Low Oil Pressure? Common Reasons Your Oil Gauge Has Bottomed Out
Automobiles have an oil pressure gauge next to the speedometer and gas gauge. The oil pressure gauge has a symbol of an oil can. When a vehicle is running properly and has the right amount of oil pressure, the needle will stay in the center between low and high when the vehicle is running. If your oil pressure gets too low, you will see a red oil light come on to warn you that there is a problem. If your light came on and you're trying to figure out why, here are some causes of low oil pressure.
Burning Oil
If your vehicle is burning oil, there isn't enough oil in your car to have enough oil pressure to run properly. Burning oil is common, but excessive burning is an issue. Older cars can burn oil because the piston rings are worn and the oil seeps past them. The oil flows into the combustion chamber of the engine, heats up, and then it burns away. Newer cars can burn oil too, especially ones with a high fuel economy. They use much thinner oil than the old cars, so it can seep into the combustion chamber more easily than the thicker oil. While they don't generally burn enough oil to change the oil pressure, people might find that they need to add a little oil once or twice between oil changes. Whether you have a new or an older car, if you're burning enough to have to add oil constantly or your oil light is coming on, you need to take it in to get looked at. One major sign that you're burning oil is blue smoke out of the tailpipe.
Leaking Oil
If you're not burning oil, you're probably leaking oil. Diagnosing an oil leak is pretty easy. After you park your car in the garage or driveway overnight, pull your car out and see if there is any oil on the ground. If you find a puddle, soak some up with a rag and inspect it to make sure it is oil. If you have an oil leak, you need to get your car repaired immediately. Like blood in the human body, a car needs the right amount of oil to run properly. If you drive with low oil, you can cause your engine to seize and you'll end up with thousands of dollars worth the repairs.
Broken Oil Gauge
If your oil gauge is telling you that you don't have enough oil pressure, but after checking the dipstick your realize you have the proper amount of oil, you could have an issue with the oil gauge itself. If the oil gauge is broken, it could either be not working at all, reading too low, or reading too high. Either way, it's a nuisance, but not an emergency. If you can't afford to get it fixed right away, check your oil once a week to make sure you still have the proper amount of oil in your car.
Clogged Oil Filter
Before you assume the oil gauge is the problem, make sure your oil filter isn't clogged. If your oil filter is clogged, the oil pressure in your car is going to plummet. Before you resign to the fact that your oil gauge is broken, take your vehicle in for an oil change if you don't know how to do it yourself. If you can do it yourself, change your oil so you can replace the oil filter and see if your oil pressure goes back to normal.
Vehicle issues are stressful, especially when one of your gauges is telling you that something is seriously wrong. Make sure you explore all of these scenarios if you have low oil pressure. And take your car to be checked out at a place like Central Body Co Inc.