Hello Ted Lee,
Your vehicle is rapidly approaching maturity...
I think in another 5 years in some states it will
reach "HISTORICAL" status...
My first question would be...
>> "What weight OIL you are running & why??"
To intelligently discuss YOUR engine oil...
one would need to know your climate, mileage,
maintenance history.. & future plans.
Sudden drop in oil pressure would provoke a sample
oil analysis in an industrial application (metal in the
oil would flag a REBUILD for continuous service)).
Most commonly oil pressure drops because of increased clearances... on every pressurized bearing surface.
Indeed YES... a sudden loss of OIL PESSURE
could indeed be a PUMP PROBLEM... I certainly
DO NOT KNOW about your "bypass" hypothesis...
but to test/repair it you have to go into the
engine pan (anyway... I would do a compression
test WELL BEFORE ever considering the PAN).
POPULAR Astro wisdom: (cheap pump?)
I am looking at WHY THERE ARE high volume
ASTRO oil pumps & why they are a fairly hot topic...
(perhaps..."optimal" design OEM pump = cheap).
((OEM = ORIGINAL Equipment Manufacturer)).
The prices of these pumps are reasonable enough
were I would not EVEN CONSIDER rebuilding
a used one... (please see)
Rockauto
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/chevrolet,1998,astro,4.3l+v6,1303333,engine,oil+pump,5564
Partsgeek
1998 Chevrolet Astro Oil Pump
WHAT-EVER floats your boat (in my opinion).
Personally ...
When I see a huge array of AFTER MARKET parts
for a particular engine element... (& a hot internet topics)
I SEE an OEM engineering problem ...
Not unique to GM... but they CERTAINLY know
how to optimize costs (deliberate business choices).
((I am just saying)).
My last, least & most unlikely recommendation would
be to consider fixing or replacing your OIL pump with
an ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT type pump (my opinion).
Hope this helps
Carnac the Magnificent
SOURCE: Fluctuating oil pressure gauge.
Two quarts is about half the capacity. The pump was probably starved of lubrication and is failing.
If that's not expensive enough, you may now have a problem with a damaged engine. You may want to just put that money into a new vehicle.
I don't think the car would have enough power in its present condition to get high enough to reach a cliff, and driving it into a lake would not be environmentally sound. Besides, the fine would not be worth it.
The cheapest and easiest maintainance that anyone can do on a car to avoid expensive repairs is still checking the oil ever 1000 miles (filling if necessary!) and changing it every 3000.
SOURCE: Have a 1999 Z71 chev truck with 5.3 L engine that
In some cases where the oil is not changed properly, the oil pump screen maybe plugging or your oil filter is defective. Fram is a good filter. If there is no problem found, replace the pressure sensor.
SOURCE: Runs Ok...engine warmed up...come to red light or
Sounds to me like the Throttle Position Sensor. Thats usually what makes the throttle "rev" But that is not going to make the oil pressure drop. Pull the codes from your car and look them up online. sometimes there is an extra fuse u can add to your panel and turn the key on and it will flash your codes via the check engine light. i.e. if the light flashes 2 times then small pause then 1 time and long pause that is code 21. if there isnt a extra fuse you can usually jump it with a paperclip and pull the codes. not really sure how to do that with yours. but im positive Google knows ;)
SOURCE: oil light comes on after car is warmed up
my problem solved by changing the oil sensor switch which was broken. not a long tale. good luck
SOURCE: low oil pressure after engine warms up in 94 blazer with 4.3
I have a 99 blazer and ever since I have owned it, it reads lower in pressure when idling, but will go up too 40 while driving. This is normal for the vehicle. If the pressure gets real low, and stays low, it means its time for an oil change.
As long as the pressure goes up when you give it gas, it is fine.
Testimonial: "But why has it started reading low, especialy after the new oil pump was put on. It read a constant 40 even when idling before."
215 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×