bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

on my 1990 Civic, the oil lamp stays on an extra 1-2 seconds after the car is started, and during that time I can hear a gear-like noise of very low volume. The noise goes away when the light extinguishes. The car has 232K kms on it, it's an original auto dx that runs mint, has fresh oil and a Honeywell filter in it currently. Oil is 5W30 Valvoline long life... or was it Castrol High Mileage?? Methinx this oil filter has a ****ty anti-drainback valve?? Is that possible? I knew I shoulda used my last Honda filter on this car, but I was saving it for the pre-storage oil change in the other car. DAMNIT!!

Where, besides the original oil press sensor location can I tee off and check oil pressure with a gauge? Could the oil pump be on it's way out? Should I replace the oil pump?

imported_trackhack

Hey Bruno,

It quite could possibly be the filter. Some manufacturers use a different element design or filter media that could possibly restrict flow. Try changing the filter out for either a honda one, or a reputable manufacturer(I've used fram since I got my car) and see what happens.

As for oil pressure locations on your D15, i don't know of any you could use, as I haven't had a close look at one in a long time.

The oil pressure switch that controls the light has a spring that is set to approximately 7psi. So any less than 7psi turns the light on. It is also possible that if the oil light is on for a long period that the switch has failed, but you have also associated it with mechanical noises..

What you COULD do is run some Rislone through your engine and it might clean any sludge that might be restricting your oil pressure. Just another thought.

Excuse the rambling, and first try just changing the filter, you'll be no further behind in the search for the culprit.

Hope this helps.

imported_Cablerat

you asking a question.. woo, what's happening to this world.. I'm in shock!

From what you're describing it sound like the oil pump takes a bit longer to get the pressure up to normal and start circulating oil.. I would say test the oil pressure out before you decide to change pumps.

Not sure about another location to test the pressure. I figured only way is to get a reading from the oil pressure sensor..

imported_viper_2_4

how often do you use the car?? I find on my 89 if I let it sit for a few days the oil light stays on for an extra second when starting....also, I would recomend changing to the blue honda filters, cost almost the same as cheap crappy tire ones, and work well......

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

yeah, looks like I'm gonna have to swap filters first... but since I'm doing that I'm gonna run seafoam through the crankcase first to cut the sludge buildup. When I got the car the crankcase had an extra liter of oil in it and the oil was filty. The spark plug wells were filled with oil too... I pulled the valve cover, changed all the seals, put all new ignition components in... the spark plugs looked to be nearly original to the car as were the rest of the components. The valve cover had a serious buildup of sludge too, so I know the oil hadn't been changed very often. I start the car about 4+ times per day, about 4-8 hours between starts. The oil shouldn't drain back that quickly. I don't really wanna pull to oil press sensor to test for pressure, but I guess if all else fails I got no choice. Thanks for the help fellas

DumbasSi

What is Rislone and what does it do?

Bruno, my old Jetta had the same problem. Same year and k's range too. It was the oil pump.

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

how long did it hold up Mike?

DumbasSi

A couple of months at least. Once the car warmed up, the light went off. Occasionally it would come on after a long drive on the highway too. The kid I sold the car to drove around for a few more months before he wrecked the car. On a VW, the oil pump isn't that expensive. How much could it be for an older Honda?

imported_trackhack

Rislone is an oil treatment. Been around a long time. Used to free up rings and generally clean the sludge and crap out of your engine. Much like the seafoam stuff that bbarbulo spoke about. You should be able to find it at CTC or Wally world..

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

I've tried seafoam and I totally can vouch for it.

Mike, that's cool then, I'm just gonna fix it properly in the spring. Maybe even do some body work on this bad boy and make it totally stock yet mint! It drives like a dream... and the headlights are so much brighter than my Saturn was. With the Saturn the lighting SUCKS!!

oh, and Mike, it's not the price of the pump, it's the act of dropping the oilpan and all that. Cuz when I do that I'm gonna wanna do other stuff too.

imported_Cablerat

Tis a dirty job.

careful not to thread the pan bolts when you put it back..

imported_gatherer

How do you run Sea foam through an engine? whats the process and where can you get the stuff...

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

gatherer, you can:

1. suck it in through a vacuum hose
2. use it in your oil to cut sludge
3. stick some in your gas to clean injectors

you know most pro injector places use a 50/50 mixture of seafoam and gas to clean injector parts? it's THAT good!