Oil Pressure Reading on Sport Display. Real or Fake??
#1
Oil Pressure Reading on Sport Display. Real or Fake??
I've noticed that the oil pressure reading, which is the gauge on the left side of the sport display, never moves up or down. It doesn't matter if I'm redlining or at idle, the gauge always shows the same reading. I've read in another post that this reading is fake, but on my friend's SR, the gauge actually moves accordingly. Is my oil pressure gauge faulty, or do they only work in the SR trim levels? I have a Platinum.
#6
Weak gauges for a "4 door sports car", but but this isn't a true sports car. It's a family "sporty 4 door, near luxury grocery getter". You will typically find true oil pressure, either digitally or "steam gauge" (or both) varieties on real sports cars. Ask Vette owners (I am one), Porsche owners, BMW owners, etc. True oil pressure gauges are for those sports cars that are track driven, 1/4 mile raced, or "boy racer" raced on public roadways (). Gotta keep an eye on that pressure. I'll bet even a hot Lexus won't have an accurate, working oil pressure gauge. Could be wrong here.
#7
Heck my 8 year old Dodge Ram 1500 has true working oil pressure and water temperature gauges plus it has digital oil pressure, engine oil temperature, transmission oil temperature, and water temperature readouts. All these readings start out cold and slowly climb to normal operating temperatures except both oil pressure readings start out at 40 and climb to around 60 when accelerating. You would think that new upscale autos would have some of these features.
#8
Well, I surely stand corrected, but then again that truck at 1500 is a real workin' truck and probably needs that kind of monitoring as it's haulin' the load! My brother, who owns an ASE certified shop once told me that a few automakers were beginning to just show temperature and pressure ranges (rather than actual values) on some family-type vehicles so as not to cause undue "worry" on the consumer's part when "the numbers don't look quite right". Oh, and you are right that an "upscale" auto probably should have "live" gauges, especially those with a presumption of "sports car".
#10
I recall having oil pressure gauges on almost all my family sedans from the 1950s. I also recall that, while driving through a small Tennessee town on a hot summer day well over sixty years ago (enroute from Baltimore to Sierra Vista AZ) there was suddenly a slathering of motor oil coating the windshield, as well as the tops of the front fenders and the hood. I quickly checked the oil pressure gauge and saw it dropping, and wheeled into a service station I was just passing by (no interstate roads back then). Being dirt poor and inexperienced at that time, my heart was sinking. Turned out the leak was from a faulty oil pressure gauge, and I was soon back on the road and out only a few bucks for the new pressure gauge and a quart of oil. I think the service station owner gave me a break because I was in full military uniform.
I also recall thinking an oil pressure gauge was something any good car should have, and feeing bothered by the change in the 1960s that took out the gauge and replaced it with an 'idiot light'. By having the gauge, it was sometimes possible to detect some problems very early on, and plan strategy as to how to handle things. But by the time we see the idiot light, it is too late to plan anything; you are already toast.
I also recall thinking an oil pressure gauge was something any good car should have, and feeing bothered by the change in the 1960s that took out the gauge and replaced it with an 'idiot light'. By having the gauge, it was sometimes possible to detect some problems very early on, and plan strategy as to how to handle things. But by the time we see the idiot light, it is too late to plan anything; you are already toast.
Last edited by lightonthehill; 12-18-2017 at 04:21 PM.
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12-17-2004 08:41 PM