Oil Pressure Switch

[mypradogrande Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mypradogrande]

Hi Guys

I had been driving for about 15 minutes the other day when my Low Oil Pressure light flicked on and of a couple of times before I stopped and turned the car off. After leaving it for 5-10 minutes I started the car and drove another 10km without the light coming on to the closest Toyota. Without examining the car they proceeded to tell me they believe my engine is full of sludge and I either A) Need to have my engine reconditioned or b) New engine. I then drove 25km home without the light coming on. Bearing in mind this engine has done 255,000km with excellent service history. My dad is a mechanic and he believes it is just the oil pressure switch playing up so I bought a new switch and some engine flush which I'll install/run through the engine on Saturday in case there may be a bit of sludge build up inside.

I've got a 9000km trip coming up in 4 weeks so I need to nail this on the head or cancel the trip to get my car fixed.

Has anyone ever had to replace the Oil Pressure switch on the 4L V6 before ? If so - where about is it located on the block?

Also if anyone has experienced a similar issue - Am I looking at needing a full engine overhaul / replacement ? The runs as well as the day I got it and never skips a beat so I'd be surprised if the engine is on its way out. It doesn't make any weird noises apart from the usual injector / manifold ticking and oil always drains relatively clean.

Thanks,
Jesse

[Bear63 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bear63]

I have seen these motors sludged up before , it is a simple task to drop off the lower part of the oil pan and have a look , check the pickup etc , pretty much the only way to have peace of mind

[mypradogrande Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mypradogrande]

I have seen these motors sludged up before , it is a simple task to drop off the lower part of the oil pan and have a look , check the pickup etc , pretty much the only way to have peace of mind

Thanks Bear63, Excuse my ignorance but by oil pan you mean remove the bottom of the sump ? and do the Sumps have a seal or gasket that should be replaced when you put it back together ?

Sounds like you regularly work on these motors. If there is a bit of sludge at the bottom, would it have done damage to the motor in other places ?

[Bear63 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bear63]

HI , they have a small steel cover on the lower part of the sump , it is sealed with rtv silicon , just remove the small bolts so you can remove it and have a look , if it is sludged up is is a bit of a gamble as to any damage ,with out physically dismantling the motor you will normally hear the damage caused from the sound of the motor , needs an experienced ear for this

[mypradogrande Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mypradogrande]

Over the weekend I decided to try running some engine flush through and changing the oil pressure switch. The oil come out quite clean, much to my surprise the engine is running a bit quieter also. The Oil pressure light has now gone off, I have done over 150km now and it seems to run better then before.

I didn't remove the sump cover at this point but the flush seems to have cleaned it out. Will keep and eye out and see how it goes but fingers crossed the issue is resolved!