I have a 1988 Monte Carlo SS, the oil pressure dropped to -0-. Was driving it and looked down and I had no oil pressure. Had oil changed 3 days ago and still full. Anybody got any ideas? My car has 102,000 miles on it almost all, but 36,000 I have put on it. Thank you, any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

Causes:
defective gauge, clogged pump inlet screen, worn bearings, stuck regulator valve in the oil pump, worn out pump, sheared oil pump driveshaft, bad oil filter
Is it making any ticking or other noises?
Was the oil pressure ok prior to the oil change?
First thing you want to do is put a mechanical oil gauge on it. That will tell you what the pressure actually is. If its still low, change the filter. If the mechanical gauge reads ok, then you can check the voltage signal at the gauge's connection to make sure the sender is working properly. If you get good voltage there, change the gauge. If the reading is off, change the sender.
This link will give you even more information. Click http://www.aa1car.com/library/us1097.htm
I am not sure how mechanically inclined you are, so if you are not comfortable doing these checks, have a reputable mechanic troubleshoot this issue for you.

 

Welcome to the Forum..

 

No, it wasn't acting right before the oil change. I thought having the oil changed would help. This time they put in oil for high mileage vehicles 5W 30. When I first start it up, the gauge shows about 30, but the longer it is driven, the lower the pressure gets all the way to -0-. There are no noises or taps from the engine, it is quiet.

 

get a mechanical gauge on this thing before even starting it again. no oil pressure will trash the bottom end bearings almost instantly!

[QUOTE=P343;669538] You can try going up a grade in oil, for example from 5w30 to 10w30, but that's a temporary fix at best.

this would possibly be a temporary fix if it even works but there was some false info given here..... to go with a thicker oil when the oil is warm (which is where your issue is at) you would want a 5w40 instead of 5w30..... the first number in oil weight (5) is the cold viscosity and means nothing once the oil is warm, the second number is the viscosity of the oil once warm which is what you want to thicken up.

 

my apologies..it was not intentionally false. I got it from another source that I believed reliable.