Oil pressure while driving

[GunMonkeyINTL]

Thanks for confirming the range on yours. Mine is the same and has 9,000 miles on it. I just felt 22 was a bit low for a newer motor but I don’t think any prior vehicles had a digital oil pressure gauge so maybe that’s normal.

Now worries. FWIW, mine’s only got 2,500 miles on it, but I’ve kept a sniff check on the oil pressure gauge since I got it.

I checked the oil before I left the dealership, and several times through the first 1,500 miles, when I changed the oil the first time. I’ve checked it a few times in the first 1,000 miles on this batch of oil, and haven’t noticed any recordable loss.

The oil pressure gauge has run in that same range throughout.

 

[GunMonkeyINTL]

...that makes me think about all the cars I had before this one that would show me a numerical reading.

I’ve always just known where the oil pressure needle was when the oil level was good. I got a mental picture of where the needle was, either in reference to the sweep, or the oil can icon.

I assumed that would give me a good indicator if I had lost oil between checks. But, if all the folks that are losing oil on EB engines (valve cover or whatever), and aren’t seeing the oil pressure needle move, then what exactly is the purpose of that gauge?


Driving this engine, like I have the dozen or so cars I’ve owned, I never saw that gauge move when I was on/off throttle. If normal driving was producing a swing of 20-60psi, and I didn’t see it in the gauge, how low would the oil have to have gotten to show up?

That’s kinda scary. (Or at least should be to someone who checks their oil only as often as the average driver in the “self-serve” age).

 

[JasonSTL]

Realized I do have another vehicle with a digital oil pressure gauge. Drove my C7 this evening and it makes 31-33 psi at 50 mph.

I did some reading and it looks like we have variable output oil pumps in our trucks and this is normal.

 

[Johnkn]

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...that makes me think about all the cars I had before this one that would show me a numerical reading.

I’ve always just known where the oil pressure needle was when the oil level was good. I got a mental picture of where the needle was, either in reference to the sweep, or the oil can icon.

I assumed that would give me a good indicator if I had lost oil between checks. But, if all the folks that are losing oil on EB engines (valve cover or whatever), and aren’t seeing the oil pressure needle move, then what exactly is the purpose of that gauge?


Driving this engine, like I have the dozen or so cars I’ve owned, I never saw that gauge move when I was on/off throttle. If normal driving was producing a swing of 20-60psi, and I didn’t see it in the gauge, how low would the oil have to have gotten to show up?

That’s kinda scary. (Or at least should be to someone who checks their oil only as often as the average driver in the “self-serve” age).

Your trucks oil pump output correctly varies based on rpm and load. An oil pressure gauge is not an oil level gauge on this truck or anything else you’ve driven (unless the pump pickup becomes uncovered). Your truck could be sitting still and revving to 3000prm and showing 50psi whether it’s full of oil or 2 quarts low. Throw it around a corner or heavily accelerate or decelerate, uncover the pickup, and oil pressure drops. And if you have the 802a package you do have a numeric gauge available.

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[GunMonkeyINTL]

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Your trucks oil pump output correctly varies based on rpm and load. An oil pressure gauge is not an oil level gauge on this truck or anything else you’ve driven (unless the pump pickup becomes uncovered). Your truck could be sitting still and revving to 3000prm and showing 50psi whether it’s full of oil or 2 quarts low. Throw it around a corner or heavily accelerate or decelerate, uncover the pickup, and oil pressure drops. And if you have the 802a package you do have a numeric gauge available.

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Mine is an 801a but it has the numeric gauge. I think all of the 19+ have it.

My point was that the numeric gauge shows a swing of 22-65 psi, but the physical gauge never moves. If the oil did get low enough to register a pressure loss, without the driver knowing (which apparently isn’t that unusual based on all of the “my dealer said I was 4 quarts low...” posts), would it even show up on the standard oil pressure gauge?

 

[Johnkn]

So you are saying that your 801a truck has a numeric oil pressure gauge and a “physical’ gauge? Two oil pressure gauges?


If you are describing the upper left gauge of the 4 across the top, the sweeping ‘bar’ isn’t responsive to quick oil pressure changes and should remain in the ‘normal’ range.

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[GunMonkeyINTL]

So you are saying that your 801a truck has a numeric oil pressure gauge and a “physical’ gauge? Two oil pressure gauges?


If you are describing the upper left gauge of the 4 across the top, the sweeping ‘bar’ isn’t responsive to quick oil pressure changes and should remain in the ‘normal’ range.

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Yes. It has both. I have a physical sweep gauge (small dash screen, so four across the top are physical gauges). In the “Gauge” view of the center screen, I can view the numerical value (either in a list, or an individual gauge animation).

Like every other car I’ve had, the physical gauge has a L and a H, implying that it indicates pressure within a range. Comparing the numerical value to the position of the physical needle, and that the needle doesn’t move between 20 and 65 psi, it’s apparent that either the range of the of the physical gauge is HUGE (going WAY into vacuum, on the left), or it isn’t really indicating a range and should be more of a toggle (pressure = yes or no).


Thinking back, I used to drive an STi that I added a mechanical gauge to, and had a similar thought. That was several cars ago, so I’d forgotten.

Ive never had an oil system failure, or had an engine get more than a 1/2 qt or so low, so I’ve never seen the standard gauge move beyond where it normally sits- that was my observation.

 

[Johnkn]

Not sure how vacuum was introduced into this thread.

The upper left gauge should read in the normal range and roughly indicates oil pressure is normal .

Gauge view shows instant actual oil pressure.

 

[GunMonkeyINTL]

Not sure how vacuum was introduced into this thread.

The upper left gauge should read in the normal range and roughly indicates oil pressure is normal .

If the upper left gauge is a “range”, and it doesn’t move at all between 20 and 65 psi, then the “range” of the sweep would have to be huge- going deep into the negatives. In reality, as you point out, it shows more of a binary. The position of the needle is really a ‘Yes you have oil pressure’ or ‘Shit, your engine just blew up, sorry I didn’t warn you” indicator.

 

[Ghstfce]

I noticed today my oil pressure is between 22 and 23 psi while driving at 55 mph steady cruise. This seems low to me. Does the EB have a different type of oil pump? What’s everyone else’s oil pressure if you have the digital gauges on your trucks?

FYI last month I got an engine oil pressure low malfunction on my 2019. The ford mechanic stated that high end vehicles burn oil quicker than other when new. He said the ford techs suggested monitoring it and adding oil. They can’t do anything till the 10K mileage since that the break in period. Personally to me it makes no sense