Oil pressure dummy gauge low?

[Cole94]

We all know the gimmick of the oil "pressure" gauge on the 1st gens. Mine is showing lower than normal readings. It reads in the normal range, but below the word normal. I really dont care. It tells me if I have more than 5 psi. While I will be putting a real pressure gauge along with a tranny temp gauge in sometime, I just want the symmetry back in my dash. I'm thinking a parasitic load or a short somewhere between the sender and the dash. Where should I start looking?

 

[Roadrunner777]

To be clear, you have the standard unmodified oil gauge/switch setup, and it was once reading higher than it is now. If so, try this: Go to the pressure sender/switch, disconnect the lead and ground it. If it reads better, then there is some new resistance in the switch, possibly oil has gotten into the contacts. If that is the case, then you simply need to replace the sender/switch. If grounding the lead does not fix the problem, then it's deeper and I can go into that, but I'd try grounding the sensor lead first to rule out the first problem.

 

[Cole94]

I grounded the sensor. The gauge went right to where it's supposed to. 6 o'clock vs 8 o'clock. Thank you. I will be putting in a new sensor.

 

[BKennedy]

Mine did that and was fixed with a new sensor. Like you, I only care that there is oil pressure. I don't need to know what it is as long as its there.