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What is wrong with my oil gauge?

Madcap

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Madcap Enthusiast

Madcap

Posted
Posted

I changed the oil in my truck for the first time and I used 6 quarts Castrol Syntech. 6quarts exactly and my dip stick reads just a tad over the limit. Will this hurt anything? Also my gauge is now moving from 40 to 60 depending on my acceloration or turning.

 

Should I drain out this oil and put it back in minust 1/4 qt or so? I've been driving like this for 9 days or so now and I don't want to mess anything up.

 

Thanks for any help guys.

saltwater_addict Enthusiast

saltwater_addict

Posted
Posted

its not gonna mess up anything also your guage is going up because when you accelerate, your rpms should rise, making more oil pressure, it will drop sometimes while idleing no harm dont worry bout a thing

Madcap Enthusiast

Madcap

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  • Author
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its not gonna mess up anything    also your guage is going up because when you accelerate, your rpms should rise, making more oil pressure,  it will drop sometimes while idleing    no harm  dont worry bout a thing

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder why my oil pressure didn't change like that when I was running Valvoline Dyno in it.

 

I just wanted to make sure that if I did have too much oil in it that it wouldn't mess anything up.

Draenor Senior Enthusiast

Draenor

Posted
Posted

Oil capacity and oil pressure are two different things. You can have all the oil required and no pressure. This would point to a bad oil pump.

Or

YOu can have little oil but good pressure. You may get a low oil light. In this case add oil and hope you didnt harm anything.

Having a little added oil will not hurt anything. Too much will cause the crank to slap the oil, causing foaming, loss of power, and the like.

drumset5994 Enthusiast

drumset5994

Posted
Posted

Happened on my 88.

 

First...and last time i ever took a vehicle to walmart for an oil change.

 

They put 7 quarts of oil into my 305.

 

7 Quarts People...7 QUARTS.

 

After driving down the street and acceleration was sluggish, black deposits were spitting out the exhaust, i drove it back where he admitted to his "mistake"

 

I'm pretty sure it said "1500" on the side...not Peterbuilt.

 

Dickhead.

Ape0r Enthusiast

Ape0r

Posted
Posted

My gauge fluctuates quite a bit, always has. Overfilling by just a tad won't hurt anything, if it were an inch over I might let a little drain out.

Madcap Enthusiast

Madcap

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Oil capacity and oil pressure are two different things. You can have all the oil required and no pressure. This would point to a bad oil pump.

Or

YOu can have little oil but good pressure. You may get a low oil light. In this case add oil and hope you didnt harm anything.

Having a little added oil will not hurt anything. Too much will cause the crank to slap the oil, causing foaming, loss of power, and the like.

 

 

 

 

 

Very good info thank you. I am a newb when it comes to my truck but I am learning.

 

 

"After driving down the street and acceleration was sluggish, black deposits were spitting out the exhaust, i drove it back where he admitted to his "mistake""

 

My truck runs fine and exhaust is the same. And it is deninitely not a inch over the marker. IT was just the first time I changed the oil in my truck and wanted some peace of mind.

mnl119 Enthusiast

mnl119

Posted
Posted

If you had oil in there previously that was too viscous (e.g., 20W50) the pressure guage would read continuously high in pressure when the old oil was in there. Had this happen once in an old Mustang. From what you report, it sounds like everything is working OK after the oil change.

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