I have 98 volvo v70,the low oil press light comes on at idle,oil is new and level is correct,?

Question

Why does the light come on?We put an oil press gauge on the car and at idle the oil press is 7psi but any rpm above idle the oil press is very high 60psi

we had a new sending unit put in as well as a oil pump same prob, our mech mentioned poss bad main bearings but the engine was put in a year ago after an accident.Thanks

Answer 1

Id have to go with sump strainer seals on this one as iv had a few,, remove the sump and check strainer for blockage,, Iv had a few perished seals inside the sump,, dus giving the effect of sucking through a straw with hole's in it,,, the sump is a bit tight to get off but its not that bad,, worth taking a look into

Answer 2

Your oil pressure of 7 psi is pretty low for you engine just at idle, but 60 psi is a pretty average oil pressure for 4 cylinder engines. I would first replace the oil pressure sending unit on the side of the engine block, if the pressure doesn't change after that I would start looking at the oil pump. It is more likely the pump is weak at idle speeds but has the capability to produce proper oil pressure at higher rpm's.

I read your update. new sending unit and new oil pump. The only other thing it could be is the motor oil being used is thin. Check to see what weight was used. the average vehicle uses 10w - 30 or 10w - 40 motor oil. Also another thing it could be is the oil filter, where the filter media is able to let the oil pass through it easier, different oil filter brands have different filter media, some are more dense then others, or it could be a combination of both the oil and the filter. New oil is thinner than used oil. Continue to drive the vehicle and closely monitor the oil pressure. The pressure at idle may change as the oil thickens from use. The main bearings would not have any effect on oil pressure unless you see evidence of massive amounts of oil leaking from them with the engine running.

Answer 3

i own a shop,and its sounds like it may have an air bubble in the switch causing this to happen,i put one on once that done this,and i thought i had a bad switch,but just one tiny little air spot in it will cause this to happen,you might drive it for a while and it might flush the air bubble out of it,or you can loosen the switch up,and allow it to drain a small amount of oil out and sometimes this will get it out,they can be stubborn sometimes to get out,but it should clear up on it,good luck,i hope this help,s.

Answer 4

sounds like an oil pump , but also check the sending unit , it could be faulty

Answer 5

could be bad senser or oil pump have it checked by dealer or shop u trust