350i wedge low oil pressure

[rayb]

as soon as car gets up to temperature oil prssure falls to 20psi, smell of oil in car when driving. Any ideas

[Number 7]

You don't say whether that's an idle figure or not. If so, it's very good. Over 2-3K rpm it should be around 40psi, but this also depends on what type of oil you run. More viscous oil tends to give a slightly higher pressure in my experience, and the reverse is also true. Gauges / senders can be unreliable - can you hook up a hand-held gauge to the block to check? It could of course just be wear of the oil pump gears/ cover. How many miles has the engine done?

7.

[Jasper Gilder]

It's not pressure it's volume that matters in a RV8 - Mine shows about 25 on the guage when it's at about 3000 revs, bit less on tickover used to be higher but I had a new sender fitted....

As to the smell - check the little breather on the back of the rocker cover that doesn't have the filler in, may need changed. Also screw the flame trap out of the front of the rocker cover, use a pair of pencil nosed pliers to pull out the mesh ( 'orrible mess) and clean the lot in petrol. Reassemble and refit and you should be OK

[rayb]

thanks I have changed/cleaned the filter on the rear of the rocker cover, that cured the smell of oil in the car. Thanks for the tip.As to the oil pressure engine cold 1200 revs 30psi 3000revs 40psi, engine warm 850 revs 20psi 3000 revs 22psi, these are only approximates as up to know I have havae not had a gauge on the block. It is the big red light on the dash which is annoying as soon as you go under 3000 revs up it pops

[gruffalo]

I believe that teh light and the gauge are fed from different sender units so that rules that out and would suggest that the cause is low pressure, which is not good news.

did this problem suddenly happen or has it been slowly reducing, one more thisj to look at could be the oil pressure relief valve, spring could have broken or have just become weak with age?

[Number 7]

Oil warning lights are usually rated in single figures (less than 10psi). Before you do anything else I would get a separate gauge to connect up directly to the engine and measure, as senders / dash gauges can be inaccurate.

7.