Low Oil Pressure 2001 Seville STS

[henrygale247]

Hi all, I'm along time lurker on this forum and I think this is my first post.

I've got a 2001 Seville STS, I bought it in Jan of 2006 with 50,000mi. It now has approx 78k mi. It has been a great daily driver car for me and I haven't had many unusual problems with it. I don't notice much of a high speed vibration on it.

My question is recently I have been getting a "Low oil pressure" "Stop Engine" message on the dash. It only happens when I have been driving on the freeway for 15-20 minutes and then get off the freeway and am at a red light or stop sign. The message goes away as soon as I step on the gas to go again. I'm unfamiliar as to what this could mean. I have been using full synthetic oil in it ever since I bought the car. It's about ready for an oil change, so I wanted to have a heads up before I change the oil.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks for the advice I've gotten here before.

Henry Gale

[JimD]

Originally Posted by henrygale247

....I have been using full synthetic oil in it ever since I bought the car. It's about ready for an oil change, so I wanted to have a heads up before I change the oil.

Any ideas or suggestions?

You might want to use/try the GM recommended 5W-30 dinosaur oil.

Or - your oil pressure sensor switch is failed or failing. Unlikely.

[submariner409]

Nothing wrong with the Owner's manual recommended 5W-30 oil, either synthetic or standard petroleum base, as in "Use a motor oil of the recommended viscosity which carries the Starburst symbol............"

The 2000+ series had a few instances of oil pressure sending units which set a light at hot idle........Go to www.rockauto.com and get a new sending unit and replace it during your next oil change.......it's on the front side of the filter adapter, right in front of your nose. My 2002 was done under warranty with only 4,300 miles in late '02.

[henrygale247]

I just went to rockauto.com. Am I looking for the Auto Trans Oil Pressure Switch ($63), the Oil Pressure Switch (about $6), or the Oil Pressure Switch Connector ($27)? I'm a little unfamiliar with working on these types of parts.

Thanks for the help.

[submariner409]

Oil Pressure Switch, sometimes referred to as a sending unit. It unscrews from the oil filter adapter with the proper sized wrench.

[NickySantoro]

OP,
You have checked the oil level I assume. If the oil level is OK, it is my experience that the sending unit is the likely culprit as noted previously.

[Ranger]

Oil level has nothing to do with pressure, unless it is almost dry, but you'd get a CHECK OIL LEVEL message long before that.

[glyanez]

geez, louise. Everybody with a caddy and there low pressure warnings. Yes, me too of course. 97 seville. sls.

So i take it , so long as the temp gauge reads normal, its probably the sending unit and not the Oil pump? Would a oil place like Brake Masters be able to do it?

Yes, oil levels are good, and oil is clean and newly changed.


g

[submariner409]

glyanez, based on other family members' experiences with fast lube places, I would let a local Mom & Pop shop do the sending switch change.

[NickySantoro]

OP,
When you resolve the issue, kindly post back the solution. Inquiring minds want to know.

[dkozloski]

The very first thing you do when troublshooting an oil pressure problem is to substitute a mechanical pressure gauge for the idiot light sending unit to see what the nature of the problem really is. Without this first and most neccessary step you don't have a clue as to what is really going on. You may have just barely enough pressure to make the light go out and you're operating on the edge of disaster.