oil pressure light on 94 Camry 4cyl

[Donald]

My oil pressure light came on and off today on my 94 Camry. When I checked the oil, it was within the add-to-full range on the dipstick, but towards the low end of the range.

After turning off the car and back on the light would stay off for awhile, then would flicker.

I have brought the oil level up to full but and concerned as I do not think the light should have come on when I was not all that low.

If the pump broke I would not think the light would ever go off.

About 10K miles on a Amsoil Ea filter. (Amsoil ASL oil).

Engine has 153K.

Ideas?

 

[unDummy]

Clean the wiring to the oil pressure sender and the engine grounds.

Keep the oil always topped off.

And, change your oil/filter.

Are you practicing used oil analysis? If not, don't run the oil longer than ~7.5k miles.

Have you inspected the engine for sludge?

And lastly, replace the oil pressure sender!

 

[Donald]

I have done used oil analysis before and feel confident that the Amsoil ASL oil is good for at least 15K miles and this is now a Amsoil Ea filter rather than a SDF that I use to use.

I have not checked the engine for sludge, but the engine has been run all its life on synthetic oil (Mobil 1 and now Amsoil).

About 5 min before this happened I went through a large puddle that splashed things.

Where is the oil pressure sender on this 4 cyl?

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

Pull apart the wiring connector to the sensor and check for corrosion. If water is getting in it, it should be obvious. You can always put dielectric grease on the contacts to help keep water out.

 

[Drew99GT]

You may want to buy a mechanical oil pressure gauge, screw it into the sensor port and get a an accurate reading just for piece of mind. If it does it only at idle, it may in fact be a mechanical issue.

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe the oil pressure sender is on the front of the engine towards the passenger side near the oil filter.

Although water splashing is likely the result - shorting out.

 

[brianl703]

Dunno about a 94 Camry, but on most vehicles with a light the oil pressure sender is nothing more than a switch which is grounded to the block, wired directly to the idiot light on the dash.

Water isn't conductive enough to make the light turn on (unless it's salt water--winter hasn't started quite yet though), and corrosion in the connection is just going to further reduce the chances of the light coming on in the first place.

 

[Eddie]

Just change the oil pressure switch. They do go bad on occasion.

 

[Donald]

Added about 1QT of oil and oil pressure light has not come on driving some short trips. Still not sure whether it was slightly low oil or splashing the car/engine by driving through a puddle that caused the light to come on. The sender wiring looks well protected from water.