Hello Acura community.
My first posting, and I already have problems.
My daughter owns a 2002 Acura TL. It was bought
locally from another person here in Dallas.

I am very new to this car and very new to Acura
cars. I am a BMW guy and know those better.

Any way, I am having oil pressure light problems.
I am getting a flashing oil light when the car is warmed up and at idle. The light goes out very quickly on initial cold start up.

I changed out the oil switch today. I am having the same problem. The car IS indicating a low oil pressure problem. I initially had been using Castrol GTX 5w/20 oil. In the owners manual it states to use that weight oil. it also says that it is good up to 100 degrees. I live in Dallas and it is over 100 degrees. I drained that oil and am now using Castrol GTX 10W/30 oil. I am still having the oil pressure light at idle problem.

Perhaps this was a mistake, but I used some Seafoam in the oil right before I changed it.

I used the Seafoam and then drove a few miles and then drained it completely out.
During the cooler weather I was having no oil light problems. I have changed the oil and filter several times and the drained oil always looks good and no metal in the filter.

Except for a new engine, I am at a loss as what to do.

My old BMW cars use 20/W50 oil.
I am hesitant to try that weight oil in this modern car

Thank you

 

I can assure you that the 5W-20 oil is good up to much higher than 100 degrees. Something is wrong with the engine, other than the oil weight/type.

Are you getting any OBDII codes?

 

The car runs very well.
After running the snot out of the engine one evening I did get several cylinders with misfire codes.
Today I installed the NGK Iridium plugs that everyone here talked about. I can now floor it
and it pulls like a mule . I am getting NO Codes
at this time.

Any other ideas?

 

That gives me an idea. My car has been a bit expensive this month. What does it cost to insure a mule?

 

Does vtec work? Have you inspected the wiring leading to the oil pressure to make sure none of it is damaged?

One thing i may try is getting an actual pressure gauge that you can attach to see the pressure.

 

I am not overly sure what VTEC is. From what I gather, when you floor it the engine
Really pulls hard. This car has excellent power. Very smooth, no shaking, no codes.

Since I have tried 2 different oil pressure switches, I don't think I have an indication
problem. The light works exactly like a engine with very low oil pressure.

Cold start up works fine, after operation temp is reached, the oil thins out and the light
Flickers of goes steady.
I am thinking the PO added some kind of engine glue to sell the car. My sea foam flush
must have cleaned it out.

 

I agree kris,
you dont know if you have an actual problem- or a faulty guage or a loose wire
ck those and use a real oil pressure guage to find out whats what

Does vtec engage around 4500 rpm- give or take a few hundred rpm, varies with year and type..get to 4000 rpm and floor it!
the increased engine intake sound and small kick of more power when its on is appearent
If no vtec operation- definite oil pressure prob in system,,it runs on oil pressure and oil pressure changes

Whats the current mileage on car?

Seafoam in the oil is an excellent plan, but the few minutes drive wasnt enough to clean away years of sludge that builds up
How much did you add to the oil?

Seafoam tech support suggest a 30 minute drive,,
up to leaving it in a few weeks.. up to 500 miles! (many of us have done that)
then change oil and filter, with engine warm!! or what wasnt caught by the filter is sitting on the bottem of the pan as solid matter,,warm up drive liquifies it

When you changed the oil with seafoam , was the filter already near capacity/7500 miles? If so the system may have gone into filter bypass mode, and all the crud circulates- so a lot could have been hiding in the oil passages when you drained the oil

I would add 1/2 can seafoam to the oil now, thats the amount needed for ~5 qts oil
put a new filter on if oil change was not very recent
Drive up to 500 miles, with over 30 minutes at a time- when possible
that 30 minutes is the magic mark for getting the most out of the product
good heat in system makes seafoam work better

It could be as simple as the pickup screen is dirty and low pump speed at idle wont pull enough pressure

A sample of the oil can go to blackstone labs, they will mass spectrograph it and can tell if there is a heat/wear issue or other probs that would come from low pressure..about $20 bucks

start with the wiring and the vtec test

you know how to reset the Yellow MAIT REQ light, correct?
making you are not being tricked by it at startup...thats only a mileage counter you reset at oil change,,it starts flashing around 6500 miles getting more insistant until it comes on and stays on ~7500,,until you reset the counter

Oh Welcome to acurazine! between us we can help you solve most problems

register with www.owner.acura.com and acura care 1 800 382 2238x5 for usa cars
ask them if any OPEN recalls, there are a few and a newer one on airbag inflator speed

 

add nothing to the TL oil for normal running,,no superslide~

DO use 5w-30 oil

 

5w30 certainly adds a bit more protection, but I've gone with 5w20 or 0w30. There are pros and cons and plenty of other threads where people argue the merits of each, but for the purpose of this thread, you aren't going to fix the oil pressure problem by switching to 5w30.

 

The current mileage on the car is 130 K.
I will try another Seafoam today.
I have the intake manifold off now and it is packed FULL of
black carbon. I am referencing the posts here to do it.

The rear PCV seems to have the check valve working.
There is oil inside the intake. I now know that is normal.

If I do have a weak oil pump, how hard it it to change?

The car runs and idles very smoothly. I am getting no CEL lights. The power is smooth and very good.

On other cars I have worked on, when the oil pressure light comes on, it is noticable with a knocking engine and
rough running. This car is rock steady in all RPM's

I appreciate this community for everyones ideas.

 

ahhh the clogged egr port and passage system prob! we know it well
make sure to get a wire rod/coat hanger pushed thru the length of the passage all the way to the egr valve ports in the manifold (also lube egr operating arm)
poking just the ports wont fix anything
3 cans carb cleaner is typical useage to get the carbon loose and washed out

service the TB- clean its air plate on both sides, lube throttle return springs and main cables, and good idea to remove IACV idle air control valve and clean its air slit (bottem of TB)

the rear valve cover pcv- if it shakes ok- just clean it

 

plan on new gasket for TB to manifold, and the iacv cover gasket might get damaged

have you seafoam'd the gas and manifold,,or gas twice?
thats for general running and will clean up carbon you can guess is everywhere~

 

Ok test drive complete.
I had the intake manifold completely apart and removed every spec of carbon. I rodded out the EGR passageway and flushed everything with brake cleaner.
Possible record here, I used 5 cans of cleaner
Anyway the car is back together and running. Initial start up all lights went out as they should.

About 12 minutes into the drive at a stop light I was getting a oil pressure light at idle.

I continued driving to test out the VTEC.
If above 4500 RPM or so the engine has a nasaly,
growling,higher pitch sound then that must be the VTEC operating correctly. The car pulls to redline
and does it well. NO CODES.

After my imaginary Police chase, I was stopping at a light. With the AC on at idle the oil pressure
goes to steady on. A flick of the throttle will cause the light to go to flashing mode.

I am assuming the ECU has a time limit of low oil pressure and even if it is corrected the oil light will flash under all RPM ranges?

So, the car is in the driveway and I am back to square 1

Should I try another seafoam and oil change?

 

thats next on the diagnostics

got no idea on ecu time limits- you are the first in my years on here with this problem

if you got some kick above 4500 that was vtec
look up how it operates to better understand- its subtle but changes the intake valves opening time, delays the 2nd intake valve opening to create a tornado of fuel and air and increases lift duration-

 

force an ecu reset by removing the CLOCK fuse on passenger side end of dash for a minute (the secret backup power to ecu)

 

an aftermarket guage $15 would be the best,,may be pita to install where the oil pressure sendor is located- but will reveal exactly what pressure at what rpm

you say no codes- do you have a code scanner? or just no dash warning lights?
was it doing this before the plug change?

 

Before the plug change I floored it a few times and got several cylinders with misfire code. The CEL light was on. I changed the plugs and reset the clock fuse. No check engine light now.

The oil pressure light is still on. It will come on at idle. It is steady red. That means it is not enough pressure to keep the switch from making contact.

Does anyone know the PSi rating for the light?
If I keep the RPM up at 900 to 1000 the light will stay out.
My idle now is rock steady 750. Not sure what it is supposed to be.

 

750 +- 100 rpm with ac off
the sensor has a numbered rating on it for psi,,I am guessing 10
parts store can pull one from the shelf and ck

 

Get a actual oil pressure gauge and see what the pressure is at idle when it comes on.

 

I agree Ameliarose, you need to mechanically check the pressure reading with a gauge. Also if it isn't too hard take the oil pan off and check the pickup screen to make sure it isn't half clogged.

 

thats a lot of work to remove the oil pan
installing a guage would be faster,
and a good seafoam treatment will clean the inlet screen

 

There are no downsides to running a 30 or even 40wt. I would have no issue throwing in a 40wt once you confirm it's low oil pressure verified with a mechanical gauge.

20wt is only there due to CAFE standards. My '06 hasn't seen a 20wt since new. These engines in other parts of the world where CAFE does not exist regularly spec 40wt oils so you will have absolutely no issues.

I hate to say it but you're going to find low oil pressure when you hook up the gauge. It has the classic symptoms. It's fine when the oil is cold or cool. Light stays off except at hot idle, etc. The only way to raise pressure is with a thicker oil. Run a 40wt in the summer, 30wt in the winter if you want. Overall viscosity will be about the same in their respective seasons. 20wt should not be an option at this point. It's not a plugged oil pickup screen, this would show up in the higher rpms, not at idle.

Seafoam is very bad for the engine. You should not put this crap in your crank case. Save it for the gas tank only. It's a solvent, it thins the already thin oil and can cause excessive engine wear if you actually drive the car with it in there. It drastically lowers the HTHS and film strength of the oil. If you have to use this stuff, use it with the engine idling only.

 

I went ahead and did yet another oil change and installed Castrol GTX 5/W20 oil.
In a moment of desperation I also use 1 quart of Lucas oil conditioner. The oil light
Now stays out a little longer and seems to be running cooler.
I really hate the Lucas oil crap but it was worth a try.

My last attempt is to try the oil I use in my mid 1980's BMM.
I and the rest of the forum guys use 20/W50 oil. I have it in stock.

I know this Acura engine is much tighter and much newer designed engine than
My BMW M30 engine.

I am out of options except for a new oil pump.
Any other ideas.

 

The Acura engine's clearances are no tighter than the BMW's engine. Look them up. In fact, if you're having oil pressure issues it's safe to say the Acura's clearances are quite a bit looser than your Bimmer. This is a myth that won't die. You can use the thicker oil with no worries in the Acura.

The Lucas stuff is a blob of viscosity index improvers. It's about the absolute worst thing you can put in your engine. It will leave deposits and generally gum everything up in a short time. Drain it out and put the thicker oil in. That's your only solution besides a rebuild.

 

UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>
I drained my mix of Lucas engine glue (1Qt.) and Castrol
5/W20 out. With only 80 miles on it it looked new.

Just returned with a test drive of Castrol 20/W50 oil.
The light stays on at idle.

Would it be worth a try to use straight 30 or 40 weight oil?

 

At operating temp (210F) the straight weight and multi weight will be the same viscosity. At anything less than 210F the straight weight will be thicker. If the light didn't go off with the 20w-50, it's probably not curable with thicker oil. Running a straight 50 is pushing the limits. I've done it, I have a friend that runs a straight 60wt in his stock 350z but even though it will probably be ok I can't recommend it.

The straight weight will be thicker most of the time because oil temps fluctuate a lot since there is no cooler and no way of controlling oil temp. Put it under heavy load and it can go well past 210F. Do a lot of easy driving and it can go below 180F.

 

My Friend figured this out.

The drivers side fan is not coming on. It is dead.
We hooked up his scanner and the operating temp read 235 degrees .
I never noticed the second fan NOT coming on because the temp gauge never went above half way.
My buds scanner showed that the coolant temp was way too hot.
Now, Would you guys think that a inoperative fan could cause excessive engine oil temps and causing the oil pressure light to come on?

I hope that the dead fan is my problem.
Fingers crossed.

Also, what brand or outlet has a new set of fans I can order and install.
Is Rock auto any good?

 

235 is not excessively hot.

 

On the fans, are they both the same?
One is now turning VERY Slooooow. it is rotating but it is not drawing much air.
Where to go to get new fans?

 

Also, what temp should I see on the scanner?
What is the norm?

 

Not having the Second FAN should not Increase the Temp too much. The Second FAN actually comes on when the engine is WAAYY Hotter Than Usual and when you use A/C.
It just helps the Primary FAN to cool the AF faster..

Check if it Turns with A/C, IT SHOULD MOVE. If it doesnt move its Dead..


BUT

I dont think that is the issue with the Oil Pressure thing...

 

if one fan isn't functioning...try replacing just the fan motor

 

the driver side fan is controlled by a sensor in the rad, but with slow movement observed that fan is probably toast
You can run a jumper wire to it to test function, but if it doesnt spin freely by hand--you found A problem

any aftermarket - make sure it pulls air, not push
the passenger fan is a different blade, dont interchange them

While I dont have a good spec for running temp- with the primary cooling fan inop
at times when needed most- its hot and sitting at idle,,that should be running!!
If not, the oil has to take some extra load of cooling
That could be your issue,,,my opinion is 20 weight oil isnt helping either

With this new fact in mind, ck the rad and res bottle levels-
hose inside res cap is on secure?

open heater by turning cabin temp to hot with cabin fab on and rad cap off, run engine.
watch for any level drop in rad and refill as needed

Air trapped behind the thermostat can fool the dash guage into not revealing a problem elsewhere

ck rad cap seal and spring, been several of those come apart!!
pressure test or replace on general good measure

 

pass side fan is ac On controlled and supposed to work in severe overheat as well
If its not working with ac- you have another problem there
but that driver side/left fan inop is your first fix

 

The drivers fan is dead. If I push it with my finger it will spin slowly.
I can stop it with 1 finger. Once it is not spinning it won't spin till I
"jump start " it.

I might also have a temp indication issue. It seems to sit about halfway
And not do much. It does show a dead cold engine.

I tried a small experiment tonight. I started the car and unplugged both
fans. I watched the temp gauge closely. Just above half way with the AC on,
the oil light would flicker. I then got out my water hose and sprayed the
radiator through on the dead fan side.
The oil pressure light went out!

I think I have much more cooling / indication problem than a low oil pressure.

I never saw the temp gauge go I increment above 1/2. I might have a
Gauge that reads low? Anyway I will replace the drivers side fan and
Let it idle with the AC in the hot Dallas sun and se if I get and low oil
pressure light.

 

NO! All Hondas/Acuras sit at lower than 1/2 Temp Gauge exactly More or Less 2-3 lines from the middle! But thats the Normal Temperature for it!
Be Awared of it, if it Rises above middle or Stays for too long in dead Middle its not normal.

If you got a Dead PRIMARY FAN (DRIVERS) You should stop using the Car! Thats the Main Cooler for your radiator = ENGINE!.

 

let it idle WITHOUT ac!,,ac forces the passenger fan to be on
you want No air blowing except what driver fan creates
then you can tell if thermostat opens properly and main/driver fan sensor is working

1-2 lines below half is normal, and dead steady, anything above or movement is a problem in the system

 

The engine either needs bearings or oil pump. Checked for a clogged pickup screen. If the body is still good I would pull the oil pan down for observation and remove a rod and main bearing.
Good luck

>low pressure when hot = tired motor

 

All moot points until op gets the oil pressure tested with a real gauge. I probably replace 20 oil senders before I see an actual oil pressure problem.

 

the heat!! got to reduce the heat by having main cooling fan operate when required

He has no fan cooling in those ambient temps,,Im surprised the guage isnt pegging