3 Symptoms of a Bad Oil Pressure Sensor
Oil lubricates the parts and components of your vehicle’s engine. This reduces friction in the engine. The most difficult part is determining how much oil is flowing through the engine. This is where an oil pressure sensor comes in handy as it can detect when the oil pressure in your engine drops.
An oil pressure sensor (also called an oil pressure sender or oil pressure switch) is a device that measures the pressure in an engine’s oil system. It generates a warning signal when the oil pressure is out of range. A spring-loaded switch and a membrane are the two key components of an oil pressure sensor. The pressure switch is connected to the oil line and mounted on the engine block.
When oil pressure is applied to the diaphragm, the switch’s spring pressure overcomes the force, disconnecting the electrical contacts and illuminating a warning light. The diaphragm releases pressure from the spring to activate the switch contacts, which usually send a warning signal to the driver when the oil pressure falls below a set limit.
Cars have a low oil pressure warning light on their dashboard. Every driver knows that the quick flashing of this light indicates a slight drop in oil pressure. In any case, if the light remains on, the driver is notified of a complete loss of oil pressure.
When the engine starts, a current flows from the fuse to the oil pressure switch, which turns off the check engine light. When oil pressure exceeds 4.3 PSI, the diaphragm breaks the contacts and the oil pressure light comes on.
Oil Pressure Switch and VTEC
The VVT solenoid contains a VTEC oil pressure switch that is normally in the open position. When the VTEC oil pressure switch closes, the voltage drops to zero. This allows the ECM to determine if oil pressure is being supplied to the VTEC system. If this system malfunctions, the ECM can set a code. Signs of a Failed Oil Pressure Sensor or Switch
If the oil pressure sensor is not working properly, the proper amount of oil will not flow to the engine, which can cause adverse engine damage. Below are the three main symptoms you can expect if your vehicle has a bad oil pressure sensor:
1) Oil Pressure Light Flashing (Oil Pressure Light Flashing)
If your oil pressure light is constantly flashing and never turns on or off, this is an early warning sign that your oil pressure sensor is about to fail.
You don’t have to wait long for this one, as you need to know the correct oil pressure. If you don’t realize that your car is low on oil, you can cause serious damage to your engine. So don’t leave this to chance. Replace your oil pressure sensor immediately.
2) Oil pressure light comes on
When the oil pressure light on your dashboard comes on and stays on, you might first assume that your car’s oil level is low. So, naturally, you should check the amount of oil in your engine and make sure it’s at the right level.
If the oil level is normal but the oil pressure light stays on, you may have a problem with the oil pressure sensor. If you don’t fix this problem right away, you may end up with a flashing oil pressure light and eventually inaccurate oil pressure gauge readings.
3) Strange oil pressure readings
If the display shows “0” and the oil level is completely normal, your oil pressure sensor may be faulty.
But if you’re like most people, you drive a modern car made in the last 10 to 20 years. The oil pressure gauge in a modern vehicle communicates with the oil pressure sensor via an electronic signal.
If your modern vehicle has a bad oil pressure sensor, the oil pressure gauge may read abnormal values, show extremely high oil pressure, or show no oil pressure at all.