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YOUR RESEARCHHow low should it go? Oil pressure when hot?
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Run cooler
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Suggestion
If you have never changed the coolant in the car, it should be done now and you will find the engine will run cooler after a good flush.
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Suggestion · Original poster
The car is a 3.4l C2 (2001) with 26,000 miles and running Mobil-1 0w40.
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Suggestion
My oil pressure at idle after a 'sprited' run would dip down below 1.5 bar and when I was on it again...it would go up to a more 'normal' range.
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Today was pretty warm around here (83 degrees ambient) and after some gratuitous hard driving the temp gauge was reading a couple mm past the right side of the '0' in the '180' marking, so pretty hot, and the front radiator fans were going strong.
As I was making my way home, I noticed that the oil pressure at idle was around 1.5 bar and as I parked the car saw it sitting at approximately 1.2-1.3 bar. When driving at that time I noticed that the oil pressure would rise to right around 4.0 bar at 3k rpm. No engine lights or other odd engine behavior.
The car is a 3.4l C2 (2001) with 26,000 miles and running Mobil-1 0w40. Oil level gauge reads right around center (a little higher cold before first start than when hot).
After searching the 996 archives, I found advice indicating that 1.5-2.0 bar is probably normal when running a hot engine. However, 1.2 seems a bit low.
Is this something I should be worried about?
Also, a related question: when it gets hot out, I sometimes feel a mild pulsation at idle that appears to be related to the operation of the front radiator fans. Turning off the A/C fan will sometimes make this go away (seems to depend on the ambient and engine temps). Again, something I need to worry about?
Thanks for your insight....
Based on your temp gauge, your coolant temperature was between 215 and 220 degree F. When the engine is that hot it is common to have the oil pressure as low as 1.5 bar or so when idle. It should immediately get above 4 bar when you bring the engine above 3000 rpm. Make sure your oil level is correct.
I find that when I am driving in traffic in hot weather that having the air conditioner on keeps the coolant temperature down. Having the air on mandates that the 2 fans are running at full speed. Without the air on, the fans may not be running or running at a slower speed.
Also, take a look at your coolant reservoir. Make sure there is no gel in the colant and that it is at the right level. If you have never changed the coolant in the car, it should be done now and you will find the engine will run cooler after a good flush.
Kind of the same thing happened to me last summer around August when the weather up here is pretty consistently warm. My oil pressure at idle after a 'sprited' run would dip down below 1.5 bar and when I was on it again...it would go up to a more 'normal' range. I had 25,000 on the clock back then and I took the car in to have it checked out. They said almost exactly what Jim (1999Porsche1999) said. they changed out the coolant after a flush and that seemed to have doon the trick. Maybe the coolant just looses some of its cooling properties after a year or two...now its just fine.
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