Low engine oil pressure on a 1997 cadillac catera. I suspect the sending unit. Would like to check with a manual gauge. Where to tap in to engine oil pressure?

There where many problems with the gauges in this year, pull the cluster out and send it in to be rebuilt.

see this tips and fix it. God bless you
The oil pump supplies oil to lubricate your engine. If the oil pump is worn or is not turning, the engine will suffer a loss of oil pressure, which may result in engine damage or engine failure.
The first sign of trouble may be a low oil pressure warning light, a drop in the normal reading on you oil pressure gauge (if your car has one), or the appearance of ticking or clattering sounds from your engine.
As a rule, most engines only need about 10 PSI of oil pressure for every 1,000 RPM of engine speed. Oil pressure will read higher than normal when a cold engine is first started because the oil is thick. Oil pressure will gradually drop as the engine warms up and the oil thins out. So normal oil pressure on a warm engine cruising down the highway is typically 30 PSI up to 45 PSI.
SYMPTOMS OF OIL PUMP TROUBLE
The first thing you should do if any of these symptoms occur is to stop your car, turn off the engine, let it sit for a few minutes, then check the oil level on the dipstick. If the oil level is at or below the ADD line, add a quart of oil to bring the level back up to the full mark. Add as much oil as is needed to raise the level to the full mark. Then restart the engine. If the warning light remains on, or the oil pressure reading does not climb back up to its normal range, or the engine noise does not go away, you may have a bad oil pump.
The other possibilities include a bad oil pressure sending unit, or a problem with the oil pressure warning light circuit or oil pressure gauge.
OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT
If the engine is NOT making any unusual noises and seems to be running normally, and the oil level on the dipstick is FULL, but you are still getting a low oil pressure warning light or low gauge reading, the fault could be a bad oil pressure sending unit.
The oil pressure sending unit is mounted on the engine block. On some applications, there is a spring-loaded pressure-sensitive diaphragm with a switch inside the sending unit. This switch completes the circuit to the low oil pressure warning light if oil pressure drops below a certain threshold. The unit may stop working if the diaphragm inside fails, if the switch is stuck, if the small hole that allows oil to enter the sending unit becomes plugged, if there is a loose, corroded or broken wiring connector at the sending unit, or there is a fault in the wiring circuit between the sending unit and warming light.
On vehicles that have an oil pressure gauge (electronic, not mechanical), the oil pressure sending unit has a small rheostat inside that sends a variable voltage signal to the oil pressure gauge when the diaphragm moves. A worn spot on the rheostat or any of the other problems just described for the simple pressure-type oil pressure switches can cause a problem.
FORD'S FAKE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE
On many Ford vehicles that were built from 1980 through the 1990s, the oil pressure sending unit has two switches, a low pressure and a high pressure. These vehicles also have an oil pressure gauge, but the reading on the gauge is not a true indication of real oil pressure. As long as the pressure to the sending unit is between high and low, the gauge will read normal. If oil pressure drops and trips the low pressure switch, the dash gauge will now read low. Or, if oil pressure goes up and trips the high switch inside the sending unit, the dash gauge will read high. Consequently, don't rely on the oil pressure gauge for an accurate reading in these vehicles. It is only a gross indication if the oil pressure is low, normal or high.
OIL GAUGE PROBLEMS
If the engine is NOT making any unusual noises and seems to be running normally, the oil level on the dipstick is FULL, and you have replaced the oil pressure sending unit but are still getting a low oil pressure reading on the dash gauge, the fault could be in the wiring circuit between the sending unit and gauge, or the gauge itself might be bad.
Check the wiring connections on both ends as well as wiring continuity between the sending unit and gauge. If no wiring faults are found, hook up a pressure gauge directly to the oil pressure port on the engine and check oil pressure with the engine running. If the engine-mounted gauge shows normal oil pressure but the dash gauge is reading low, the problem is a bad dash gauge.
On the other hand, if the engine-mounted pressure gauge reads low and you have done all of the above, chances are the oil pump is worn, or it is not picking up enough oil because of a restriction or blockage in the pickup screen in the bottom of the crankcase.
OIL PUMP PICKUP PROBLEMS
The pickup tube has a screen on the end to prevent large chunks of anything bad that ends up in the crankcase from being sucked into the pump. But we are talking BIG chunks of debris, not normal wear particles or carbon or dust or other microscopic-sized abrasive particles that can cause pump wear over time.

This sounds like bad news. This is how an engine will act when the oil pressure is actually low. The car is doing everything it should be. Fresh oil will help the low oil pressure as will thicker oil. Most likely Crank and Rod bearings are going bad.

check it out manually with a pressure gauge ,could just be a high resistance or something ,but check with a manual dial gauge and if low check put the oil pump

If the oil can light goes on, check the level in the crankcase by checking the oil dipstick under the hood. It may be low.

If it is at a full level, then the oil light may indicate low oil pressure. Change the oil and filter to see if the condition improves. If it doesn't, then the oil pump may be bad. One can test the pressure of the oil while the engine is running by putting a gauge on the area where the oil pressure sending unit is, and reading the value to see if it is within specifications.

Good luck on this repair.

If your egine is full with oil and you have no oil pressure its and indication of a bad pump, or your engine is starting to fail. if your oil light is on and your full, its an indication that your sending unit is bad.

I had the same problem with my 97 Wrangler 4.0..Change your antifreeze, replace with some new 50/50 mix...Also chanke your oil, replace the filter with a mopar filter and use stratght 30 weight motor oil...Solved my problem

there is a big chance that your sensor is nedd to be replaced

have you checked your oil you might have a slow oil leak the same thing happend to one of my buddys and he just added some oil and it was fine

have the oil pressure checked with a mechanical oil pressure test gauge to verify the true oil pressure, this could just be a oil pressure gauge sending unit problem, this is very common.