So my GF has a 1997 Cavalier with a auto 2.2 OHV,When its hot outside and been sitting in traffic idling,The low oil light will come on some times or sometimes it will flash a bit..It has 255 Thousand Km on it...Other than this issue,it burns no oil,It runs great,When we bought the car it always went in at 5 thousand km for oil changes,Have almost all records..
I am running Mobil1 10/30 Synthetic oil in it..
So I am trying to figure out,could this be bad bearings,bad oil pump.
Any help would be great,Its a good clean little car...Thanks,Jason
it may just be a bad oil pump, or just low oil. i had this problem with mine if i let it run over 3000 miles between changes, I changed out the pump and it solved my problem.
Thanks for the reply,the oil is topped off perfect.
I also get the oil change done at 5000km,And use AC Delco filters..
you'd hear the bearings when your driving, even main bearings you'd hear on cold starts....try a thicker oil maybe, heat does thin it out, i remember when i had my oil pressure gauge, id be at like 14psi idling in traffic....i read somewhere that under 11psi you start to worry, 14 and 11 arent far apart...may be the oil pump also...if it goes away when you give it gas, personally id try a little thicker oil until its on almost all the time
id rule out its a bad sensor because its not coming on randomly, its just coming on idling which is when you have the lowest oil pressure
Thanks for the info. Just seems when it's really hot. I will just keep a eye on it.
I assume that this is a low oil pressure indication, not a low oil level indication.
When the light comes on, see if increasing the idle a bit (put into N or P, or apply the brake and give a little gas) makes it go out. If so, I would bet on a tired oil pump.
Thicker oil may buy time, but I would be leery of going outside of spec.
Thanks. Yes low oil pressure.
If I tap the gas it goes out right away. But only seems to do it when it's really hot out. Sometimes nothing comes of it.
Is the oil pump a normal thing to go on these motors. There is no major bad engine noise.
try little thicker oil...heat thins it out and oil pressure is at it's lowest at idle
and low oil level = low oil pressure
My 97 Sunfire 2.2 did this when I got it. It had 5w-30. I switched to 10w-30 and it went away.
FU Tuning
Screaming for Mercy!! wrote:My 97 Sunfire 2.2 did this when I got it. It had 5w-30. I switched to 10w-30 and it went away.
Don't see how that would make a difference unless it only did it when it's cold? when both those are warm, the viscosity is still 30...
95LsCoupe wrote:Screaming for Mercy!! wrote:My 97 Sunfire 2.2 did this when I got it. It had 5w-30. I switched to 10w-30 and it went away.
Don't see how that would make a difference unless it only did it when it's cold? when both those are warm, the viscosity is still 30...
I realize, but this is what has been working.
FU Tuning
My 1995 2.2 did this just before spinning number 2 rod bearing. I would say about 2 weeks after I started seeing that light at stop lights she let go. Now it rocks a v6.
- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs
Oedwards wrote:My 1995 2.2 did this just before spinning number 2 rod bearing. I would say about 2 weeks after I started seeing that light at stop lights she let go. Now it rocks a v6.
Maybe yours was an oil pump issue and then it died
ok well thanks for all the input..The weather cooled down some,and now no light..
The motor sounds solid,no funny bottom end noise,or even much top end noise,I mean there is some but the normal 2.2 ohv sounds..
But if anything decides to let go I will keep you all informed,So thanks again,Jason
ohv sounds lol we all get them at some point
Sounds like it's just a high mileage engine. May or may not be coming to the end of it's life. Sounds like the pump isn't keeping up at idle, or it's idling too slow for some reason (the computer should adjust that though). I think the 2.2 OHV has a little throttle stop set screw that you can play with and maybe bump the idle up some. You won't be able to get very far with it before the computer steps in though.
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum. - Jon Mick
I thought the idle seemed low. But who knows.
I am going to see if I can get a oil pressure test done. Just sucks if I have to swap another motor into to it. As I just did the head gasket around this time last year. So I guess for the time we will just keep driving it and keep a eye on it. Good test for mobil1 see how good it is. Maybe I will try a bottle of Lucas oil stabilizer next oil change. Nothing like trying mechanic in a bottle. Lol
Thanks again ppl for all the input.
I would not be concerned. I have put 30+k on mine since I have had this happen. I bought the car used used last year did not know what oil was in it. Changed it to 5w-30, and started getting that light on hot days at idle. Next oil change went to 10w-40 wetn away. Next oil change went to 10w-30, still hasn't come back.
I would not bother trying to change raise the idle with the screw, does not work, computer will adjust.
FU Tuning
