Hi all...new to the forum. I have a 2002 Sequoia (SR5 4x4). Have a question concerning the oil pressure. Noticed oil pressure jumping from low to high (and everywhere in between) during normal driving. Took to Toyota dealership for service and they said that this was normal. Any comments??? is this normal. Appreciate any help.

thanks

 

Very much normal in any vehicle. It basically fluctuates with your RPM speed, although I don't think it's a pressure guage rather an oil level guage. The higher RPMS you have and during cold startup, you will experience high level reading. Idle and operating temperature, lower it will be. No problem...!

If you really are concerned with anything, just check your oil level, especially since sometimes those dealerships skimp on levels after an oil change, or you may have lost just a few amounts of oil (especially as a vehicle gets older and older).

 

Understand that the pressure varies with the RPM/speed. The Oil pressure guage bounces from hi to low when you are cruising at one speed/rpm....it also bounces hi to low when at idle. During cold start up you would think that the pressure would be high but it only goes up to the first mark. Checked oil level and level was good.

 

Sounds too me like the sending unit is bad, or a bad ground.
I would try another dealer and see what they have to say.

Jumping all over the place kind of defeats having a guage in the first place.

Welcome to the forums too.

 

I agree with Cory. I have a Sequoia and I've personally talked to 5/6 other owners and have communicated (e-mail) with a dozen or so other Sequoia owners and we all show very low oil pressure on the idiot gauge while driving. We all idle at the 1st mark or a tad below, highway driving we are just above the 1st mark. On cold startup we don't go over the 2nd mark (mid-point). Toyota dealerships are aware of the low gauge readings and all say, “not to worry” and that nothing can be done relative to their gauge readings.

 

Finally after two different Toyota dealerships and taking it in 3 times (twice to the same dealership), they finally fixed the problem. They admitted that the pressure guage should not be bouncing around eractically. Funny, especially after they insisted (from a Certified Master Toyota Mechanic) that this was normal. They replaced the sending unit. Corey was correct and he didnt have my vehicle for 2 days nor fancy computer diagnostic system.

Now at highway speeds/rpms, the pressure is up to the 3rd mark. During idle its at the first mark. and while driving around town, it stays around the 2nd mark. Thanks for the help.

mike

 

Just wanted to let you guys know that I recently changed the Timing Belt along with the Water Pump and Idler Pulleys, in the process I failed to properly secure the connection to the Oil Sender and the wire subsequently rubbed against the serpentine belt and frayed causing erratic readings on the Oil Pressure Gauge and until the gauge stopped working all together. I had to remove the serpentine belt to gain access to the wire and I was able to splice the wire and reconnect it, this time I made sure to secure the connection with a wire tie on the A/C bracket. Good Luck to all and hope this can help someone.

 

Thanks for the contributors on this topics on toyo forum it really help me to understand the problem on my 2002 Sequoia. which I also experience the bouncing of the oil guage.

 

Yeah, thanks for this. I just bought my used 2002 with 150k miles. It seems great, but then I noticed the weird movement of the oil pressure gauge. It stays at 3/4 most of the time. It's there when I start up and when driving, though sometimes it fluctuates down to 1/4 then back up to 3/4. I changed the oil and filter and replaced the pressure sending unit. No change in the behavior of the gauge. My guess is that it probably has something to do with the wire. Based on what I'm finding here and elsewhere, it seems like there's probably no real problem, just a weird gauge thing.

 

I know I'm bumping an old thread, but where is the sending unit exactly? My oil pressure gauge is completely defunct right now ('04 Sequoia).