Engine oil is essential for the moving parts of your vehicle. The oil functions to make sure that all the moving parts are well lubricated to reduce friction. Whenever the fluid flows through the entire engine, build-up pressure enables the liquid to reach all aspects of the machine’s moving parts.
The amount of oil pressure in any vehicle is measured in PSI, and the amount needed varies from one vehicle to another. However, the PSI level differs from one vehicle to another, and extreme situations in PSI change may be fatal. The cases of low oil pressure are under varied conditions. The causes, symptoms, and solutions of low oil pressure are discussed below:
Causes of Low Oil Pressure
Some conditions and issues can cause your oil pressure level to fall below a safe threshold. The effects may be lethal to the normal functioning of the engine. They include:
Obstruction of the Oil Filters
In some instances in which the oil filters are blocked, there is a residual reduction in the oil pressure. The filters are responsible for preventing debris material from reaching all parts of the engine. There is a standard resistance generated by the oil filters to the flow of oil, but this resistance from the filter itself is not significant. However, resistance caused by debris can be significant.
Dirty Oil Pump
The oil pump circulates oil to the rest of the engine. When there is excessive debris from the filters, it may deposit all the dirt in the oil pump. Excessive dirt will, therefore, affect the pump and keep it from functioning efficiently.
The Viscosity of the Oil
A less viscous oil will move quickly in the engine compared to a high viscous oil. Therefore less viscous oil tends to generate less resistance hence low oil pressure.
Symptoms of Low Oil Pressure
In addition to the causes of low oil pressure, it is also important to be familiar with the symptoms of low oil pressure. Whenever low oil pressure becomes and issue it can easily be noticed through several signs from your engine. These signs include:
Less Efficient Engine Performance
Every car is specially designed to offer quality and efficient services to the driver. Therefore whenever there is a drop in the level of the engine efficiency, it’s usually noticeable to the driver. This symptom should be investigated as soon as possible as the engine can fail to work efficiently because of inadequate oil circulation in the car.
Overheating Engine
When the engine oil is not correctly pumped to all parts of the machine it can cause the vehicle to overheat. This situation is usually immediately obvious as an overheat indicator is visible on vehicle dashboards. If your vehicle constantly overheats it is not only a sign that something’s wrong, it can be causing serious wear and tear on your vehicle that could shorten its lifespan.
Warning Light
Whenever there is a drop in the level of the oil pressure, a warning light on the dashboard gives a signal to alert the driver. If you see a warning light on your vehicle’s dashboard, always deal with it as soon as possible.
Solutions
The easiest way to make sure your oil pressure is what it should be is regularly checking your oil level using your oil dipstick. If the level is ever below the recommended one on the dipstick, you should get more oil in your vehicle as a matter of urgency. If your oil level is persistently low even after an oil change and fill, you should see your mechanic since this can be the sign of a leak somewhere in your vehicle.
