I have a 1990 GMC Suburban and would like to know if there is a way to check the oil pump or the oil pressure. My gauge has started reading no pressure all of a sudden but the truck still rides great. At first it would drop when I stop at a light and go back up when I drive but now it just says 0 on the oil gauge. I have been told that it is the oil pump but I would like to check the pressure first. Can someone help me?
Change the oil pressure sending unit.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Change the oil pressure sending unit.
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Go to Wal-Mart and buy one of those add-on oil pressure gages and see what it says. Probably your gage is just bad.
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Remove the oil pressure sending unit and replace it with a mechanical gauge and read the pressure.
You could get a mechanical gauge kit and mount it under the dash. Good luck.
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Probably a bad sending unit…get another unit at your parts store and change out the old unit….easy fix and most likely the problem…
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
replace the presure sending unit on the block
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
ALL YOU NEED IS A MANUAL PRESSURE GAUGE. THE OIL SENDING UNIT IS AT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE NEXT TO THE DIST.REMOVE THE SENDER AND INSTALL THE GAUGE.BEST AS I RECALL MIN PRESSURE AT IDLE IS AROUND 12PSI AND AROUND 25-30 AT 2000RPM THIS LOCATION IS KIND OF HARD TO GET TO,SO CHECK FOR A PIPE PLUG SCREWED INTO THE BLOCK JUST ABOVE THE OIL FILTER.SOME MODELS HAD A OIL PRESSURE TAP AT THIS LOCATION
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
It is most likely your oil pump. You should NOT be running your engine at all with no oil pressure. The best way to know that you actually have low oil pressure, is that your valve lifters become noisy (tapping/pounding). You want to shut it down immediately. If you continue driving with no oil pressure you’re engine is going to suffer much more damage.
Your truck is 17 years old, it would be better to just install a new oil pump to know that you have a good pump before diagnosing the gauge (which could also be suspect).
An oil pump is not that hard to change, it doesn’t take that many tools. Just buy an oil pan gasket and a new pump. Drain the oil and drop the oil pan to reveal the oil pump. Should’nt take the home mechanic that long, less than 2 hours easily.
Also, you have checked the oil level lately? If your truck uses some oil your level could drop enough that you’d lose pressure any time the oil sloshes around,the pickup tube wouldn’t suck up oil (you’d lose pressure).
Better safe than sorry. Change the pump!
References :
February 8th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
REPLACE THE OIL PREASURE SENDING SWITCH YOURS HAS A SHORT IN IT
References :
MIKE ASC CERTIFIED MECH