Engine / Oil Pressure High Before Engine Warms Up!

[Spunky Munky]

Hey fellas,

Just I'll share this with everyone... of late, I've noticed my engine/oil temperature guage hits the higher end when the engine isn't fully warmed up yet... however, after the engine has in fact warmed up; the engine/oil temperature goes down to mid-range again as normal - can someone please tell me if this is normal or is something wrong... I checked my coolant and it's full no leakage etc.

Cheers,

[R31Nismoid]

This is normal

You only just noticed it is my guess.

[R34GTFOUR]

Hey fellas,

Just I'll share this with everyone... of late, I've noticed my engine/oil temperature guage hits the higher end when the engine isn't fully warmed up yet... however, after the engine has in fact warmed up; the engine/oil temperature goes down to mid-range again as normal - can someone please tell me if this is normal or is something wrong... I checked my coolant and it's full no leakage etc.

Cheers,

To put simply oil is thicker when its cold, and as it warms up it becomes thinner. Thinner fluid = less resistence = less pressure.

It is completely normal and everycar will do it.

Abit off topic but, why did you check your coolant if you were worried about oil pressure???

[Spunky Munky]

Hey fellas, thanks for your replies... glad to hear it's normal.

R34GTFOUR - your question is valid; I checked my coolant thinking that there's something wrong with the engine hence making it overheat and therefore perhaps increasing the pressure of the oil etc - worth a check, I guess.

That's good to know... many thanks everyone.

Regards,

[tridentt150v]

Effect is greater in the winter - oil is colder, thicker and takes longer to warm up.

[PlasticStan]

Hey fellas,

Just I'll share this with everyone... of late, I've noticed my engine/oil temperature guage hits the higher end when the engine isn't fully warmed up yet... however, after the engine has in fact warmed up; the engine/oil temperature goes down to mid-range again as normal - can someone please tell me if this is normal or is something wrong... I checked my coolant and it's full no leakage etc.

Cheers,

If the oil is cold how can it be hot???? Unless when you say temperature gauge, you mean pressure gauge?

[Spunky Munky]

If the oil is cold how can it be hot???? Unless when you say temperature gauge, you mean pressure gauge?

Hey mate, I don't know what it's called to be honest - you know, the gauage on the far right corner... has a picture of a oil can or something... always thought it was the engine / oil tempature gauage.

[bluey33]

Its pressure gauge just to clear it up...

[LiQuid IcE]

on a related topic...

after the car warms up, is it ok for the pressure to slighty fluctuate up and down onthat guage when on the throttle?

I'm trying a different oil this time and noticed that it rises with the throttle slightly (guessing the oil is thinner?)

The oil level is fine according to the dip stick

Using motul turboight this time, Ddnt use to happen when i used mobile1 which was thinner :S

[bluey33]

The pressure should go up and down with revs...

For example...

idle. 1st dash...

3000rpm. half way

5000rpm. 3/4 of the way up...

As the engine is revving the oil pressure is rising.

[tridentt150v]

What I meant was that when your oil is cold, it is thick, it takes a lot more effort to push it through the journals and oilways, and until the oil warms up the pressure reading is higher up to 7kg/cm2 [this also depends on the type of oil and its viscosity rating]. Once the oil warms up, it thins out to its specified viscosity and your oil pressure gauge starts reading 3.5-4.0kg. inversely on a stinking hot day your oil pressure can drop to 3.0-3.5 especially if your oil is old or needs changing.

[Spunky Munky]

I guess we've cleared it up pretty good fealls... I just to get worried too - as the pressure gauage used to flucate quite often. Guess it's normal... and I use Mobil1 in my car too.

Also noticed, if you increase the boost - the higher the boost, the more the pressure rises.

[tridentt150v]

Also noticed, if you increase the boost - the higher the boost, the more the pressure rises.

Boost has nothing to do with oil pressure. Revs can change pressure. Your oil pump is mechanically driven, it is linked to the motor. So the more the motor revs, the more your oil pump spins, the greater the pressure. This is counterbalanced by the volume your pump can physically supply. It gets to a certain rev limit and no matter how hard it spins or increases revs, it physically cannot pump any more oil, it has reached its maximum flow rate. The maximum flow rate is also affected by the type of oil, the gallery and journal/bearing size, and the scavenge supply [if you flood the head and starve the bottom end supply].

[Spunky Munky]

Boost has nothing to do with oil pressure. Revs can change pressure. Your oil pump is mechanically driven, it is linked to the motor. So the more the motor revs, the more your oil pump spins, the greater the pressure. This is counterbalanced by the volume your pump can physically supply. It gets to a certain rev limit and no matter how hard it spins or increases revs, it physically cannot pump any more oil, it has reached its maximum flow rate. The maximum flow rate is also affected by the type of oil, the gallery and journal/bearing size, and the scavenge supply [if you flood the head and starve the bottom end supply].

Thanks for the extra information buddy - you've explained this well and in a way that is easy to understand - thank you mate!!

Regards,