Sup guys, first time posting, been reading for a while now.

Uhhh, short info: 21 years old, E3 in the USMC stationed at MCB Quantico, VA. I like long walks in the mud, and romantic off road trails.

In any case, my yota is having some problems, the most important of which is really low oil pressure. When I start her up in the morning or when she's cool, pressure will be fine. Then after it gets nice and warmed up, I start dropping pressure, and when I let it idle, it gets REALLY low, like, scary.

I changed the oil/filter yesterday, didn't think it would help, and it didn't.


I'm thinking it could be the oil pump starting to go?


Ideas/Suggestions?

It's a 93 pickup, ext cab, v6, 230k miles

 

Don't worry about it -- for one thing the gauges are notoriously inaccurate, and from what I understand it's very common for a warmed-up engine to have 5 lbs or less of oil pressure.

 

I feel like an idiot for not searching for it before I posted, as I just did.


Guess it's normal. I'm just used to my Impala's 327 kicking a bit more pressure than that, lol.

Cool, I didn't want to change the pump anyway :p

 

wow..
I was getting worried as I show 20lbs at idle when warm
(Autometer guage - its accurate AFAIK)
I get 60lbs at speed (aka above 1500rpm) so I dont worry too much

 

Yup, worried me all the time when i got my truck. Totally normal.

 

I posted a similar thread regarding low oil pressure concerns with my '93 ext cab 4wd V6 (3VZ-E) truck a couple of years ago. I also got feedback that it was normal. However, the oil pressure loss w/increased engine temperature characteristic occured over roughly 1-2 weeks. Now that I think about it, this does not sound like a normal thing, but rather something failing. Well, I later found that my head gasket was blown. In changing the gasket, I found that the cooling system had some rogue seal packing material clogging the coolant ports between the block and the heads. I suspect that the blown head gasket and clogging was responsible for my low oil pressure when the engine was hot. The oil didnt look like it had any water in it.. but who knows.. perhaps there was enough to lower the viscosity and thus cause the pressure drop. My temperature guage (not light) never indicated that I was running hot. I'm soon to get the engine back together with cleaned out cooling system, machined heads and new head gaskets. Only then will I know if that was responsible for the loss of oil pressure.

 

When I was freaking about the fluctuations in pressure, I perused the owner's manual, they addressed it in there, said spec was 4-30 pounds. Now that's what I call "wiggle room".

 

thanks for your service.

 

mine reads 0 when cruising
Has been for years..
Stupid oil pressure sender
Just buy an aftermarket if you want acurracy

 

Is there something that comes on your guys' rigs stock that automatically tells you the oil pressure? I dont have one.

 

Do you have a tachometer?

 

I dunno about the dont worry comments. Cold oil usually gives the highest pressure. As it heats up it thins out,so the pressure at idle will be lower hot than cold. If you've seen it steadilly going down for a while then it could mean bearings going away giving you larger clearances, and lower pressure. I tore mine down at 270k and all the mains and rod bearings were lookin ready togo at any time. You might think about pullin the pan and pulling a cap or 2 and check things out. Don't know about the v6 motor but thats prolly alot easier said than done I know. And that and a dollar will get ya a glass of tea at Micky D's
Jim

 

Thanks for all the replies

 

If your rig is runnig good, (LEAVE IT ALONE) I have a 1995 4runner with a compleat new top end, and my OIL PRESSURE is the same as it was when I got it, HGIHG AT STARTUP, and VERY LOW AT HOT. Even crusing at 70MPH, it is still low. Common thing I guess from what I here..............

 

For those reading "low" when hot, is this the OEM guage or an accurate aftermarket guage?

Im running an Autometer.
It saved me one when I had a DOH moment...

 

I know on my Camaro, there was trash in the the little valve where the filter bolts on holding it a hair open and was keeping pressure at like 5 lbs and under at idle once warm. I cleaned the area where the filter bolts on and it went up to like 12 lbs at idle. My Toyota on the other hand holds Almost 50 lbs when cold and about 38-40 at idle once warm, And above 60 when driving. Im running a Sunpro mechanical guage with copper line. But this motor has 45k on the bottom end and less then 100 miles on the top end

 

OO-rah!! Nice to see some other military folk on this site. Welcome to Yotatech!

 

Hmm.. I just remembered that my Oil cooler was clogged on the coolant side. (spent hours getting it flushed out good)
I doubt that it would make a big difference to oil pressure when not towing something.. but it would certainly be a contributing factor in lower oil pressure when hot.

 

Kevin, I think I will have a look-see at that this weekend as a matter of fact, I can't remember ever having gotten it cleaned...

And Semper Fi :p

 

I run 20w-50 on mine, Pressure still looks good hot or cold.
But 10w barely moves the gauge even at cruise speeds.

I got a case of bad oil once, Engine felt rough and I could hear the cams more then normal and the gauge hardly moved, Changed it at the end of the week and when I felt it I swear it had less viscocity then water.