hey guys, i got a 1986 cutlass supreme, and i noticed today that my oil pressure gauge didnt work. i drove the car about ten miles and noticed nothing wrong. but im still wondering if its just the gauge, or if my oil pump went out. the gauge worked fine yesterday, and the pressure was perfect. i figured it might have something to do with the rain storms in LA over the past couple days, and maybe the car just needed to warm up. let me know what you guys think.. i had just changed the oil earlier in the week, and used lucas oil sealer when i changed the oil. all my engine lights work, and didnt light up, so let me know what you guys think.. thanx

i checked oil level after i drove the car. it was normal. i heard nothing out of the ordinary at start up or while driving. everything works normally, just the gauge doesnt move...

 

I choose neither. Remove the wire from the sending unit and the gauge should go all the way up and if you ground it to the block it will go all the way down. If this happens it's probably the sender. So you need to add that piece of the puzzle to your poll.

 

well im really concerned about whether it is drivable or not if the gauge is just broken

 

Remove the wire from the sender with the key on and see if the gauge pegs. If it does it's drivable and at your convenience get a new sending unit at the parts store.

 

I voted oil pump, since you didn't bother hooking up an external guage to rule out pump failure. That way, you can't blame me for offering false advice

 

I'm not of age to vote.

 

If you really had no oil pressure, the engine would already be making expensive noises. Since it isn't, my money is on the sender.

 

Hydraulic lifters + No oil pressure = Clatter.

Quiet engine = (+) Oil pressure.

- Eric

 

x3

Don't make it overly complicated
The sender is by far the most likely to fail

 

The top six answers are on the board. "survey says"