98 Olds Aurora V8 gives me an in-dash and audible low oil pressure warning. Engine running normal, there is no tapping and the oil level is where it should be. Oil needs changed according to indicator, but oil is clean.

92 or 98>?
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Low pressure when at idle, after the engine has warmed up and the oil has thinned, indicates that the oil pump is worn and needs to be replaced.

see this tips and fix it. God bless you
The oil pump supplies oil to lubricate your engine. If the oil pump is worn or is not turning, the engine will suffer a loss of oil pressure, which may result in engine damage or engine failure.
The first sign of trouble may be a low oil pressure warning light, a drop in the normal reading on you oil pressure gauge (if your car has one), or the appearance of ticking or clattering sounds from your engine.
As a rule, most engines only need about 10 PSI of oil pressure for every 1,000 RPM of engine speed. Oil pressure will read higher than normal when a cold engine is first started because the oil is thick. Oil pressure will gradually drop as the engine warms up and the oil thins out. So normal oil pressure on a warm engine cruising down the highway is typically 30 PSI up to 45 PSI.
SYMPTOMS OF OIL PUMP TROUBLE
The first thing you should do if any of these symptoms occur is to stop your car, turn off the engine, let it sit for a few minutes, then check the oil level on the dipstick. If the oil level is at or below the ADD line, add a quart of oil to bring the level back up to the full mark. Add as much oil as is needed to raise the level to the full mark. Then restart the engine. If the warning light remains on, or the oil pressure reading does not climb back up to its normal range, or the engine noise does not go away, you may have a bad oil pump.
The other possibilities include a bad oil pressure sending unit, or a problem with the oil pressure warning light circuit or oil pressure gauge.
OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT
If the engine is NOT making any unusual noises and seems to be running normally, and the oil level on the dipstick is FULL, but you are still getting a low oil pressure warning light or low gauge reading, the fault could be a bad oil pressure sending unit.
The oil pressure sending unit is mounted on the engine block. On some applications, there is a spring-loaded pressure-sensitive diaphragm with a switch inside the sending unit. This switch completes the circuit to the low oil pressure warning light if oil pressure drops below a certain threshold. The unit may stop working if the diaphragm inside fails, if the switch is stuck, if the small hole that allows oil to enter the sending unit becomes plugged, if there is a loose, corroded or broken wiring connector at the sending unit, or there is a fault in the wiring circuit between the sending unit and warming light.
On vehicles that have an oil pressure gauge (electronic, not mechanical), the oil pressure sending unit has a small rheostat inside that sends a variable voltage signal to the oil pressure gauge when the diaphragm moves. A worn spot on the rheostat or any of the other problems just described for the simple pressure-type oil pressure switches can cause a problem.
FORD'S FAKE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE
On many Ford vehicles that were built from 1980 through the 1990s, the oil pressure sending unit has two switches, a low pressure and a high pressure. These vehicles also have an oil pressure gauge, but the reading on the gauge is not a true indication of real oil pressure. As long as the pressure to the sending unit is between high and low, the gauge will read normal. If oil pressure drops and trips the low pressure switch, the dash gauge will now read low. Or, if oil pressure goes up and trips the high switch inside the sending unit, the dash gauge will read high. Consequently, don't rely on the oil pressure gauge for an accurate reading in these vehicles. It is only a gross indication if the oil pressure is low, normal or high.
OIL GAUGE PROBLEMS
If the engine is NOT making any unusual noises and seems to be running normally, the oil level on the dipstick is FULL, and you have replaced the oil pressure sending unit but are still getting a low oil pressure reading on the dash gauge, the fault could be in the wiring circuit between the sending unit and gauge, or the gauge itself might be bad.
Check the wiring connections on both ends as well as wiring continuity between the sending unit and gauge. If no wiring faults are found, hook up a pressure gauge directly to the oil pressure port on the engine and check oil pressure with the engine running. If the engine-mounted gauge shows normal oil pressure but the dash gauge is reading low, the problem is a bad dash gauge.
On the other hand, if the engine-mounted pressure gauge reads low and you have done all of the above, chances are the oil pump is worn, or it is not picking up enough oil because of a restriction or blockage in the pickup screen in the bottom of the crankcase.
OIL PUMP PICKUP PROBLEMS
The pickup tube has a screen on the end to prevent large chunks of anything bad that ends up in the crankcase from being sucked into the pump. But we are talking BIG chunks of debris, not normal wear particles or carbon or dust or other microscopic-sized abrasive particles that can cause pump wear over time.

Oil pressure is generally not related to oil level unless the oil level is low.
Oil pressure is created by a pump and as the engine parts wear over time, the oil passes through them easier causing oil pressure to drop.
It is also possible that the loss of pressure is caused by an oil pump that has worn, but don't get your hopes up.
If the vehicle has a lot of mileage, has been driven hard, has not had the oil changed regularly, this occurs.
It is sometimes possible to put additives in your car that are "thicker" than oil and this will give you some time to decide what to do.
Gary

your oil pressure should be a lot more than 7 lbs, your oil filter may need changing, or your oil pump could be the problem ....hope this helps....cheers

Hi. This issue has several causes, but the oil light indicator is a strong sign of low pressure in the engine. This will cause the engine lubrication rate to drop, thus, producing a illuminated oil light, and erratic Oil pressure readings. The necessary actions are to have a manual oil pressure test ran on this engine, asap. When running a manual oil pressure test, you will discover if the true oil pressure is low, or normal. If the test proves that the oil pressure is, indeed, low, this will confirm that the Oil pump is suspect.

Now, if the true readings given during the manual oil pressure test are indicating that the pressure is normal, this will be the result of a failed sending unit(oil pressure switch).

Paul,
Here's a few things to check out. First, you need to know if the oil pressure is correct or not. You can figure this out by removing the sensor and replacing it with a manual oil pressure gauge for testing purposes. If you find that the manual gauge is showing higher pressures, you can breathe easy and start looking at your instrument cluster for the problem. If, however, your oil pressure is reading the same, you need to figure out why your oil pressure is so low. One thing to check out, is to change out your filter, especially if it's a brand other than GM's AC Delco. Some filters are TOO restrictive, and can cause low oil pressure issues. Secondly, the viscosity of oil that you use can make a difference as well. As engines get older, and acquire higher mileages, they wear down a little. This makes larger gaps for oil to pass through, thus allowing your oil pressure to lower. For higher mileage vehicles, it's recommended to go with a slightly thicker oil, which will combat this problem. If these don't bring your pressure up enough, you may have to consider replacing your oil pump. This is more involved, as you must take the pan off the engine, and that can be a pain sometimes. You may opt for a higher volume pump, which would compensate for your increased tolerances. Hope this helped you out!

Thicker oil is all you need. 5w30 is too thin when it warms up and the sensor cant pick up the flow going past. 10w40 should stop all the issues

It may seem obvious but do not operate the engine with it overheating as this can lead to more trouble including a cracked engine block.

Low engine oil pressure is a problem because if it exists, the critical engine parts may not get lubricated properly and may fail. Since you have ruled out external leaks, here are some possibilities:

Clogged oil filter or obstruction in the system

Loose wire or faulty oil pressure or oil level sending switch/sensor.

Possible blown head gasket. This is a serious problem that might be accompanied by white or blue exhaust smoke and a burnt coolant or oil odor. Check for oil contamination with coolant. The dipstick may show a brown milky film/sludge or smell like burnt coolant indicating contamination.

Engine oil pump is possibly bad. This is a serious problem. It's usually time to swap out or rebuild the engine, particularly if it has many miles.

Possible but unlikely in this case is a problem with PCU (Power Control Unit) that runs the Information Center. PCU problems are often indicated by getting other unrelated errors on the info display or "DATE NOT AVAILABLE" for extended periods when you start the car.

You did not mention the Check Engine/Service Engine Soon light being on, but if so I would get the trouble codes read at the OBD II connector. The codes might indicate a sensor problem. Some auto stores do this for free. Either way, I would assume the worse case scenario (bad oil pump) and address it immediately. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of the car, most things are not easy to diagnose and repair by the do-it-yourselfer. Hopefully though it is just a sensor but with a temperature rise, I would be careful.

Best of Luck!

SC442299

1996 Oldsmobile Aurora
4.0L DOHC 32V V8
Autobahn Option