If you think of your car like a human body; your engine is like your hear, oil is the blood of an engine and is required to keep it lubricated and alive. This means oil pressure is like blood pressure. Too high and you might blow a gasket and too low your engine seize or get damaged. It’s always good to keep an eye on your oil pressure or check it occasionally to see how well it is doing. Don’t trust a warning light in your car as it might be faulty or come on after it is too late. The best way to check oil pressure is by using a mechanical gauge tied directly into an oil passage. This can be done quickly and easily with the correct tools.
A Mechanical Pressure tester kit checks the oil pressure in your vehicle’s automatic transmission and gas-powered engine. Works with major-model domestic and foreign cars and light trucks. More accurate than dashboard oil pressure gauges, this 2-1/2″-dia. gauge has a dual-scale dial with ranges from 0–300 PSI and 0–21 BAR. Also includes a long-reach 6′ oil-proof nitrile hose to make testing easier, plus standard and metric fittings.
To check oil pressure find your stock oil pressure sensor location. Often times it is on top of or next to where the oil filter mounts. There may be a plug next to the switch and can be removed to check or you can remove the stock plug and thread in the proper adapter fitting from your kit. Then thread the gauge with hose into the engine and start your engine briefly and immediately check for any leaks at the gauge connections. With the engine running keep an eye on your oil pressure. It should above 20psi when cold and when hot at 10 or above typically with most engines in good condition. Engines with single digit oil pressures may be tired and need rebuilding or maintenance like a fresh oil pump. This test takes less than an hour and can be done with simple hand tools.
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