Engine oil protects your car engine from overheating due to friction. It acts as a lubricant to prevent friction between the different moving parts thereby reducing damage from wear and tear.
Another important responsibility of engine oil is to clear away debris that can get accumulated over the surface of the components.
For these reasons, it is important that you ensure your engine does not suffer any damage due to low oil pressure. If the engine oil pressure is low, it can lead to several internal problems that can impact the performance of your engine.
5 Common Causes of Low Oil Pressure
Here are five common causes of low oil pressure in your engine and what you can do to fix the problem.
Low Level of Oil
A common DIY car care ritual should be routine checking of the oil level in your engine.
Here’s what you need to know:
- If the level of oil in your engine drops, then it becomes harder for the oil pump to continue to manage consistent oil pressure.
- If the oil has not been changed over a long period of time, it is only normal that the level of oil will drop.
- If you are not comfortable checking the oil level in your car engine, your car technician can do the job.
- The best way to ensure engine oil levels are always optimal is to take your car in for routine servicing
Using the Wrong Oil
Your vehicle manual includes important information about the best oil for the engine. A few things to keep in mind here are:
- Low oil viscosity will lead to your engine suffering from lower oil pressure inside the passageways.
- This is something that can happen if you switch from the recommended oil for your engine to a higher-grade oil – remember, higher grade oil is not necessary for optimal engine performance. Go with what is recommended by the car manufacturer.
Old Oil in the Engine
As mentioned above, if the oil in your engine is not changed, it can lose its viscosity and ability to flow smoothly and effectively lubricate the engine parts.
When this happens, the oil becomes thinner and it will become difficult for the oil pump to maintain the necessary oil pressure.
Another common reason for oil pressure to drop is when the oil starts to break down – remember, your car oil wears out a little bit every time you drive your car.
You can check your owner’s manual for the recommended oil change intervals to ensure your car engine is not running on old oil.
Oil Pump is Damaged or Worn Out
If the oil pump is damaged or worn out, it will not be able to maintain the required oil pressure to direct the flow of oil in the engine.
It’s not common for oil pumps to sustain damage or wear and tear, however, the issue cannot be ruled out completely.
Oil Filter
The job of the oil filter is to clean the contaminants that the engine oil accumulates and carries through the engine.
And while oil filters do a good job of keeping the debris out, over a period of time, the oil filter can get clogged.
A clogged filter will not allow proper filtration of engine oil.
Maintaining Oil Pressure
Now that you know what can lead to a drop in the oil pressure, here are a few things you can do to ensure your car engine oil pressure is always maintained.
- Carry out routine checks of the oil levels in the car engine.
- Change your oil and replace oil filters as and when necessary.
- Follow manufacturer recommendations for oil viscosity and service intervals.
- Take your car in for routine maintenance.
Meridian Automotive – Professional Car Repair Service you can Trust!
Are you facing low oil pressure issues? Are you in need of a professional car technician or repair service? If yes, we can help. Give Meridian Automotive a call at (208) 297-5573 or schedule an online appointment today!
