basically, sometimes after i start my car when it's been sitting for several hours, the idiot light flickers a couple times and there's a tick, tick tick for a few seconds or until i give it a little gas. obviously all the oil has settled but honestly, i've never had this experience with any cars. there's no oil leaks, doesn't use oil and the level is perfect. i had a coupon for a free oil change when i got the car so i used it. well those morons screwed the filter on extremely tight and when i changed the oil a week ago, i left it on because i didn't have a wrench and couldn't unscrew it. maybe there's a crack in the seal or something giving me the lack of pressure. does this happen with anyone else's 3rd gen? or anyone have any ideas?

thanks

 

Change/clean the oil press sensor, might be bad. Generally light flicker is indication of that, shorting wire - or very seldom low oil pressure from engine bearing fault... You should be able to see if filter leaks... If you suspect oil pressure, buy, install gauge.

'Any' leather belt, old timing belt etc. around filter attached to a handle should open the filter...

Quite often valve lifters tick before pressure shoots up.