Oil Pressure is scaring me!

[camarors8992]

While driving.

After 18miles and idling for 2 minutes this is what it sits at. Is this acceptable ?

 

[XJPhoenix]

My 1994 does that, and so did my 1991 XJ. It seems normal, but if it isn't, I guess I'll be spending some cash in the very near future.

 

[YeaItsSlo]

My gauge was reading the wrong oil press. i replaced it and everything is well... just a FYI

 

[97XJ Jeeper]

After 18miles and idling for 2 minutes this is what it sits at. Is this acceptable ?

yeah thats where mine sets at hot idle

 

[camarors8992]

Awsome!! I'm glad to have that scare over and done with. phew.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Yup....mine sits at 19-20 hot idle, and 40-45 cold idle/cold driving.

I have to wonder if the oil that was in it before was too light of a weight....

 

[Ecomike]

Looks like your OK for now, but you still might consider adding a quart of Lucas additive and try to get the pressure up a few more pounds to give yourself some breathing room. I would shoot for an absolute minimum of 25 psi. I always worry about having some gauge/instrument error and I like to have some breathing room. Jeep says the minimum is 13 (with a working, calibrated, gauge system) psi, and your showing just a few pounds over that.

I would also keep a close eye on it, and change the oil and filter if, or when the pressure starts dropping again, even if that is before the normal 3000 miles.

 

[XJPhoenix]

I change mine every 3500 kms.

It's just not worth the worry for me... I'll be switching from Valvoline MaxLife, to Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic, but I'll keep using either the Maxlife filter, or I'll take the plunge and go to NAPA for their gold filter.

 

[scoobyxj]

While driving.

After 18miles and idling for 2 minutes this is what it sits at. Is this acceptable ?

Mine reads just on the other side of the lines respectivly, but I would say the difference is in the sender. I normaly run Moble-1 10/30 syn, and a Puralator Gold (Ford 5.0ltr) filter, but it's been abnormally cold here so I'm running 5/30 M-1 sny right now. Oh, it's a 00 with 90k.

 

[Ecomike]

I change mine every 3500 kms.

It's just not worth the worry for me... I'll be switching from Valvoline MaxLife, to Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic, but I'll keep using either the Maxlife filter, or I'll take the plunge and go to NAPA for their gold filter.

You might want to reconsider the switch to synthetic. I tried just 2 quarts of synthtic in mine and my jeep went from 3000 miles with almost no oil consumption (<1/2 quart in 3000 miles, with 245,000 miles on the odometer) to using 1 quart every 100 miles. I went from 20W50 Dynao to 20W50 synthetic.

I had already replaced the valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket, rear and front seals and the distributor gasket and the CCV lines. I had no leaks. Then it started leaking at the oil filter adapter a few days after using the synthetic. I fixed the oil filter adapter leak 2 weeks ago and now the oil consumption is down to 1 quart every 200 miles. The synthetic seems be very good at getting through tight spots like new bearings, which makes it great in a new engine, but not so good in a used engine.

I am still puzzling over the current oil loss rate. Fixing to post it in a new thread.

 

[red91]

I just bought my 1998 jeep cherokee classic 2 days ago. It runs awsome, no motor noise and 78k miles. However, after it gets warm, at idle the oil pressure will drop to 8-10psi. Is this ok at idle ? While driving it's at 40-45psi. My 95 XJ that I had never dropped below 30psi. I was told to put a thicker oil in there to bump the pressure up but wanted some other opinions on it.

If you put heavier oil in it your simply masking the problem.

This is akin to using a Tom Bosley makover kit ( i.e. "Glad Bag"(registered tradmark)) on an ugly chick before you doink her. Just because you can't see her, doesn't mean she isn't unatractive.

 

[camarors8992]

Can anyone tell me where the sender is located ? If it's not too involved I could try to buy a new one from a dealership and replace it to see how that helps.

 

[montanaman]

Can anyone tell me where the sender is located ? If it's not too involved I could try to buy a new one from a dealership and replace it to see how that helps.

Oil pressure sender is right next to the oil filter ... screws into the oil filter bracket.

 

[XJPhoenix]

I was worried about that, but I have a few of reasons why I think I'd be safe.

My Jeep has 193k on the odometer, and so far hasn't used any oil as far as I can see. There's no leaks that I've found (engine oil that is, the tranny dribbles a bit.) and I've got over 1315 miles on it since my last oil change. I flushed the oil before it's last change with some tranny fluid, and kinda figured that if there was gunk holding the seals together, that the flush would've opened them up.

The other reason I figured I'd be safer, is because it's Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic. I thought that they'd take older gaskets and seals into consideration for their product and would've either toned down the cleaners, or added some conditioners to it.

The third reason is that I was a dummy, and bought a buttload of it when it came on sale (as an introductory price) for 30% off.



Now, I could be dreaming here... I'm hoping my ideas are solid though. Has anyone here used the stuff? The folks over on Bob Is The Oil Guy seem to think it's good stuff.

Great, now I'm paranoid.

 

[Blaine B.]

Could be as simple as a funky oil pressure gauge sender.

 

[Ecomike]

I was worried about that, but I have a few of reasons why I think I'd be safe.

My Jeep has 193k on the odometer, and so far hasn't used any oil as far as I can see. There's no leaks that I've found (engine oil that is, the tranny dribbles a bit.) and I've got over 1315 miles on it since my last oil change. I flushed the oil before it's last change with some tranny fluid, and kinda figured that if there was gunk holding the seals together, that the flush would've opened them up.

The other reason I figured I'd be safer, is because it's Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic. I thought that they'd take older gaskets and seals into consideration for their product and would've either toned down the cleaners, or added some conditioners to it.

The third reason is that I was a dummy, and bought a buttload of it when it came on sale (as an introductory price) for 30% off.



Now, I could be dreaming here... I'm hoping my ideas are solid though. Has anyone here used the stuff? The folks over on Bob Is The Oil Guy seem to think it's good stuff.

Great, now I'm paranoid.

Not sure about the transmision fluid engine flush you mentioned, it might actually have help the o'ring seals seal better by making them swell just a bit, even if it did help clean up some trash.

I would be real curious to know how it works out if you decide to try it! I am still looking for the best oil + additive combo for mine right now.

 

[Blaine B.]

my gauge used to show over 80 PSI and then sometimes it would sit at the 3 O'Clock position.......starting doing this when cold weather set in. Now it doesn't do it anymore. Nothing to worry about if there's no noise.....well on your end your gauge was doing the opposite. Still, without noise, the sender is the cause regardless.

 

[XJPhoenix]

Not sure about the transmision fluid engine flush you mentioned, it might actually have help the o'ring seals seal better by making them swell just a bit, even if it did help clean up some trash.

I would be real curious to know how it works out if you decide to try it! I am still looking for the best oil + additive combo for mine right now.

I'll try it and keep folks informed. I'm hoping for good things, but if it crashes and burns then I'll just have one more reason to start working on a poor man's stroker.



PS: My oil pressure gauge is showing a lower initial cold-engine start-up pressure than it used to. I think I might change the oil early and see if I can get that back up. I imagine if a big glob of crud came off and partially clogged the filter, it would display a lower pressure, wouldn't it?

 

[Blaine B.]

I use Valvoline MaxLife. After I used some seafoam and marvel on my engine it leaked more.....now it's just a dribble. I didn't think it was synthetic?

 

[XJPhoenix]

The MaxLife Synthetic is new. I used the dino-based oil for years and love it. It's brought more than one of my vehicles (all used, all high-milage when I bought them) back from a wreck to something drivable.

The new synthetic has only been available locally for a little over a month or so.