Is Your C5 Corvette's Oil Pressure Normal? (Everything you Need to Know!)

[@sonerozgur]

Thanks for the detailed study on this. 2007 C6 Z51 with LS2. It has integrated (in radiator oil-to-coolant) oil cooler. Oil goes from pump, thru filter, thru oil cooler, back to motor galley into the pressure sender. Measured oil pressure will drop if there is flow resistance/restriction along this path. I replaced radiator and started investigating reduced oil pressure reasons. Pressure was 22psig at 200degF, idle. I installed a separate oil/air cooler cooler instead (10-AN fittings and hoses). Oil now goes from filter staight to this oil-to-air cooler and back to motor. Presure increased to 29psig at 200degF, idle.

[@sonerozgur]

PS: oil pressure also depends on kinematic oil viscosity when hot. My numbers are with fresh 5W-40 oil, rated at 13.8cSt

[@WarriorsPhoto]

I drove my car in So-Cals 100 degree heat today. Thankfully it was at 32 lbs when warmed up and idlng. I wasn’t gunning it too much today and I didn’t see pressure go beyond 55 lbs. Looks like the LS1 is still ticking along just fine. 🎉(: I appreciate you making these videos for us. 😊

[@floodx4947]

I have owned my 2004 since new, and it has always dropped to around 20psi when idling hot. (100+ degree summer days, 215+ degree oil temps). Even now, with 150k miles, it's the same as it was when it had 1500 miles. Yes, it does 'freak me out', but its well within the spec of the engine. As long as it comes back up to a 'normal' pressure (40psi+) when I come off idle, im not worried.

[@Toys4Life]

Thanks for the comment, interesting that it has stayed the same for that many miles!

[@uncontrolled8775]

I learned this the hard way lol gonna get a tune with the new engine setup though haha

[@ctvette1318]

Great video! My c6 runs almost exactly the same for oil pressure.

[@MariuszKozakowski]

I have pretty much the same numbers as you, on my 01 C5.

[@terjehimle3107]

Funny you posted this video today. :) Changed the oil pick up tube O-ring today. And upgraded the Rocker Arm CHE trunnions. Did not have bad oil pressure but i had air bubbles in the oil and a 1200 rpm rattle sound in the engine. Much better now :)

[@nowayjose596]

How did you determine that you had air bubbles in the oil?

[@terjehimle3107]

@@nowayjose596 Hi. I drained the oil

[@rogerstarr4285]

2002 ls1 factory spec ❤ your black c5 in the background

[@oliverwood3404]

I have a 2003 Z06 with 105,000 miles, run with Mobil 1 5W-30. In my experience coolant and ambient temperature impact oil pressure independent of the oil temperature itself. I consistently see 40psi at ~700rpm idle on cold start and 60+ psi at high rpm. If the car is left to idle with the AC off (this raises the temperature at which the thermo fans come on) in the Houston summer and allowed to cycle between 230 and 220F coolant temperature a few times the oil temp will reach 210 to 220F and idle oil pressure will drop as low as 19psi at idle. However after hard driving with coolant temp remaining in the low 200s and oil temp in the 230s it will maintain idle oil pressure at around 26psi even after a few minutes idling.

[@jamesdoerr4318]

While I have not watched that many of your videos, I have learned a tremendous amount of information. Thank you for taking the time to do the recordings. I am a giant fan of the C5 in my humble opinion if the girl can’t wink her eyes she’s not a real Corvette.

[@AndwenN]

Your numbers look identical to my 2002 Base with 87k miles. It has always been consistent with these numbers.

[@iminyourcloset1038]

99 c5 60k miles 42 psi idle at cold and like 20-25 at idle when warmed up. When warmed up it’s pretty consistent with your numbers. A little side note my dic has been saying low brake fluid and service trac, master cylinder resovoir is full though. Is there a sensor that’s going bad or is it my ebcm😮?

[@darrylsjodin7184]

Hey bud, speaking of oil, I did a test on my C5 Z06 Thursday. I drove for a half hour to a neighboring town and the car was up to full operating temp with 3/4 tank of mid grade 91 octane fuel. I stopped in a parking lot and added a bottle of Amsoil octane boost and a bottle of Amsoil upper cylinder lubricant to the gas tank. I swerved back and forth to slosh the gas around to mix it up and within 3 miles, the engine valve train quieted down considerably and there was a noticeable pick up in performance! It sounds and feels like a different engine. I’ve been using Amsoil products for 27 years and have never seen an improvement like that. Normally on a cold start, I run a really low rpm for a while until it warms up because the valve train click sound is so loud I’m afraid I’m hurting something. This morning on a cold start, no clicking noise! My son is going to try this in his Viper to see if the valve train noise is quieter as well. It kind of makes sense. Lake Speed Jr, the motor oil geek, said that the oil in the piston ring groove and between the rings has considerable fuel dilution, so fuels that contain a friction modifier actually reduce engine wear because it increases the lubricity in the ring area, and evidently the valve train too!

[@ordovicicosilurico6799]

can you do this same research for the c6 ls3 ? or ls2 , would be insteresting to see the compare of two engines and what GM said, cause ive seen this question hundread of times on c6 forums , and have the same different answers

[@Toys4Life]

I put it on the list - thanks!

[@Floozy91]

Thanks for all these videos, your channel has been very helpful for troubleshooting, maintenance, and knowledge!

[@Toys4Life]

Great to hear!

[@darrylsjodin7184]

I replaced the oil pressure sensor on my 03 Z06 the other day and a half 😢! I bought a sensor specific socket at O’Reilly’s and several trips to Harbor Freight and finally got it. I dropped the old one behind the engine but eventually found and retrieved it with a grab tool! Glad that’s done!

[@Toys4Life]

Glad it's fixed!! Link to the sensor socket you used - curious as to what it looks like! Thanks Toys!

[@darrylsjodin7184]

@@Toys4Life I sent a link for the socket but I don’t see it now. It was Oreilly’s part # LIS 13200. It doesn’t hold the part like a spark plug socket would, but I rolled up a small strip of duct tape and wedged it between the sensor and the socket.

[@joekoenig9587]

Mine; 2002 coupe with 37,000 miles. I’ve had this Corvette for 19 years, and enjoy each and every ride. My oil pressure has never dropped below 30 PSI even when hot. (Oil temp approximately 220 degrees). It rarely goes above 55 PSI, so I consider those numbers normal. I have NEVER seen any vehicle I have owned with oil pressure in the single digits. That info from Chevrolet seems nothing more than a “cover their ass” figure for oil pressure , so they never have to admit there is a problem with your LS1 engine. Just my opinion. Love your channel! Thanks for the great, and informative videos!

[@Toys4Life]

That likely prevents them from having to dig in to a lot of vehicles under warranty... Would be interesting to test an engine built to only have these pressures under normal driving for 150k....

[@SuperNovadose]

The stepper motor that gm uses on their gauges has a high failure rate

[@bryang9601]

Love it!!! I’m always worried about my 2002 vs 2004 Z06 oil pressures…one was high and the other relatively low.

[@Toys4Life]

Ha- your 04 was perfect!

[@richarddobreny6664]

And the bypass valve on the oil filter is set to what?

[@Toys4Life]

Depends on the filter manufacturer. Most I think are around 20 PSI to bypass the filter if it's clogged.

[@vacuumtube1954]

Very cool video. Like others here I have been wondering about this subject lately. Thanks for posting this informative video my friend. Have a great week.

[@Toys4Life]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Takeoverartist1987]

Hey just bought a 2002 z06 been following your videos for years and finally was financially able to pick one up. I have a question. So my vet has a btr stg3 cam. Oil pressure shows between 35-40 pretty much all the time. Previous owner had a shop replace it back in January. I just replaced it again myself yesterday. Same result however a 2/3rd pull got it to about 70. Then it slowly went back down. The plug looked to be in good shape. I put fresh oil and dropped the pan and saw nothing to worry about. What would be your next suggestion to look at? Or would you say that’s normal? First gm I’ve ever owned and other vehicles I’ve owned had pretty instant oil pressure response as far as rising and lowering with rpms.

[@Toys4Life]

I believe it is buffered to smooth it out. Sounds like your numbers are good!

[@Takeoverartist1987]

@@Toys4Life ahh ok that makes sense. Thanks!

[@grahamfrost2480]

What about erratic ie on start up mine went straight to the middle range ie 60 (which it's never done before) and slowly dropped off to 30 then went up to 50 and back to 30 all the while I'm driving around >1,500 rpm and < 3,000 rpm. I do less than 500 miles a year and sometimes I don't break 300 depending on weather conditions. Could this be the Oil Pressure Sensor? Would appreciate some advice as this only happened 3 days ago and I'm really worried about starting it. It's a 2004. 🤔🇬🇧

[@Toys4Life]

The sensor/sending unit would be my guess from what you are saying.

[@doolallyproductions7234]

If they were talking about a chevy 350 that would be kinda normal but every LS engine I drive even the one in my old truck and escalade they all are at 25 - 30 PSI when Hot and 40 - 50 PSI at high RPM

[@bigbenisdaman]

I've noticed the actual gage on the car seems to not agree 100% with direct logging with hptuners. For example i've seen over 80psi on hptuners while the gauge would only show 40ish. So i can easily see someone complaining their car not having but 45-50psi at 6000 rpm, when in actualality it could be more just not displaying.

[@Toys4Life]

Interesting - I will to try that out and see if mine behaves similarly!

[@anthonyardizzone3792]

2000 FRC:after doing a head cam swap that naturally included the oil pump the pressure dropped from 40 to 20 at idle. Pulled the pan checked O ring, cam bearing, crank and rod clearance all in spec. Pressure rises with RPM according to shop manual with no issues. Take away: LS1 oil pressure has wide range it can safely operate in as GM states.

[@HotRod-wv4vm]

Thanks for the video

[@rapid13]

My LS3 idled around 20psi when at temp. I checked the manual and it showed that same wide range as for the LS2. Perfectly normal. If you haven’t read ACAR, do that. It will give you peace of mind knowing how thoroughly Chevy tests their cars.

[@chrisj2308]

so what’s normal psi for ls2? say at cruising

[@darrylsjodin7184]

Do you have a video on replacing the oil pressure sending unit?

[@Toys4Life]

I do not - but there are several on U Tube fortunately.

[@robertwolfe8680]

My 2002 C5 at idle is about 40 psi driving it stays around 45 to 50. It has 50,000 miles on it. I’m old school and anything below 30 psi gets my attention. I did read the owner’s manual for the C5 I understand that they built it and know the specs, but it gives me some insecurities about the lower pressures.

[@Ls_corvette]

I need those style canards on my c6 like where do I find those at!!!!

[@greenscobie86]

2003 stock z06 with 50k. Mobil 1 5w30 oil at about 210 degrees with a psig of about 29 at idle. Good enough for me.

[@rogerstarr4285]

Industry standards right on the money ls1 drops below that standard mine on cold start 60psi 5w20 Mobil 1🎉

[@Toys4Life]

Industry standard is a minimum. Curious, why are you running 5W20? I'm assuming you have an LS1, 2 or 6?

[@jonnybmk6212]

Mine is pegged at 80psi because of the sensor. Any tips for easiest way to replace it? I have small hands if that helps!! :D

[@Toys4Life]

Hmmm. You could drill a hold directly above the sensor through the cowl - some do, I wouldn't. It is not as horrible as it sounds...

[@WEHRWULF8814]

What I don't understand is why my 01 Trans Am WS6 LS1 has always shown 40psi at idle, but my 04 corvette shows anything from 20-35psi at idle.

[@Toys4Life]

Is that hot or cold? ❄️

[@darrylsjodin7184]

My 03Z06 has always had normal oil pressure readings between 30 and 60 but the other morning after a “canyon run” with sustained rpm’s between 4,000 and 6,000, my oil pressure gauge was at 80 psi and didn’t drop down immediately when the engine was back at low rpm. 🤔

[@Toys4Life]

Odds are on a sending unit!

[@darrylsjodin7184]

@@Toys4Life Yes, thanks. I’ll keep an eye on it for erratic operation. I guess it’s kind of tough to replace due to it location? We had a similar part in refrigeration work called a pressure transducer that changed the pressure to an electrical signal that the computer could read and they would go bad as well.

[@darrylsjodin7184]

@@Toys4Life Yup, you’re right, I have a bad sending unit. 😢 I ran to the grocery store last night and the gauge went from zero, right to 78 and up into the 90’s with acceleration. The car’s staying in the garage was until I get the part and replace it. Is this a part that Auto Zone is fine or do I need the OEM part?

[@Toys4Life]

Unfortunately- I think this is one instance where it doesn't really matter, it's kind of a crap shoot imo.

[@darrylsjodin7184]

@@Toys4Life Thanks!😊

[@Teramydog]

temps on an aluminum LS engines are so different than the old iron block small blocks most old schoolers are familiar with. People just don't get that higher temps are normal is these more modern small blocks.

[@donaldsimmons5712]

had to replace oil pump on my 03-coupe due to pressure relief piston stuck partially open. Symptoms were no oil pressure at engine start unless engine revved above 1500 rpm. Also, early signs were any time I parked with frontend of Vette pointed uphill it took at least 20 seconds for oil pressure to show. Replaced pressure sensor...no help, dropped oil pan replaced pickup tube O-ring...no help, replaced oil pump with stuck relief valve with Melling hp hv pump, problem solved. The interesting part about the issue was that after initial engine start once oil pressure was established it had normal oil pressure with the exception of high engine RPM resulted in higher-than-normal oil pressure.

[@Toys4Life]

Appreciate that info, thank you!

[@donaldsimmons5712]

I had the opportunity to replace the harmonic balance with the power bond recommended by you and pinned it for future SC upgrade I also stuffed a GM performance cam plus valve springs. So all said and done I now have great oil pressure and netted 75 HP after a dyno jet tune.

[@castlegarage6969]

Mine is running at 26 hot at idel that's a safe range but allso run a coolit key fob.. so I keep my high speed fan running or it would be lower..

[@Toys4Life]

Interesting!

[@bullitt3839]

@Toys4Life do you have any videos on pinging?

[@Toys4Life]

This is for knock/ping with supercharged applications where it is more likely - but the concepts are still the same naturally aspirated. Let me know if this helps. Toys. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqnXnYtsnLibhbc

[@bullitt3839]

@@Toys4Life thanks!!

[@igotbandz14]

My avg pressure in idle is 19psi after hot but I have a 97

[@markwest9447]

No mention of oil viscosity, or additives. Surprised, he is usually more on the topic...

[@Toys4Life]

09:15 #1 on the list. I did assume that most were using the factory called for 5w-30 synthetic and no special additives. I should have mentioned that up front as well - thanks for bringing it to my attention! Toys

[@oler777]

i think i have the red spring because mine is at 70 almost all the time

[@vitalirider707]

Normal oil pressure when engine hot - 35 psi on xx , when you see 15-20 psi - engine need service

[@Toys4Life]

15-20 would raise my eyebrow - but if that is a idle, a Chev Dealership will LIKELY tell you it is normal.

[@davidburgner5826]

My C5 oil pressure seems pretty normal unless I'm in very hot temps. Example I was autocrossing and when I left the track my oil temps got to above 260° and my oil pressure at idle was 12 psi. 😳

[@Toys4Life]

I can see that happening!

[@davyhendrix]

Mine reads 80 I think I need to change oil sender I have been putting it off

[@castlegarage6969]

I bought a spare oil pressure sending unit haaa a year ago

[@Toys4Life]

That is a great idea - well spent cash - should mean you won't ever need it (:-)

[@TheDotdotdot0]

Got my motor rebuilt, bad rebuilder must’ve measured bearings wrong. Even with 10w-40 thicker oil my engine idled 10 psi and in traffic (hot) it would drop to

[@Toys4Life]

Yikes - sorry about that!

[@castlegarage6969]

We all are paranoid of oil pressure for good reason for people that don't know what a coolit keyfob is look it up and buy it ..or tune in your fan..

[@Toys4Life]

Interesting.

[@HotRod-wv4vm]

So that’s where the wiseman from the WWE went to😅

[@Toys4Life]

Somebody is a closet wrestling fan 😂

[@carbo2950]

Just a fact. Many of the smaller components in a GM are from south of the border.

[@Toys4Life]

Foreign made parts are common on most cars I do believe.

[@invertedpolarity6890]

GM is full of crap saying 6 psi @1000 rpm is okay. At idle and up to temp, a stock LS engine should be at minimum 20+ psi with closer to 30 psi being common. If your oil pressure is 6 psi at 1000 rpm, you have something seriously wrong with your engine. I have owned 7 LS powered cars (2xL76, LS2, 3xLS3, LS6) and none of them had oil pressure below 25 psi fully warmed up and at idle.

[@Toys4Life]

Seems too low to me as well - Makes a guy wonder why they put in a number so low as the minimum. I would hope they have (had) a qualified engineer that could make a case for it and sign off...

[@ProCoach2373]

Sure GM, Sure. If you ever have 6 PSI in an LS motor, you have a problem or you will soon.

[@rapid13]

And how did YOU test the Corvette over literally hundreds of thousands of miles? Hmm? Yeah, I’ll go with GM over Random Internet Guy.

[@ProCoach2373]

@@rapid13 Your welcome to believe whoever you like. I was actually a GM ASE master tech. The only time I've ever seen 6 psi of oil pressure in engines is shortly before their demise. The exceptions may be if the oil has been vastly over heated or the engine is extremely hot. The moral of the story in my opinion is, you best figure out why the pressure it too low before it's too late.