My oil pressure seems to be all over the map. Does anyone know what the correct readings should be at:

idle?
1st - 6th?

My readings range from under 30psi at idle to 90psi during hard acceleration.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

Your guage is reading just like it should. Remember that the pump is engine driven and (at operating temperature) the viscosity of the oil is constant. What that means is that the faster the pump pushes oil through the system, the higher the pressure it will generate. It's called the Bernoulli principle. Additionally, your pressure at idle will read higher at startup than it will when the car is warm because the oil is thicker when it's cold.

 

When I first start my car, it idles around 60 and hovers around 90 while driving. After the car has warmed up, it idles around 15 and ranges between 30 and 60 while driving. Your car should behave similarly.

 

Kcobean - I appreciate the feedback. I sure makes me feel better. Just couldn't find anything relevant in the manual.

Thx.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the pressure gage reads a bit lower than normal, could be a sign of being low on oil and vice-versa? (good to know if true)

 

Yes, that is true. If you're pressure seems to be low, definitely check the amount of oil you have. Just keep in mind that some oil loss between oil changes is normal.

 

Also remember that just because you have OK pressure, doesn't mean you don't need to add oil. You could be low on oil but still have OK pressure because the pump is being fed.

-D'oh!