Hi, gang:
The oil pressure gauge in my 89 Caravan 3.0 has been reading goofy
(and generally lower than I'd like) for a few months, now. The whole
mess seemed to be triggered by a local shop that put 5W-30 into the
engine during an oil change, when I've been running 10W-30 or 10W-40
for years. Before that oil change, no issues with the oil pressure
gauge AT ALL. After the change, on the same day, I noticed that the
pressure reading dropped when I was cornering at very low speeds. I
can't prove it, but the coincidence seems odd. Fine for five years,
then goofy starting 15 minutes after the oil change in question...
Sometimes, when I come to a stop after the engine's warm, the oil
pressure gauge will plunge. It doesn't do this when it's cold -- and
in Minnesota, it's COLD!
Last night, when I drove to work, about 6 blocks before I arrived, the
oil pressure gauge dropped to nothing. As I was slowly driving the
rest of the way, the needle would occasionally climb up a bit, then
drop off to nothing again (triggering the "check gauges" light on the
dash).
After work I topped off the oil (half-a quart below full) and fired up
the beast. As it has been for the past few months, it started and ran
fine, despite the fact that there was now NO READING from the OP gauge
at all. I drove home 10 miles at 30-40 MPH, got home and parked, and
listened to the engine. It was smooth-sounding and seemed to be
running just fine (as it had all the way home).
QUESTION: If there truly was no oil pressure, wouldn't the engine
start to clatter?
I hope like hell it's the sending unit. I'm trying to find a buddy
with a manual pressure gauge...but I have to drive back to work in the
morning. :)
Any ideas?
Thanks, as always,
--Kirk in MN
P.S. It really sucks working on the car when the wind chill is 40
below zero...
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