# Oil Pressure Gauge

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [October 3, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416 "2007-10-03T01:44:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HappyPerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7feea3/32.png) [@HappyPerson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HappyPerson)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416/1 "2007-10-03T01:44:55Z")

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How do you read the gauge? After my husband replaced the oil and PVC or PCV valve, i noticed that when we start the car up, it reads 4 at idle and when we drive it goes up a few notches instead of down like it used to.  
  
  
  
 Is that bad? What does it mean? It is a 99 chevy suburban

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**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416/2 "2007-10-03T03:02:39Z")

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Are you sure that isn’t 40? Let’s try this… where is the needle on the gauge? 3/4 mark? 1/4 mark?

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**Author:** ![HappyPerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7feea3/32.png) [@HappyPerson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HappyPerson)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416/3 "2007-10-04T01:49:13Z")

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Ok wen its at idle…its in the middle which reads 40, then when you are driving it goes up (to the right) not quite to the 3/4 mark, but almost. Now before the oil got changed…at idle it was still at the 40 mark, but as you began to drive it it would go to the left at about 1/4. And it was like that since I have had the car even when I would get the oil changed before which I do on a regular basis.

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416/4 "2007-10-04T01:58:09Z")

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Normally, the higher the engine RPM the higher the oil pressure. So what you are seeing NOW is normal. BEFORE, when it would drop as you accelerated, that is not normal.

If you think the gauge is acting funny, replace the sender, which on Chevy V-8’s is usually next to the distributer, very difficult to replace without a special tool…

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**Author:** ![HappyPerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7feea3/32.png) [@HappyPerson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HappyPerson)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416/5 "2007-10-04T02:00:27Z")

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Ah ok, I was told that it was the other way around. That it was normal for it to drop like that when running, but wasn’t sure. But thanks for the information. I will have my husband look into replacing the sender.

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**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-pressure-gauge/5416/6 "2007-10-04T02:14:05Z")

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Caddyman is right, what you’re describing is normal.