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Oil pressure check: $25 to $50
Find out the accuracy of your gage, or give you a number if you just have a light
(Prices good for most domestic or import cars and light trucks)
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Oil pressure light or gage

The most important system to the "health" of your engine is the lubrication system. An engine can run without oil for about as long as you can live without a heartbeat: a matter of seconds! Vehicles use two methods to monitor this vital system: the "idiot light" and the gage. Some cars have both. If you have a light, make sure it comes on right before you start your car and goes out soon after the engine starts. If it never comes on, you have either a sensor problem or a burned out bulb. A gage should start at zero then rise up to at least 1/4 of the gage range on startup.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR OIL PRESSURE LIGHT GOES ON
OR IF YOUR OIL PRESSURE GAGE GOES BELOW 5 PSI

This means your engine has lost lubrication and is tearing itself apart inside. What you should do depends upon the circumstances. If this happens when you are just driving straight down the road at highway speeds, you should shut your engine off as fast as possible and pull off the road. Check the oil level and add oil if the level is low. If the oil light goes off or the gage reads within normal range after you add oil, you're fine; just check your oil more often. If there is plenty of oil in the engine, you may just have a electrical problem causing the light to stay on or the gage to read low: BUT DRIVE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! A $25 or even a $100 tow bill is a small cost compared to a $2500 new engine. If you suspect an inaccurate gage or light, a mechanic can insert a gage to measure the actual oil pressure and check the accuracy of your car's light or gage.

If your light comes on during a sudden stop or going around a sharp curve, get off the gas and see if the light goes back off within a few seconds. If it goes off, add oil at the first possible opportunity: you're probably 2 or more quarts low. Take it easy (no more sudden stops or fast sharp curves) until you fill up your oil!



Auto, Car, and Truck Article List

A
ABS: Anti-Lock Brake Systems
ADVANCE: Car ignition timing
ALTERNATORS and Car Battery
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS
B
BAD CAR DESIGNS
Bad Drivers: How NOT to drive
BATTERIES: Auto, Car or Truck
BELTS AND HOSES
BEARINGS
BODY AND BUMPER REPAIRS
BRAKE REPAIRS: Car or Truck
C
Car Washing and Care
CARBURETORS:Car & Truck
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT
CLEANING: Engine Cleaning
CLUTCH REPAIRS: Car & Truck
COMPRESSION: Car Engine
COMPUTER CAR CONTROLS
CV JOINT OR CV AXLES
D
DISTRIBUTORS (IGNITION)
E
ELECTRIC WIRING REPAIR
ENGINES: Car & Truck
ENGINE CLEANING
EXPANSION PLUGS
F
FILTERS: OIL, AIR, ETC.
FREEZE PLUGS
FUEL AIR MIXTURE
FUEL INJECTION: Car & Truck
FUEL PUMPS: Car & Truck
G
GAGES AND "IDIOT LIGHTS"
GASKETS AND SEALS
GLASS: WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELDS
H
HEADS & HEAD GASKET
HOSES AND BELTS
I
"IDIOT LIGHTS" AND GAGES
IGNITION TIMING: Car & Truck
J
AUTO JACKS: lifting cars safely
K
L
LEAN "Car runs lean"
LIGHTS: WARNING OR "IDIOT LIGHTS"
Limp Home Mode
M
MIL Light
MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS
N
NO START: Car Won't Start
O
OIL CHANGES
OIL: What's right for your car?
OIL LIGHT ON OR GAGE LOW
P
PCV Valve
Q
R
RADIATORS: Car and Truck
RICH: Car runs rich
S
SEALS AND GASKETS
SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT
SPARK PLUGS
STARTERS: Auto, Truck
T
THERMOSTATS
TIMING: IGNITION TIMING
TIMING BELT & TIMING CHAIN
TIRE REPAIR
TRANSMISSIONS: AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONS: MANUAL
U
V
VACUUM ADVANCE
WARNING LIGHTS OR "IDIOT LIGHTS"
Car Washing and Care
W
WATER PUMP REPAIR
WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELDS
WIRING REPAIR
X
Y
Z

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