Need help with low oil pressure (yes I've read other threads)

[holtzy822]

Ok so first off I have an 1987 944 NA with 120k miles, no engine mods except vacuum lines. Here's the issue.

I start her cold and she runs great oil pressure is around 3.25 BAR and once she warms up at idle she usually sits at 2.50-3 BAR today I noticed after about 2 min of driving while coasting to a light or stop sign my oil pressure light would flicker and it sits at about 0-1.5 BAR after seeing that I immediately revved the engine and it sits above 2 BAR when the engine is over 2000 RPM.

I checked the crank bolt and I don't know what it could be... No unusual noises coming from the engine and the gauges always worked fine... Not quite sure where to start...

I think it might just be really low on oil because we took off the camshaft last week and did some other work where we lost a lot of oil...

I put oil back In it but when I stick it I can't tell If there is oil because there is a little but there is VERY little. When I check the oil on my airplane the oil is blatantly obvious on the stick. Not sure if it supposed to be thick in the stick or thin like it is...

[tamathumper]

Oil pressure should be almost 5 at cold idle, IIRC. Does your oil (dipstick) smell like fuel? If it's full of fluid, not sticking to the dipstick, and not frothy, I'd suspect fuel dilution first.

[zedsn]

Maybe drain your oil out and start over to be sure how much is actually in there. Your cold oil pressure is a bit low on startup and sounds like it has been for some time and maybe your rod bearings need to be replaced.

[John_AZ]

holtzy812,

The car you bought and the work already done looks good.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/7585609-post1.html

I did not go further so the first place to start is-----

What brand of oil and weight do you use?
Do you use an OEM Porsche oil filter or Mahle?

Did the PO do any engine work like rod bearings?

The first and easy thing to do is to clean the connections at the oil pressure sender on the oil cooler. Make sure the wire to the oil pressure sender is not cracked or shorting to the block.
Follow the wire over the WP to check.

The PO may never have changed the oil pressure sender or used a cheap URO brand.
If you buy a new oil pressure sender get an OEM.
VDO is the best =$$$ FAE-OK $
The inside of a bad oil pressure sender can get fouled with oil and dirt and will not send the correct pressure to the guage.





If these suggestions do not improve the oil pressure, engine work may be necessary.

GL
J_AZ

[holtzy822]

Did I say 3.5? I ment 4.5 bar at start haha sorry about that. The gauge and sender is fine, they've always worked fine. Problem came up after working on the engine last week when we took off the cam shaft cover and cam to replace the gasket...

[Slam]

Cheap and cheerful: checking the crank bolt is not the same thing as cracking it loose and retorquing it. Worth a shot, but you'll need to lock the flywheel.

[mhr]

Originally Posted by holtzy822

Did I say 3.5? I ment 4.5 bar at start haha sorry about that. The gauge and sender is fine, they've always worked fine. Problem came up after working on the engine last week when we took off the cam shaft cover and cam to replace the gasket...

interesting that you should say this. I have been chasing oil pressure issues on my S2 on and off for months now and it all started soon after I removed the valve cover to have it painted and changed the gasket and seals. I have yet to see how one thing relates to the other but if someone can think of one I would love to hear it.

[Gawernator]

Sean you need to check the electronics first, do easy and simple before expensive and difficult

[Gawernator]

So what happened

[strath44]

Originally Posted by mhr

interesting that you should say this. I have been chasing oil pressure issues on my S2 on and off for months now and it all started soon after I removed the valve cover to have it painted and changed the gasket and seals. I have yet to see how one thing relates to the other but if someone can think of one I would love to hear it.

would a poor seal or break around the cam / valve cover gasket not cause reduced oil pressure? did they paint the contact edge that should be bare metal?

The cam tower gaskets are notorious for blowing out on the 944s.....

[holtzy822]

we just replaced the cam cover gasket... like last week. I ordered a new pressure sensor so well see what that does.

[txhokie4life]

Any updates?

[Bradical]

For your next mod- 3 piece crossmember?

[guru944]

1st: I would recommend running a really good engine flush (Amsoil Engine/transmission Flush) to clean all the possible gunk/sludge buildup internal that may be impeding oil flow.

2nd: Then, i would recommend 10w-30 AMSOIL or 0w-40 European Mobil-1 Synthetic motor oil's and a Bosch or Mahle Oil filter.

3rd I'd check camshaft lobe(s) for premature bearing wear. Scaring, pitting or unusual surface finishing.

Unfortunately 16V engines are even more sensitive to oil weight and resistance. Especially at cold start up. Later...

[v2rocket_aka944]

in the bay area you don't need oil as thin as 10-30 or 0w40 since it doesn't get that cold.
20w50 covers all the temperature ranges you will see and adds some extra thickness at cold/hot temps.

your oil fill should be in the middle of the dipstick area, there should be at least an inch of oil on the end of the stick. low oil level can make a noticeable difference in running pressure.

[DannoXYZ]

To confirm if the sender's outputing correct signal, remove it and plug in a mechanical oil-pressure gauge. That will verify actual oil-pressure in PSI units. Then see if that correlates to that the sender's sending to the dash.

[Rasta Monsta]

Originally Posted by holtzy822

The gauge and sender is fine, they've always worked fine.

If this were relevant in any way, no Viagra would ever be sold.

Originally Posted by DannoXYZ

[P]lug in a mechanical oil-pressure gauge.

+10

[333pg333]

[QUOTE=guru944;8379250]

2nd: Then, i would recommend 10w-30 AMSOIL or 0w-40 European Mobil-1 Synthetic motor oil's and a Bosch or Mahle Oil filter.

QUOTE]Usual rubbish advice re oil for these cars. All based on some mythical misinformation gathered while surfing the internet and being mesmerised by marketing guff....

[John_AZ]

Originally Posted by txhokie4life

Any updates?

Yes...

this is a 2013 thread.

this is his last post....car sold

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/8337456-post1.html

[Bradical]

Psh, like THAT matters.