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I went to start my car after a few days of it sitting and the low oil pressure message is on in the dic. The gauge reads 18 and doesn't change no matter if It's wot or just idling. Oil level is perfect and only around a 1000 miles on the oil change. Could the oil pressure sensor go bad and be stuck at 18? Any ideas? Car is an 01 ssei

Yes it could be the sensor. Happens quite frequently to the 3.8s

Everything I've read about the sensor going bad is that it pegs at 120

mine was bad when i bought car.. pegged at max.. i made them replace it..i believe they r 40 dollars.

Has anyone experienced having a bad sensor where the gauge wasn't pegged?

Does it sweep the entire range of the gauge during startup?
If not, probably is the gauge stepper motor.
My Oil Pressure Sensor died, and gauge was good...pegged at 120.

Yea it sweeps the dial at startup

If the connection is damaged, I believe that is what will max the gauge, but if the connection is good and its a bad sensor, the gauge will act strange. (I experienced this on a 96. Funny gauge readings then unplugged and it pegged the gauge).

the only real way to tell the actual oil pressure is to hook a mechanical gauge up and see.

My OP Sensor failed moments after I performed an oil/filter change.
With gauge pegged at 120, I removed sensor, used contact cleaner on all contacts, checked every wire at the connector, and then attempted to clean the old sensor with carb cleaner. This did nothing to repair my sensor, so I purchased an AC Delco replacement. Before installing the new part, I compared the two, and noticed that the old sensor had no plate covering the sensor "hole", yet the new one had a plate clearly covering the "hole" that opened into the crankcase. I surmised that with the plate not covering the 'hole', the gauge pegged at 120. I installed the new part, with the 'hole' covered, and the gauge now works (45-60) as the other one had before failing.

Question: When the oil pressure sensor fails and pegs out,\ to 120, does it become an immediate concern to replace it asap? I was told the next step in the failure is you can loose all of your oil. I'm not at all failure with the workings of the sensor, so forgive me if this is an ignorant question!

It's important to keep an eye on your oil pressure. These cars do have an oil level sensor, so if you lose more than a quart or so of oil that will come on, but I wouldn't rely on that to ensure your engine isn't being harmed.

00Beast wrote:It's important to keep an eye on your oil pressure. These cars do have an oil level sensor, so if you lose more than a quart or so of oil that will come on, but I wouldn't rely on that to ensure your engine isn't being harmed.

Thanks but that doesn't answer the question about what happens after the oil sensor fails and pegs out.

Here is the question: Does the continued failure (if there is a such thing) of the oil sending unit cause catastrophic loss of oil.

Here is another question: Is the oil sending unit and oil pressure sensor the same the same part?

malatu wrote:

00Beast wrote:It's important to keep an eye on your oil pressure. These cars do have an oil level sensor, so if you lose more than a quart or so of oil that will come on, but I wouldn't rely on that to ensure your engine isn't being harmed.

Thanks but that doesn't answer the question about what happens after the oil sensor fails and pegs out.

Here is the question: Does the continued failure (if there is a such thing) of the oil sending unit cause catastrophic loss of oil.

Here is another question: Is the oil sending unit and oil pressure sensor the same the same part?

As to question One: In my case, the failure was an internal failure, with no leaking of oil from the O P Sensor. I rode around for awhile before I completed another oil change, then installed the new part. However, I have heard of a few examples where the entire sensor failed, leaking or spraying oil everywhere. All you need to do is look above the Oil Filter or around below it, and if you see plenty of oil, you will need to address that problem immediately.

Question Two: There is one Oil Pressure Sending Unit. That is the part I discuss above.
There is also a sensor for Low Oil indication, and that is a separate unit.

Hope this helps...

Yes.... thanks!

Here is a good write-up:

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 53&t=17496