Low Oil Pressure at Idle

The oil gauge can be quite distressing at times, especially for people who notice low oil pressure at idle, and the car could face some serious problems in case the situation is not looked into immediately. People who know their automobiles will vouch for the fact that the general health of their cars can be ascertained by noting the changes in the oil pressure. The only way to know that you are dealing with low pressure is to note the pressure when you're certain that your vehicle is absolutely healthy, and then acting appropriately, when you notice that the levels on the low oil pressure indicator have dropped.

Causes

Each of the causes lead to certain car parts which must be investigated and then acted upon, in order to get the health of the vehicle back to the right level. The most common reason for low oil pressure in car is obviously low oil level. You need to top up the oil in the vehicle to get the pressure and levels back up, and if you fail to do so your car could suffer some serious damage. If this is occurring due to low oil levels or diluted or worn out oil, you need to top up the oil immediately. You will notice this drop in the oil pressure when the car is in idle or when you apply sharp brakes while making a turn.

Another potential cause for low oil pressure at start up or at idle can be excessively high temperatures in the oil. This can happen when you are pulling a heavy trailer with your vehicle, or are driving at a constant high speed in extremely hot temperature. The oil will naturally heat up more intensely, and this could have a negative effect on the oil pressure. Damaged or worn out engine bearings can also have an adverse effect on the oil pressure in a vehicle, and this can be ascertained if you hear a constant knocking noise under the hood of your car while driving. A heavy knocking noise means the main bearings are worn out, and a lighter knocking noise signifies that the connecting rod bearings are affected.

Furthermore, a worn out oil pump could also be the culprit of low oil pressure. The pump plays a crucial part in the transmission of the oil, and any fault in the pump could have a bad effect on the oil pressure levels. The damage could be small or slight, or extremely large which could cause the entire oil pump to cease working. Sometimes the crankshaft plugs can fall out of their place, and into the oil passages that the manufacturer drilled in the engine. This will considerably lower your oil pressure levels.

Sometimes the oil pressure gauge itself can be at fault. If you find that the gauge shows low pressure after oil change as well, then you can be certain that there is something wrong with the oil pressure reader itself. Replacing the oil pressure sending unit will solve the problem for you in this case. Most mechanics also recommend that you use a heavier oil in your vehicle, in order to prevent it from flowing around easily and thus maintaining the correct oil pressure more often than not. Low oil pressure in vehicles can seriously hamper their movement and can adversely affect the general working systems.

This condition is not something that should be taken lightly, and if you are genuinely concerned about the well-being of your vehicle you will do all you can to ensure that this problem does not get out of hand. Deal with it as soon as you can to protect your car from some serious damage.