crazy oilpressure
 

Hey guys, I bought a 1996 SSEi about 4 weeks ago. It has 225k miles but was dealer maintained with a stack of records to back it up. It starts & runs really well, but 2 weeks ago it started doing something strange. At idle, the oil pressure is around 40 - nothing strange, but as soon as I start to accelerate it totally pegs out the oil pressure meter. I don't even have to accelerate hard at all, partial throttle moves it all the way up, then it levels out when I reach cruising speed. I wonder if the oil pick up tube or 1 or more of the return oil galleys has a big lump of sludge. Any ideas?

Easy fix - replace your oil pressure sensor.

Yep, change the sensor. If you really had that much oil pressure, you would know.

X3....The oil pressure sender will either run erratic, stick on high or not even register on the gauge. The sender is located above the oil filter. You'll need some ramps to get under the car, a very large crescent wrench, some rags, a new sender and some teflon tape. Use the Teflon tape on the threaded end of the sender. This will help in making certain to get it threaded right and will help prevent leaks. There will be some oil seepage when you pull the old sender out, but you can minimize that if your new sender is ready to go and at the waiting. Let us know how you did!

Does the sender need the engine ground to function correctly, or does it have its own? Just wondering if that Teflon would interfere.

The threads cut through the Teflon so you end up making contact with the block. The teflon forms into the lands of the thread and keeps that nice and tight and prevent oil seepage.

You only need to put two or three Teflon wraps on...any more, you wont get the little bugger to thread on! :D

If I remember right, it's a 2 wire sensor. the only 1 wire sensor that comes to mind is a knock sensor.

You're memory serves you well young Skywalker. :D

sounds like the oil pressure sending unit, mine was doing the same thing.