what is considered a good oil pressure at 65mph and 40 mph in a i991 mx-5 150 000 on the clock
Asked by waverider76 May 09, 2012 at 02:34 AM about the 1991 Mazda MX-5 Miata Base
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
car is dropping in oil pressure 10 pounds from 60 to 50 some times to 40 pounds and a little above 30 at a idle
2 Answers
aztec626bf answered 12 years ago
As engines wear the tolerances between moving parts increases. How much this increases depends on several factors including frequency of oil changes.This can lead to lower oil pressures. With 150k you would have some normal wear. You will have a slight variation in pressures depending on engine rpm. If the lowest you go at idle is 30 you are fine. With an engine of 150k if you have over 30 all the time your engine is getting enough lubrication. You can run a high mileage oil to boost the pressure. Also if you notice quick variations in pressure you might want to manually check oil pressure. Its a possibility that your oil pressure transducer is becoming erratic.
If I read your question correctly, you are normally seeing 30psi @ idle, but as little as 10 between 50 and 60mph. Is that correct? If so, I might pull the sender and clean, or replace it. And as suggested above, put a manual gauge in the system to verify readings. If you are still see erratic readings you may have several problems. 1) Oil sludge in the pan which is clogging the oil pickup. 2) Build up (sludge) in the oil return galleys so oil is returning to the pan too slowly. 3) A weak bypass valve in the oil pump. 4) Bad oil pump or pump drive. 30psi @ idle is good, exceptional in fact. 10psi @ speed is not.