hello, and thank you for reading this question. My 94 olds cutlass */l supreme with a 3.1 engine.When I start my car the oil press. gauge will go slightly past the middle point and stays there even if the car is on the highway or stopped at a light. I have an oil leak that requires oil added every 3 weeks to a mo. so even a quart low will not change the needle position at all. when off it goes to the bottom as normal . Are there any test I can do to check out the gauge. Thanks for any help anyone may be able to offer. Gary r

You can install a mechanical gauge where the sending unit is instead.

The sending units tend to fail a lot more frequently than the gauge. I would change the sending unit.

Do you know where the leak is coming from?

Go with AC Delco for your Sender, others do not seem to work as well, and won't always display the same value as the old..

Thank you for the sender info I will look into it. As far as the oil leak it'* in a place very hard for me to see. It is on the fire wall side of the motor and drips on a exhaust header . When hot some smoke comes from the compartment.. You can smell the burning oil. I was thinking it might be the O ring on the dummy distributor. I just can't get in to see there. I'm disabled and just can't lean in that far. I was going to try to find someone to look at for me. I live on a fixed income and can't afford to pay a shop to do it.I understand replacing that O ring is a big job .Any ideas on possible other places that could be leaking in the area that would produce smoke . Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer, gary r

Could just be oil leaking from the rear rocker cover. Try torquing the bolts a little to see if any are loose. Don't torque them a lot, just make sure they are snug+.

Thanks for the input. I will check the bolts on the rocker covers 1st.

You can changed the oil and filter and but 3.1 liter of oil to your engine if your engine 3.1 liter
And chack if you have leak in gasket of heads and oil pan. Ok

Also keep in mind, the gauge may very well be working just fine. The only time the oil pressure would drop from low oil would be if it was low enough to starve the engine, and it usually needs to be much more than 1 quart low to do it. The oil pressure should be the same whether it'* a quart low, or full.

As was said however, you can pull the sender, stick a mechanical gauge on it to verify readings, and if the readings are wrong, then replace the sender. That'* even assuming that the gauge is even designed to give a reading. There are plenty of gauges out there that have about the same functionality of an idiot light.

What weight of oil are you running?

Thanks for your input. I myself have wondered about the quality of the oil gauge . I am going to pick up a after market gauge / sending unit and install that . Then I will know for sure. I'm running 5w-30w oil.