When you need to know the oil pressure in your car’s engine, your first response is to check the oil pressure gauge. But what should you do if the device develops a problem and shows inaccurate or no readings? Try these helpful tips on how to check the oil pressure manually.
Safety Tips Before Oil Pressure Check
Stay safe before and while checking your car’s oil pressure with these useful tips:
Use a Flat Workspace
You must perform the oil pressure check on a flat workspace. Usually, this means your garage floor. If your garage lacks sufficient space for the procedure, you can move your car to your driveway, provided the path is sufficiently flat.
In an emergency, you can use street parking as a workspace to check your vehicle’s oil pressure, as long as the parking slot is flat enough. Before you try this, however, consult your city’s laws to determine if it’s legal to use street parking for car maintenance and repair jobs.
Clean and Dry Your Workspace
A clean workspace doesn’t just look good. It also reduces the chance of accidents like slipping on a dirty or wet patch of floor. No one wants to treat an injury or go to the hospital on top of checking your car’s oil pressure, especially if getting injured prevents you from completing your task.
Before you check your vehicle’s oil pressure, clean your intended workspace first. If you expect to use that place in the future to work on your car, follow a regular cleaning schedule.
Organize Your Tools and Equipment
You’ll need to prepare tools and equipment to manually measure the oil pressure in your car’s engine. An oil pressure test kit contains various fittings to enable its hose to connect to different ports, and you must use a kit that’s compatible with your vehicle. There are also different wrenches for loosening and tightening parts that are in the way.
Place your tools and equipment where you can easily see and reach them without leaving your vehicle or contorting your body. Furthermore, arrange them in a way that reduces the chance of accidentally knocking them into other tools or sending them somewhere difficult to reach.
Keeping your tools within easy reach becomes even more important if you’re working alone. You’re going to raise your car and work beneath it. Unless you have a reliable assistant who can recognize the tool you need and bring it to you, you’ll have to grab it yourself. If you don’t want to waste time and energy sliding out from underneath your vehicle whenever you need a different tool, keep everything near you.
Wear Protective Gear
Always don protective work gear before you check the oil pressure in your car’s engine. Mechanic gloves protect your hands from sharp edges and burns, while eye protection prevents chemicals and debris from blinding you.
For clothing, wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants to cover your limbs. Choose inexpensive and durable clothes that you can dispose of if they get too dirty or damaged.
Tools and Equipment For Checking Oil Pressure
Here are the tools and parts that you must have on hand when you check the oil pressure:
- Car jack
- Jack stands
- Wheel chock
- Work light
- Bucket
- Wrench set
- Socket wrench and 1 ⅙” socket
- Oil pressure test kit
- New engine oil
While you can perform an oil pressure check by yourself, it takes more time and effort than if you have some help. Try to get an assistant who knows enough about car repair and maintenance to help you. The process can vary depending on your vehicle, the test port’s location, and the length of the hose from the oil pressure gauge. You will usually test oil pressure at idle, 1500 rpm, and 2500 rpm. You need an assistant who can rev up your car or truck and hold it. It’s also helpful if they know how to read the gauge.
The process of checking the oil pressure depends on the vehicle, the test port’s location, and the length of the hose from the oil pressure gauge. You will most likely be testing oil pressure at idle, 1500 RPMs, 2500 RPMs, etc. Get someone who can help you rev up the vehicle and hold it. It is also helpful if they know how to read the gauge.
–Anthony Harlin, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
How To Check the Oil Pressure
Once you finish your preparations, you’re ready to manually check your car’s oil pressure. It’s a relatively simple maintenance task.
Here are some useful tips and tricks:
Raise Your Vehicle
You’re sliding under your vehicle to access parts found underneath the engine. If there isn’t enough clearance under your car to let you work comfortably, raise your vehicle’s front end with the car jack and support it with jack stands.
As a safety measure, position wheel chocks behind the tires to stop them from spinning.
Check the Service Information
Always consult the service information for the correct way to test your vehicle’s oil pressure. For example, if you’re going to test a General Motors truck, you have to remove the intake manifold and oil pressure sender before you can install the test equipment. Then, you need to reinstall the intake manifold before finally testing the oil pressure. Afterward, you need to uninstall the manifold and sensor to remove the test equipment. It’s not something that you can easily do.
Find the Engine Oil Pressure Sender
The engine oil pressure sender checks the engine lubricant system for pressure loss caused by compromised integrity. Also called the engine oil pressure sensor, the sender uses the oil pressure gauge to show readings or turns on the oil pressure light to warn about problems.
If you find oil in the engine oil pressure sender’s connector, the sender has developed a leak and requires replacement.
You can usually find the engine oil pressure sender near the oil sump. Disconnect the sender’s electrical connector to turn it off. Then, put an oil drain pain or a similar container underneath the engine to collect any oil that spills out.
Remove the Oil Pressure Sender With the Right Socket
After disconnecting the oil pressure sender from its power supply, remove the device. Most senders require a socket wrench with a 1 & ⅙” socket.
Using the Oil Pressure Test Kit
The oil pressure test kit lets you check the oil pressure in your car’s engine. After you remove the oil pressure sender, mount the tester on the engine.
Don’t run the oil pressure test yet. First, check the engine oil level. Use the dipstick to measure this. If it looks lower than it should, top off the oil.
Next, start your car and let it idle for five minutes or until it finishes warming up and reaches normal operating temperature.
Bring the engine to a specific RPM for the oil pressure test. You can find the required RPM in your owner’s manual.
An assistant comes in very handy here. Your helper can keep the engine running at the RPM required for the oil pressure test while you record the oil pressure readings.
Turn off the engine. Once the engine has cooled down, you can remove the oil pressure tester, reinstall the oil pressure sender, and reconnect the sender to the electrical system.
While waiting for the engine to cool down, compare the oil pressure readings to the range recommended by the manufacturer. The owner’s manual and repair guide will have the optimal oil pressure range for the RPM.
Consult Your Owner’s Manual
When in doubt, check your owner’s manual. The manual contains critical information about your vehicle.
If you own a copy of the manufacturer’s repair guide for your car, you can cross-reference the information in the owner’s manual. You can also consult the relevant repair guide for additional information.
Check Oil Level Before and After Oil Pressure Testing
Low oil pressure might indicate that the engine doesn’t have enough oil. Check the oil level with the dipstick. If there’s enough oil, your vehicle might have a different problem, such as clogging in the engine lubrication system. If so, you might need to ask a certified mechanic for assistance.
Check the Pickup Tube
Low oil pressure might indicate an issue with the pick up tube. The tube carries oil from the oil pan through the oil pump and into the engine. Its screen might be clogged by debris, and the tube itself might be blocked. Depending on the issue, you might need to replace the pickup tube.
Top Off the Engine Oil
Done with the oil pressure test? If so, top off the oil to replace lost lubricant and bring the oil level to typical levels.
The oil pressure test consumes some lubricant. If the oil level is already low before testing, it might drop to suboptimal levels afterward.
Recommended Frequency For Oil Pressure Checks
In general, you only need to check the oil pressure yourself if the needle in the oil pressure gauge constantly wobbles or stops moving.
Where to Get Tools to Help You Check Oil Pressure
If you want to check your vehicle’s oil pressure manually, you won’t be able to do it with your bare hands. To get the job done, you’re going to need a socket wrench and an oil pressure test kit, and you can find them in minutes when you shop at CarParts.com.
We make sure all our parts are vetted by a team of professionals to ensure both quality and efficiency. With the help of our products, you should have an easy time measuring your vehicle’s oil pressure.
Every item in our catalog is available at competitive prices, meaning you won’t have to break the bank to get your hands on the tools you need. On top of that, our warehouses are strategically located all over the US, meaning you can expect to receive any of your orders within two business days.
To start shopping, fill out the vehicle selector to narrow down our catalog to the items that will work for your ride. Then, use the search filters to check out the ones that match your preferred brand, price, and features.
Take advantage of our unbeatable prices and fast shopping. Shop now!
Keep Reading: Related Posts
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
