i have a 90 gxe, 1 day after i had my oil changed, the oil pressure light came on,
i parked the car and allowed the engine to cool, then tried tightening the oil filter, i was suprised to see that it went almost half a turn.
so after i tightened it by hand, the light was off for about a week.
then the light came back on. i am going to take the car back to the oil change shop and have them replace the filter and use a wrench to install it this time.
i would never go to another goodyear gemini shop again for an oil change.
i asked for a basic oil change and refused tire rotation. they handed me the keys after changing the oil and i noticed my center caps were gone, as i was about to leave. they didnt even put my center caps back on! i walked into the shop and they were laying face down in some oil and dirt. needless to say i snatched them off the shop floor and stormed off to my car.

now what i would like to know, is there a chance this light is comming on due to an improper seal around the filter they only hand tightened.
the light has never come on before and i believe the oil pump is working properly. is there a chance that the oil pressure sending unit is shorted causing the light to dim under load. could the problem be a wrong filter?

any help with this subject is greatly appreciated .

 

Replace the filter to nissan filter; price is same as any - nothin compared to possible problems. Read the stickies up t here.

Filters are hand tightened; never use wrench but opening. NOT TOO TIGHT. Still it should not be loose, see FSM instructions how. If oil pressure is so low due to loose filter, its oil all over... just open u drippin hood to verfiy. Or back up u car few feett and walkaround...

Try free login to www.autozone.com for chiltons FS manuellos

The oil light comes on when the oil pressure sw grounds the wire, and/or if the wire is shorted to ground somewhere else. Main cause is low oil pressure; many reasons for that - now everythin points to THE shop.

If the shop was like that, what on earth did they sludge in your engine!!? Autotranny oil? Diesel oil? oh boy

Replace both oil and filter. Buy your own synthetic oil and filter from reliable source. Never buy/add oil from wacky workshop what on earth big pools, and first day instant servicemen...

Do this swap as the first thing.

 

not neccessarily, i changed my oil yesterday which was the first time changing my filter cause the only other time i changed the oil on this car, the previous oil changer tightened the filter extremely tight and i didn't have anything handy to use at the time to loosen it and i couldn't do it by hand. anyway, yesterday i got that filter off, replaced it and tightened it to what i thought was adequate. put 3 quarts of oil in and started it up. oil light came on and stayed on so i shut it back off, tightened the filter a little more and started it up, pressure light didn't come on, and i no oil spilled at all.

have you checked your oil level? if you refused tire rotation, why were your center caps off? i'd be pissed too. this is exactly why i change my own oil. as well as the fact, i don't like some 18-19 year old messing with or driving my car, or anyone else for that matter. little story, when i got this max 5 months ago, i had a coupon for a free oil change, so i used it. after they were done, i proceeded to watch this employee pull out of the garage like a maniac. almost hitting the the fence he was backing up to. i walk towards my car, he hops out, hands me the keys and says "here you go, thank you". i snatched the keys and didn't even respond. i hope you checked your level man, they don't sound like the sharpest bunch, forgetting your center caps and such...maybe they didn't add enough oil

 

I suppose your trick actually was: "shut it back off, ...xxx... and started it up". Filter is 'in' if no oil drips out. If filter is in, oil light will eventually go out (if engine is ok.). No tightening helps, wrench or not, after the seal is seated =filter is in.

The oil press switch tends to clog and later becomes lazy...

If the filter is tightened too much by hand, the next time filter is taken out (10k later) becomes off in parts, it rips in pieces. The filter "self tightens" like wheel bolts.

The filter seal is very soft, and thightening is some 1/4 turns after the seal touches down. Seal should be moisted with oil before this... (Dunno about the "1/4 turn", check it out from FSM, its critical not to drop filter....) I cando it by my spine.


My experiences are like u say. If u leave a car overnight somewhere, do expect to find U CAR at night somewhere, racing... Nissan trusts its mechanics so much that they have this separate serviceman red ign key done for us.

 

Listen to what Wiking says.. for a Swede, he's pretty damn smart.

 

Your maxima takes 4.5 quarts.

 

my oil level is actually fine, just a little bit higher than the full mark, looks like a half of quart over full. i didnt notice any major leaks, other than the typical 190k
drips from the valvecovers and just a few small drips on the ground.
the oil looks real clean, could it be over-filled?

 

Are u really able to SEE what type & grade it is?

If the press sw and/or wiring is ok, the lubricant, whatever exxon clean its is, is too thin.

Engines just do not die like that during oil change.

 

well i returned the max to the goodyear oil change shop, and they replaced the filter at no cost. i explained the whole situation.
so far so good. the pressure has been perfect. the shop admitted that the filter was not sealing correctly. the new filter was put on tight, and 100 miles with no oil pressure light so far.



almost 200000

 

10 points to the shop!

 

actually, my maxima takes about 3 1/2 quarts with a new filter. maybe if i filled it to the h, but i fill to the middle. thanks for the spec though

you should get a written statement from goodyear about that cause you never know when it might come in handy. good it's all straightened out though.

 

is yours VE? my VE takes like 4.25 quarts...i always let the oil drain plug off for at least 10 minutes so most of it drains out, I figure 4 for the motor, and .25 quarts for the tiny *** toyota filter on there....maybe your checking oil level a few seconds after you pour the oil in....it could be slowly running down to the pan, meaning its all not in the case, so when you measure it, your not measuring all of it,

 

Guys, read your service manuals.. NONE of the oil capacity numbers you've stated so far are right...

not that 1/8 qt makes much of a difference, but don't go spouting numbers unless you know the correct answer.
VG30E: 3 3/4qt without filter, 4 1/8qt with filter.
VE30DE: 3 5/8qt without filter, 4qt with filter.

 

the printed invoice they gave at the point of installing the second filter states:

Bad Oil Filter, No good.
replace filter and tighten correctly.

atleast they admit the fault.