So I have a 2003 Cavalier, of course the 2.2 ecotec. It's just about 100k miles and now when I'm at a stop my oil pressure light comes on. I have a oil pressure tester, but unfortunately I don't have an adapter that fits on the block. Does anyone know the size of the sending unit threads? I'm almost about to just go and buy a new sending unit and see if that helps, because I do have the correct amount of oil.

So I found on a grand am forum that the size to the block seems to be m12x 1.75. Is that true as well with the cavalier eco's? Also my oil pressure gauge has a fitting of 1/8'' 27 npt. I'm having trouble finding an adapter that will work for gauge, any good places to look for it?

i have oil pressure gauge in my car, mines the older 2.2 but this will help the same way....if you have another car or another way to get to any hardware store, (ace or homedepot),

take out the stock oil pressure sensor
go to the plumbing section
mix and match and make a T fitting basically(if adding a gauge)

find something your stock sensor screws into, take that one and find a fitting that screws into that(you'll have the block's hole size) then find something that will fit into the block and go with your gauge/testor

ill get you a pic of what the fittings look like, just to give you an idea....they're Brass Fittings in the Plumbing section(all together shouldnt be more then like 4 dollars)
USE teflon tape for sure so you dont get leaks!

Basically just use the stock sensor and mix and match and build something, that worked for me

Nice, thanks. I wasn't sure if ace had anything, which is the closest store from me, so if I can borrow another family members car, I could probably walk. To just check the psi, do I also need the sensor hooked up into a t fitting, or can I just find a proper adapter and use that to hook up my gauge?

I don't think Ace is going to have what you need to get the rest of the fitting into the block, oil galley plugs are 12 x 1.75, oil sensor port I believe is 12 x 1.5. all the fittings at my Ace are pipe or compression type fittings, and they are well stocked.

For a Ecotec motor you need a Autometer fitting #2278. It is a M12 x1.75, and a 1/8 NPT will screw into it.

You can order from jegs, Summit etc...



FU Tuning

thats what I went with!!

Hmm, so I need to order online and I won't be able to find it at a store?

the things i told you about, i DID find at Ace hardware, if not, try home depot or something....maybe eco is different then my motor but it worked for me...its basically building a T and you fit both sensors in it

yeah he would just need to get something to get from the stuff you find at Ace to the metric threads in the block.

to the OP if you decide to just put it somewhere else, the plugs that are in the head will work, BUT it will read low. there are more plugs on the block itself under the exhaust manifold that work well. look in the turbo section with a search for something like oil feed lines, may have to do an archive search to find the picture. someone posted it up with the engine out so its easy to see where it is.

So I can just hook up my gauge to the back of the block, I don't have to set it up the oil pressure sending unit? It's going to read about the same psi then. Hmm, I'll probably go to ace today, I have a few otherthings to do on my car so I can work on this oil pressure problem in the next few days.

Some people here say you need the stock sensor because it kills the fuel pump if it sees no oil pressure....mine is disconected right now although mine is 1995 and someone here said since mine is OBD1, it's different then the rest....just build a T from the plumbing section, gonna cost you like 4 dollars, takes 10 minutes at most to do

Is it a gauge like one you're keeping in your car? or one that you use on a bunch of cars to test the oil pressure? if you just wanna test it, i believe you can just take out the stock sensor and put the tester in, there should be enough fuel pressure to keep it running for a little while you check it, then just buy an adaptor in the same place

its just a tester to test all cars. it said it would do most late model cars, but the latest is like 97, so its obviously an old label, or they just lied straight up, either way, it was cheap, something to just let me know if i have a bigger issue then just a sensor, which I am really hoping is just the sensor.

shouldnt it work for all cars? just would need adaptors for the block that it's going into......most likely if your engine sounds good(not knocking or anything) and the light comes on randomly and your oil is full....its the sensor...my dads audi is like that but that motor is so crammed in there, he just deals wit the light popping up randomly

Well it sounds alright, I kinda just want to get a new sensor and pop it in, but I want to make sure so I don't have to do it twice. Let me tell you, with all my other problems, I'm so ashamed I haven't been able to keep up with maintenance. Makes me wish I had my own garage where I had space and comfort working on my car. Thanks for the help. I'm going to try and find an adapter that will fit for my block, because the set I have doesn't have the right thread.

your still going to need a 12x1.75 to 1/8 NPT fitting, summit has it in the gauge adapters section.

So I got a new sensor, 15 bucks. On an incline facing up, no pressure light, on a flat surface I get a light. I tried to find that adapter on summit but couldn't. I don't want to tear the block apart yet, but you guys think a little seafoam, and an oil change might help?

Nevermind I found the adapter, after I check the psi, I'll post the pressure and ask where would I go from there.