[Bobby_Mojave]

Hello I have a 2000 S-10 2.2L with 216,500 miles. I just was noticing at that the oil pressure gauge was dropping a couple weeks ago when coming to a stop sign. I have a stick shift and i noticed it first when the car was shaking from the takeoff on the stop sign. I had to put it into neutral and back into first after it started rolling. It was taking more effort to take off in 1st, like a big load. Other gears seem fine. I changed the oil and cleaned the air filter. I still have a fuel filter i will have to replace. I was driving north from Tucson and by the time i was in phoenix, it had started dropping in oil pressure again when i was not giving gas or driving a constant speed. oil pressure dropped below 40, and it again shook at a stop sign coming off the freeway. There was heavy stop-and-go traffic on the freeway and it made the problem worse. All-in-All, the problem is getting worse but i pulled off the freeway luckily at the pull-and-save in Phoenix… researching and maybe a oil pump issue??

 

[Mostizzle]

Cam bearings more than likely.

 

[Will-S10]

First I would hook a manual gauge up to it, make sure that the pressure reading is accurate. [email protected]@150deg F

So your engine is running rough at idle?

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

it is not running a rough idle.. actually everything runs great until it has run on freeway a couple hours And i hit heavy traffic

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

It had burned a little oil… added some in. I stopped for about 1 1/2 hours to let it cool down, and seemingly drove fine On takeoff. Oil pressure at 70 when i start, and it runs at about 50-60. Let it to idle and it settled at 40 after the stop light, took a few minutes. I have never had a fuel pump issue does it sound like it could be possible?

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

It does have rough starts, an injector could be causing some issues but that would have nothing to do with oil pressure. Replaced sparks and plugs last year. It was giving a p0301 code when it was warming up before the oil change but i think that had to do with the air filter needing cleaned and oil change was needed (@ ~4150 miles) i have a modified catalytic converter (or lack-thereof) that amazingly looks exactly like a straight pipe after my last CAT blew, so i have been getting p0420 codes from that. 301 codes dissappeared after oil change and air filter cleaning.
I think the best bet is too not drive in heavy traffic. It gets up to speed fine and responds good/great on freeway. Had to hold off gas to not speed over 75. Running great seemingly… Always carry extra oil. The oil is burning (?or leaking under pressure) and if i see oil gauge moving pull off and give it some time i think… I figure it won’t blow up or seize unless the oil runs out… no fuel leak or any other noticeable … everything seems fine until it doesn’t thats how it goes.

 

[2.2s101995]

Amazon.com: Lucas Oil 10001 Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer - 1 Quart : Everything Else

Amazon.com: Lucas Oil 10001 Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer - 1 Quart : Everything Else

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[Bobby_Mojave]

Well i made it across phoenix going 65 pretty much the entire time. Not too much traffic. the oil pressure remained steady at about 65 for most of the 45 minute drive. Slowing down to 55 caused the pressure to drop to 40. Stopping at the stop light for a minute or so and it dropped to under 30. This is all from looking at the oil pressure gauge obviously

 

[oldeerslayer]

If you have 40 psi at 55 and 30 psi at idle there is nothing wrong with the oiling system. Sounds like normal fluctuation with variations in rpms. It's a gear style pump. The faster you spin it the higher the pressure until it reaches the pressure where the relief valve opens to prevent pressure that would be too high and do some harm.
Around 30 psi at idle is way above anything to worry about. IIRC the oil light sender is set at around 10 psi.

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

Yes i have been reading other similar situations and i guess the pressure doesn’t seem to be a problem for me at the moment. The oil light has not come on yet, and only the 420 code and 301 code when warming up the truck. However the shaking when getting off the freeway and coming off a stop is not good, i don’t know if it related to the dramatic change in oil pressure i am seeing. I figured it should remain stable and not move to much, i remember it being more stable in the past and not moving too much at all so when exactly it started i don’t know. I have owned the truck about 16 months and put about 16,500 miles into it

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

I should check the cylinder wires i am thinking maybe the 1st cylinder has and issue which would explain the rough takeoff.. the cam bearings also i will have to look into that

 

[bk2life]

next time you goto upull it, grab a new engine.
But seriously, unless oil psi hits 0 never look at it. Actually, take it out of the dash and throw it out. NO need to ever look at it. Nest time your coming to phx, send me a message, maybe we can meet up and grab a beer

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

next time you goto upull it, grab a new engine.
But seriously, unless oil psi hits 0 never look at it. Actually, take it out of the dash and throw it out. NO need to ever look at it. Nest time your coming to phx, send me a message, maybe we can meet up and grab a beer

Thanks for the advice… I have not been able to afford a beer in a long time and any money i make goes into paying bills and food. Looking for opportunity in more rural areas. I’ve come to the conclusion that as long as the fuel lines are not leaking and have not run dry on oil i will probably be fine For the time being.
Hopefully we get to see trucker convoys across the country soon maybe they have some good mechanic advice if i see them thats about where I’m at

 

[Bobby_Mojave]

Amazon.com: Lucas Oil 10001 Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer - 1 Quart : Everything Else

Amazon.com: Lucas Oil 10001 Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer - 1 Quart : Everything Else

www.amazon.com

Thank you for the great advice, i put the oil stabilizer in and it worked wonderfully. No more huge fluctuations in oil pressure, less lugging out from the stop signs. They have a nightmare of a road setup coming into Sedona from Camp Verde AZ, with traffic jams and those darn traffic circles every mile, but the pressure remained stabilized and very much less shaking from taking off, but the clutch is still a little sensitive and i may have an oil pump issue.
I have also noticed the gear ratio per MPH has changed since the oil stabilizer, with 5th working best 65-80 and not responding well below 65 at all. It seemed to be begging me to shift at 55 before.. I did not mention in earlier posts that the “shift up” light was also acting erratically, telling me to shift up early and seemingly indicating something was starting to go wrong, requiring higher gears at lower speeds but not working effectively when i did shift. Say i am accelerating straight and reach 35 in 3rd gear, i shift up to 4th but it immediately wanted me to shift again to 5th, probably telling me i don’t have power and/or because of that 301 code. Now it is more consistent, like it has been.
I only used an 8th of the quart bottle of Oil Stabilizer, and a huge difference.
Gotta say also, i realized yesterday that I had actually put 5W30 High Mileage Valvoline in when i changed oil, and i usually use 10W30.
The other thing i didn’t mention, i was way to embarrassed, was that when i last changed the oil… it was getting dark and i tightened the wrong screw with my hand wrench… leaving the oil drain plug only (firmly) hand tightened. It lasted a couple days, and i noticed a small puddle under the truck and realized my mistake… scary. It only drained 1/2 quart, so i just bought another quart and topped it off and obviously wrenched that screw in. The funny thing was, i was topping it off with 10W30 on that drive through phoenix… might explain a few things there but i just realized this when i bought the oil stabilizer. Not a huge deal but ive never mixed these different oils and taken off down the freeway before.
Luckily it was not a big deal, and the oil stabilizer was a godsend. Live and learn. I am a banjo player, not a mechanic but there is an art to both but a mistake on the banjo playing is a little less costly