Oil pressure - is 70-80psi normal?

[cdover73]

I have been noticing lately that my oil pressure is staying almost maxed out on the gauge. It fluctuates a little between whoa and go, but even after it warms up it still hangs in the high range. Is this normal? I never paid enough attention to it before to know if it has changed. It is almost time for an oil change, so maybe a viscosity issue? What are all of yours running during normal driving?

Thanks,

 

[MoparMap]

Try turning the key on without starting the engine and see what the pressure reads. Mine typically runs around 70-75 at speed, but will drop down to 50 at a hot low idle. However, once in the past I noticed I seemed to have super high pressures, like almost ******* the gauge. Turns out my sensor was going bad. It would show almost 25 with the key on and engine not running, so you might have a similar issue.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Vipers carry high pressures , and that is normal.

 

[Kirkinsb]

Yep, my 03 reads just like MoparMap's indicates in his first sentence.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Agree...noting that with Mobil 10W-30 our 03 hallways falls to around 50 when both water and oil fully warm (190-200°F).

 

[MoparMap]

Also, the 2003's have different gauge limits than the later years. I'm guessing it was probably because of the reasons you're seeing. I think the 03 upper limit was 80? On my 04 the upper oil pressure limit is 100. I think the temp gauges even changed a bit too so they all run more or less vertical needles and operating temperature.

 

[cdover73]

Sooo....other than maybe a sensor going out I shouldn't be worried about anything? Is that what I'm hearing? My gauge runs constantly in the 70-80 range. I see very little deviation when hot or when at speed vs idle. I know there could be many reasons, but if you are seeing a drop to as low as 50 at hot idle, then maybe I should be worried...

I am overseas until the end of this month. I will have to look into it more when I get home. Hopefully it's just a sensor and not a bottom end full of metal stopping up the main journals and oil ports...

 

[cdover73]

I just had a sizzle going on between my ears! Would me changing the exhaust to high flows have anything to do with an increase in my psi? I can't say for sure if it ran lower before, but now I'm wondering. A back pressure issue maybe? Hell, that sizzle is starting to hurt now and I think I smell smoke...

 

[TalonTSi90]

I just had a sizzle going on between my ears! Would me changing the exhaust to high flows have anything to do with an increase in my psi? I can't say for sure if it ran lower before, but now I'm wondering. A back pressure issue maybe? Hell, that sizzle is starting to hurt now and I think I smell smoke...

No, but if its an electronic sensor, the 'extra' heat if any could cause the readings to be wonky. This is me using my general knowledge of cars, not Viper specific, so i could be completely wrong and is at best a guess.

 

[cdover73]

Okay, I'm back home from Saudi now and had a chance to investigate this a little further. The psi does go down after it gets hot and the engine is at idle. Usually in the 40-50 psi range. But any throttle advance and it pegs out. So its apparently working properly now. I guess the real question I should be asking is "is it normal for the pressure to run that high while under throttle?". I think that has already been answered in this thread. I just wanted to close it out by gving the update. Thanks to all who posted for your help.

Thanks,

 

[MoparMap]

It caught me off guard the first time I drove my dad's 03 as well coming from an 04. You don't really notice the difference in gauge scale until you look closely, so the first time I glanced at the gauge and saw it way over to the right I was pretty puzzled. Once I looked closer and saw the numbers were different I wasn't as worried.

 

[TexasTorred]

'03 here. Similar comment to first response. Owned the vehicle for about 6 years now, always running 'high' on the gauge, almost pinging it. Does seem to lower in the 50-60 range when hot and at idle. I really don't think you have a problem. That is just the way the Viper runs. High pressure (upper region) of the gauge.