Q: My oil pressure a lot lower than normal
Hey so I was driving around and relized my oils pressure was much Lower than normal. When driving at 2000 Rpms it reads around 5/8 of the way and never goes below 3/8 even when idling. Today it was reading just below 1/2 when gunning it and below 1/4 but above 0 in idle. There is no nocking rattle or any noises at all everything seems to be normal. Oil level is fine and everything. any obvious or easy fixes that this may be? Should I even be concerned?
My car has 162000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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More than likely, this is an oil pressure sending unit issue, rather than an engine internals issue. The most straightforward way to check this is to put a trusted pressure gauge on the oil system, preferably plugged into where the Toyota sending unit goes, and check actual pressure (psi) in your typical driving conditions cold idle and highway speed, hot idle and highway speed. Highway speed should be in excess of 50 psi, worst hot idle shouldn’t go below 15-20 psi. Or you could just replace the oil pressure sending unit - that is most likely the failing component.
I would recommend having an oil pressure light inspection done by a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, to diagnose the low pressure reading on the gauge, get an accurate assessment of any damage, and a cost estimate for repairs. YourMechanic can dispatch a mobile, professional mechanic to your location for this repair.
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