accuate, just make sure it doesn't read 0. That would be a problem.

jblakeney Senior Enthusiast

jblakeney

Posted
Posted
I noticed on my 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3 that the oil pressure indicator on the dash is fluctuating. When accelerating the needle sits approx at the 3/4 mark and fluctuates slightly ahead and behind. What is this a sign of? What should the oil pressure be at?

 

hrm, depends on if its the 3/4 fully pressurized or 3/4 not-fully pressurized..... 40 - 60 is pretty normal thou...

 

Jbo

georgecdisc Enthusiast

georgecdisc

Posted
Posted
I noticed on my 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3 that the oil pressure indicator on the dash is fluctuating. When accelerating the needle sits approx at the 3/4 mark and fluctuates slightly ahead and behind. What is this a sign of? What should the oil pressure be at?

 

 

Sounds normal. The oil pump is driven directly from the crankshaft. The pressure will go up with engine RPM. Should be lowest at idle and go up from there. I wouldn't exactly call the oil pressure guage in the cluster accuate, just make sure it doesn't read 0. That would be a problem.

 

Pegged at 80 is not good either. I had that issue, blew out one gallon of oil all over the ground after my oil filter seal let loose on my '98.

jzendrosky Enthusiast

jzendrosky

Posted
Posted
I noticed on my 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3 that the oil pressure indicator on the dash is fluctuating. When accelerating the needle sits approx at the 3/4 mark and fluctuates slightly ahead and behind. What is this a sign of? What should the oil pressure be at?

 

 

Sounds normal. The oil pump is driven directly from the crankshaft. The pressure will go up with engine RPM. Should be lowest at idle and go up from there. I wouldn't exactly call the oil pressure guage in the cluster accuate, just make sure it doesn't read 0. That would be a problem.

 

Pegged at 80 is not good either. I had that issue, blew out one gallon of oil all over the ground after my oil filter seal let loose on my '98.

 

 

 

Errrrrrummm..........how'd that happen?

georgecdisc Enthusiast

georgecdisc

Posted
Posted
I noticed on my 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3 that the oil pressure indicator on the dash is fluctuating. When accelerating the needle sits approx at the 3/4 mark and fluctuates slightly ahead and behind. What is this a sign of? What should the oil pressure be at?

 

 

Sounds normal. The oil pump is driven directly from the crankshaft. The pressure will go up with engine RPM. Should be lowest at idle and go up from there. I wouldn't exactly call the oil pressure guage in the cluster accuate, just make sure it doesn't read 0. That would be a problem.

 

Pegged at 80 is not good either. I had that issue, blew out one gallon of oil all over the ground after my oil filter seal let loose on my '98.

 

 

 

Errrrrrummm..........how'd that happen?

 

Long story short, had problems with the engine on cold starts. Lifters would slap loudly, oil pressure was high, and well... when the RPMs went too high pressure was too great and blew out the weakest link. I never did figure out what it was, sold the truck. I did several oil changes in a couple month's time. It would be perfectly fine for about 4-7 days after a fresh change then slowly start getting the lifter racket on start up. I got sick of dumping money into my '98, even though I loved it as it was a manual transmission. It was costing me just as much as paying for a new truck.

  • 1 month later...
gguebely New Member

gguebely

Posted
Posted

I have a similar issue. At idle the pressure is constantly fluctuating between 40 and 60 rapidly (pulsing). It steadies under accelleration and returns at idle. Could this be a bad sending unit or another sympton?

az'03Silverado Senior Enthusiast

az'03Silverado

Posted
Posted

If it goes WAY down at idle, like 5-10 or something, and then goes up to 40-60 on accelleration then you could have a worn pump. But if it's up at idle and goes up a few pounds when accellerating, I'd say you're fine.

The problem when it goes way up, like 80 or so, could be a clogged passage somewhere in the engine. We had an old '81 Buick Regal that had clogged push rod tubes and the oil px was way up all the time and the rockers made a ton of noise. We removed the valve covers. pulled the push rods to clean them. And all was OK after that.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • KARNUT
      Slate Electric Truck

      By KARNUT · Posted

      I wasn’t commenting on your post. Certainly wasn’t arguing. I was making an observation on my long term experience with supposedly proper length of driving for proper heat cycles. Works for me. Although I have seen water or vapor come out of exhaust when vehicles weren’t run very long and shut off. It’s very humid in the morning. Then hot and humid. 
    • Grumpy Bear
      Slate Electric Truck

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Not what I said but I can work with it anyway. Complete combustion produces CO2 and H20. When it's cold enough you can 'see' it as water vapor but it is always there and more so the better the tune up. It's physics, not an argument. In a cold motor when the cylinder jacket is below the condensation temperature the water goes to the pan and not the PCV system. Heating the oil moves it from liquid to vapor where it is removed by the PCV system. When and how much depends on temperatures. Of the air, the water and so on. It has little to with the humidity. Water is a combustion product.  
    • Chuck FB
      2 speed transfer case optional now?

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I can only guess as well that something was clicked on that brought you to the half ton choices by accident. By all means try again and chose the 3500 and sort out that its the cab and box configuration you want and choose four wheel drive ( rather obvious to have a transfer case ) and to make sure the dually isn't chosen. I find or at least did a couple of years ago when I was sifting through the options that it would sometimes jump ahead after choosing the series of truck and in this case 3500 and skip some of the other initial configuration choices and have to watch the heading bar and sometimes back up by choosing the first in the series of option break downs. I think sometimes the computer will remember items that were last chosen and skip over the first part. Anyway go through it all and depending on the trim level chosen and I think the LT is one that may fall into that where the option of having the 4 high auto transfer case can be chosen, where as a High Country doesn't show that option as it just comes with the fancier ( not necessarily better though in terms of potential problems ) transfer case but for sure both transfer case choices are equipped with high and low range in the HD truck segment. Like Newdude said who works at a dealership, its the half tons that are the ones that will come with the single speed unless certain options or trim levels are chosen that add the two speed transfer case but as your looking at an HD, you don't have to worry about that hot mess.    One item that at least didn't show up and not sure if it does yet or not in the HD options on the manufactures pubic website is the upfitter in cab switch option if one is desiring that. Unfortunately its not wired in at the factory but the panel with the switches is on the dash but the wiring harness to be installed gets tossed under the rear seat to be installed by whomever after the fact to complete the installation. 
    • Donstar
      Navigating senior years.

      By Donstar · Posted

      Yesterday we brought home a 6yr  old Havanese dog from a nearby SPCA.  We've had her for 24 hours and we are delighted with how well she is adjusting to her new home.  It  was a huge decision to adopt a dog at this stage in our lives but we believe we made the right choice!   it was reported that her first 6 years were ones of neglect.  I think she's already realizing her life is going to get a whole lot better...  so is ours!    
    • Hoginedgewood
      2 speed transfer case optional now?

      By Hoginedgewood · Posted

      I thought I was building a HD 3500 srw, maybe I was lost.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...