95 E320 oil pressure

[tbenner]

Say it isn't so... I have been running Mobil 1 0w40 in the 95 E320 wagon for a year and a half with no problems. Now when warm, it is dropping below 1 bar oil pressure at idle when it is in gear (slightly less than 500 rpm on the tach). In park at idle (slightly above 500 rpm) it hovers around 1 bar. It used to stay around 2 bar at idle. The pressure does peg at 3 bar when driving.

I am at a loss as to what to check or do. There isn't any oil in the coolant or vice versa. Do the senders and/or gauges go bad? Do the oil pumps ever go bad? Would the bearing clearances open up seemingly overnight so it won't hold pressure at low rpm? Should I just change it to heavy dino oil and see what happens? I like this old wagon and would really like to keep it on the road.

Thanks for the help and advice.

Tim Benner
Dayton, Ohio

[babymog]

I'd start by changing oil and filter. Pressure sender could be going bad, would probably be my next swap, or check pressure mechanically.

[tbenner]

Thanks for the idea!... Feeling a little more optomistic now. No change in the oil pressure after the oil change. I'll replace the sender and see what happens.

Tim

[deanyel]

Your oil pressure is perfectly normal, ideal actually, no reason to do anything except stop worrying about it.

[tbenner]

I thought that 2 bar at idle was OK and anything below 1 bar was big trouble. But why did it change? Maybe the new sender would be a good idea anyway just for the warm fuzzy feeling it provides.

Thanks,

Tim

[deanyel]

Check your owner's manual. It's fine to be under 1 bar at idle.

[sranjesuper]

for my 190e 2.6 i also remembered my pressure to be at 3 while driving and around 1 when hot and sitting. After a while it started to stay at 2 while driving and never reaching 3 and went almost to 0 while in idle. I changed my oil, thinking the filter was plugged and voila. Now back at 3 and 1.

BTW i use synthetic also, so the sensor is reading it right.