Low oil pressure

[Youssef]

Hey guys yet another issue has developed with my car, I am beginning to think I bought a lemon. So I have been having relay issues since Sunday but the same time the relay issues started up i noticed that my oil pressure gauge was reading much lower than it should, it does not cross 20 psi now where it used to be around 40 on cold idle, as the oil gets hotter the pressure gets lower, dropping to almost 10 psi, the oil light also flickers on and off during idle and when i am not reving the car.

I thought about the oil pressure switch being faulty but he problem is the oil gauge has it's own signal, there is a T installed on the block in the same location as the oil pressure switch so they both share a common source (the hole on the block) but but that's it. Do you guys think it could be the pump, and why all of a sudden. Is there anyway to check if it really is the pump?

Just to let you know the oil was changed about 3 months ago and I used Mag1 straight 40 (in the Caribbean it's never cold). I should also point out that the car seems to be driving fine but I have been noticing that I am hearing the lifters make a bit more noise than before. Also what is the clearance of the oil pick up to the bottom of the sump as I have also noticed that the sump has a dent in it. Does Galants suffer from the same issue as Lancers with clearance of the oil pick up.

Once again thanks for any help you guys can provide.

[mike74]

It does sound like a strange one. It might be worthwhile changing the oil to a multigrade type like 10W/40 to see if that has any effect. It could be that the thickness of the oil was ok when new but now its got a few miles on it, its getting a bit thinner & giving lower pressure at idle. I don't know about the sump but I'd imagine that it could be a factor if its in the region of the pick-up. I've heard of this happening on other cars too & gives the same symptoms you describe. I'd say change the oil first & see how that goes although it would probably help others diagnose the sump issue if you put up a picture or two.

[AlanDITD]

Im not 100% but i think the dented sump could cause these problems...might be worth changing it!

[Rambaud]

I would suspect that a straight 40 oil is too thick at startup.

I too think you would be better with a multigrade. Perhaps a 0W-30 or a 5W-30.

[elnevio]

5w-30 and 10w-30 are the Mitsubishi recommended grades. True fully-synthetics only should be used also. The turbos are pretty hard on the oil, so anything less than the best will degrade quickly. I can't comment on the oil you've used, but that would be a good place to start, IMO.

[Davezj]

from cold with the correct multi grade oil in the engine, my oil pressure behaves as follows:-

1. from cold pressure is at the top of the gauge 100psi.
2. oil starts to worm up pressure gradually drops.
3. after a few minutes of motorway driving, pressure is right down at the bottom of gauge about 15-20psi. but you can't really tell when the what it is at that sort of level.
4. if i absolutly spank it then the pressure drops to about 10psi ish

i would not rely on the value stated on cheapish gauges, just use them for a general trend. if the trend changes then there may be an issue.

my oil pressure light came on on the dash board and i would have worried about it but i had the pressure gauge fitted and that was reading the same as normal. so i changed the pressure sensor that feeds the dash board light and all was fine again. the light has never come on since apart from when it is supposed to come on at start up.

so i can confirm the sensors do get warn out and do need replacing from time to time.

my advice would be get the correct oil in the engine and if that does not effect anything then change your sensor.

[Turbo_Steve]

Also worth checking that the T-Piece isn't blocked?

[Youssef]

Thanks for the reply guys, I don't think it's the oil sensor as it and the oil pressure gauge correspond and like I said they do not share the same signal merely the same source. Someone suggested to me that the oil pump could be clogged up and recommended an oil change, while I am not expecting miracles I hope it helps. The reason why I tend to go with the heavier weight oil is because here in the Caribbean it's always hot and oil breaks down very quickly, ESPECIALLY in turbo charged cars. So I start with a 40 because in a couple weeks it's down to 30 weight anyways.

So guys should I start saving my pennies to get a new pump?

[Youssef]

I thought about a blockage in the T section but that would have to be a very big blockage, either way I will check it once I drain the oil from the car.

[Davezj]

i presume the very low oil pressure when cold is due to the thik oil you use. if not then i would suggest you have a problem.

in you first post you do not say what your normal hot running pressure is. but 10 psi i would not think there is an issue as the cold pressure is low anyway. unless the hot normal running pressure was 20psi and above, but i doubt it.

no one over here uses a straight 40 oil so any pressure reading we give you would be meaning less, that why i say if it is now very different from what it was before then something has changed.

[Youssef]

Ok guys just an update, I changed the oil in the car 10-30 and filter, the oil pressure did not go up. It is usually above 20psi after a good run and above 30 close to 40 psi at WOT. I also checked the T section for blockages and then leaks. still nothing, oh I also lost half my index finger in the process.

I slipped while checking for leaks and my finger hit the belt and got thrown into the main pulley and got torn in 2. Please see pic for further explaination.


But either way today while driving the car started making a weird noise from the bottom end and the oil pressure dropped to 0 as well the light came on. I sounded like how a bad tensioner would sound a kind of metal on metal noise accompanied by a what a shield hitting a spinning tyre would sound like.
I drove the car for no more than 2 minutes after that as I was almost home. There isn;t any knocking but I know the oil pump is gone. Does our engine share pumps with any toher model galant or V6 engine? Anyone knows the part number for the oil pump, conrod bearings and main bearings. Maybe some with Caps or the equivalent can pull those up for me.

[Gly]

ouch, and what made you thing it was a good idea to check these things with the motor running??

anyway, you engines ****ed,

standard size bearings wont be any good, as you may have damaged the cradles,
so to do the job properly you will need them machined and over size bearings fitted,
you will have most likely damaged the piston bores, and rings aswell,
its scrap metal,

easier to source a new motor, fit new pump belts tensioners to that for piece of mind, and use recommend factory spec oils

oh and btw,

with my car,
when warm, 5w/30 or 10w40 oil,
about 20psi at idle and upto 90psi at wot,
when stone cold, 100psi +

[Youssef]

Well no decision made at 1 am after a very frustrating night leads to anything good, unfortunately in this case it's something I will have to live with for the rest of my life.

The irony is the job I was doing when I lost my finger was in an attempt to avoid exactly what happened to me last night on my way back from the Pharmacy where I was getting pain meds for my finger. Ah well life is funny, so you guys think it would work out cheaper to just get a bear engine and drop it in than try to see what could be done with my current engine. Is it a guarantee that the cradle would be scorched. Would be worth atleast to have a mechanic take a poke around and see.

I had a feeling that even when I got my car the oil pressure reading was low but I had nothing to prove it. I have a feeling this all started with a dent in my oil sump.

[Gly]

here in nz it much cheaper to bin the ****ed motor and get another,

you can have it checked out, but why pay for something thats a 99% sure thing it gonna cost more to repair then replace, the head gaskits cost rediculas $$

the engine would need to stripped bare and cleaned, any metal in the oil/water passages will just cost you another motor,

not worth the hassel rebuilding IMO

[scott.mohekey]

I would rebuild if you also put in forged internals and fitted bigger turbos. But otherwise, as Carsten says, just buy a replacement.