Motor oil plays a vital role in keeping moving parts lubricated & saving them from damage. The oil has to be circulated throughout those moving parts with the power of oil pressure.
That being said, keeping the oil pressure right is very important for your oil to do its job perfectly. However, oil pressure can also drop & one of the reasons is the engine being hot.
I will describe why oil pressure drops when the engine is hot within a moment. However, here’s the short answer: When the engine becomes hot, the oil becomes thinner & thus causes low oil pressure.
Why Does Oil Pressure Drop When Engine Is Hot?
Oil pressure creates the regulating power within oil so that it can circulate throughout the movable parts & keep them lubricated. Depending on the oil’s thickness, oil pressure varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Over time the engine gets hot, causing a significant difference in oil pressure. As the engine gets hotter – the oil inside starts to be thin & results in falling oil pressure.
There are many reasons for which oil pressure drop can occur besides the hot engine cause & I will cover them in the next segment.
Six Major Causes Of Low Oil Pressure
The optimum oil pressure for a car is 25PSI to 65PSI & for a truck is 30PSI to 70PSI. If oil pressure drops below 20PSI, it’s very low oil pressure. Here are the major causes of low oil pressure:
- Faulty Oil Pressure Sensor.
- Low Level Of Oil.
- Engine Overheating Issue.
- Not Using Oil As Suggested On User Manual.
- The Viscosity Of The Oil is Not Right (Too Low or High)
- Dirty Or Clogged Oil Filter
These are some major reasons behind why your car or truck might face low oil pressure. Later on, I’ll show you some of the symptoms of oil pressure dropping.
Seven Symptoms Of Oil Pressure Dropping
Sometimes you need to be sure whether it is an oil pressure drop or something else. That’s why you need to know the symptoms of an oil pressure dropping & here them:
- Engine Being Hot.
- Smoke From The Engine.
- Oil Warning Light.
- The Oil Pressure Indicator is Not In The Middle Position.
- Poor Mileage & Bad Engine Performance.
- Incorrect Oil Viscosity.
- Loud Engine Noises.
These are the symptoms you will notice while having the oil pressure issue.
Note: You don’t have to have all of these symptoms to conclude the engine is low on oil pressure. Three or more symptoms are enough to draw the conclusion.
How To Fix Oil Pressure Dropping Problem: Step By Step
Oil pressure can occur for various reasons & all of them have individual fixes. Discussing all of them is just not possible & that’s why I will discuss the most common solution to low oil pressure – changing the oil to a new one.
Things You’ll Need:
- A Dipstick
- Wrench and Socket (According to your screw/bolt size)
- An Enough Big Drain Pan To Carry Splashed Oil
- A Jack & Jack Stand
- Gloves & Glasses For Safety
- Oil: Motorcraft SAE 15W- 40
After getting the material in hand, follow these steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Check The Owner’s Manual To Know Your Car Thoroughly.
Step 2: Lift Your Car If Needed.
Step 3: Drain & Refill The Oil Tank.
Step 4: Adjust Oil Level & You are All Set.
Additional Step: You Can Also Change The Oil Filter & Oil Pressure Sensor If Changing Oil Doesn’t Help.
If you’re looking for a detailed guideline on fixing oil pressure drops, check out this How To Fix 6.7L Low Oil Pressure article.
How To Prevent Oil Pressure Drop?
We all know prevention is better than cure & this is true with oil pressure. You can easily prevent oil pressure from dropping by taking the necessary measures. Here are some of the ways you can prevent oil pressure from falling:
Use The Right Viscosity Oil
Get your owner’s manual & see what the required viscosity level for engine oil is. Sometimes people use cheap oil alternatives to save some bucks & end up having low oil pressure.
However, using alternatives is not always a bad thing. For example, you can use 80W90 instead of 75W90. Both of them are great & the differences lay in price heavily.
Change The Oil Regularly
A routined oil change cycle can save your car from various unwanted problems & having low oil pressure is one of them. Try changing your oil every 3,000 miles or 6 months.
You can also change the oil every 6,000 miles if you are using Redline oil. This oil is greater than most other engine oils & that’s why Redline is a little more expensive than others.
Always Check For Clogged Oil Filter
A clogged oil filter is not circulating oil as it should be. This results in low oil pressure & a potentially damaged engine. Do check your oil filter often & look for dirt’s & debris. If you’re noticing dirt, replace the oil filter because cleaning the oil filter isn’t worth it.
That was it. By remembering these three precautions, you can easily prevent low oil pressure issues from happening in future.
How Severe The Low Oil Pressure Problem is?
Low oil pressure is a dangerous thing that might happen to your car. This low oil pressure issue is an engine life-threatening issue & that’s why people stop their engine immediately whenever they see the low oil pressure light activated.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
The car itself won’t stop when it is facing low oil pressure, but the user has to stop the vehicle immediately. Again, your engine will still start if you’re facing the low oil pressure warning light – but don’t do it as it might harm your car engine severely.
Just like a heated engine can cause low oil pressure, the environmental temperature can also affect oil pressure. The higher the temperature rises, the thinner the oil will be & it will cause low oil pressure.
Note: Don’t worry; there are oils available that can maintain their thickness even in scorching hot weather.
It is not normal for oil pressure to drop at idle; if it does, it simply means your car engine suffers from low oil pressure. When in low oil pressure, you’ll see the pressure is around 20 & it’s a very low PSI.
Conclusion
I hope this article was helpful enough to know more about low oil pressure or drop in oil pressure. Now you know why oil pressure drops when the engine is hot.
If you’re facing low oil pressure, feel free to follow the solution I have talked about. You can also take your car to the nearest auto shop if you’re not a DIY person.
