Oil pressure light flickering

I have a 2001 Tacoma with 258,000. I've changed oil myself 99% of the time. Started with regular Pennzoil 5w30. About 175,000 started using Pennzoil high mileage and last 2 or 3 started using Pennzoil Gold synthetic blend. Im a little overdue for oil change, but plan on changing tomorrow. Also have used Toyota oil filters except 2 or 3 times. That being said, today my oil pressure light flickered while driving at 55 mph. Seems like it flickered more often as motor got warm. Could oil and filter overdue for change cause the flickering? I checked oil and level is fine. Truck sat for several hours and it started to flicker again once it was warmed up.

 

Need to start with screwing a manual oil pressure gauge in and confirm oil pressure. Also the size engine you have will help others help you.

 

Sorry about that, I've got the 2.7L. I was trying to take mental notes when it flickered. I didn't drive far, but it didn't seem to flicker when accelerating, but once I reached desired speed or coast it would flicker and not a constant flicker.

 

Oil level is ok you said. Does the motor looked sludge up when looking thru oil filler cap? Either way you need to do a manual oil pressure test. You remove oil pressure sending unit and screw in a manual gauge.

 

I am going to change the oil and filter tomorrow morning. After, I change the oil I'll take a test drive to a mechanic friend of mine about 10 miles away and use his gauge. You think it could be just the old oil or filter? I may have let it go a little over 10,000 miles! I usually do it every five and I may have missed one. I honestly can't remember cause I usually restart one of the trip odometers and they both got restarted. This time I'm gonna use tape and a sharpie in the corner of the windshield as a backup in case the trip odometer gets restarted! I really hope the oil/filter change cures my problem. If it does more than a spuratic flicker I'll pull over and call my buddy and tell him to bring his pressure gauge.

 

Nope. Assuming the sensor isn't going bad is going to be a bad oil pump or clogged screen.

 

I guess after I change the oil and make a wish. Then I'll be getting a pressure gauge. The pressure gauge should flicker just as the light if the switch is good. Is replacing the oil pump very much involved or not too bad?

 

Any updates?

If not and you're doing your own work, I'd get a Chilton Auto Repair manual if you don't already have one.

I'm going with @Indy

Once you change the filter and fill the oil to a known quantity and check the pressure with a known good pressure gauge you'll have your direction.

 

Drop the oil pan and remove timing belt to access oil pump. 4x4 you have to remove front diff to get oil pan off. Not hard just a lot of work.

 

Light shouldn't flicker. Might mean your oil pressure is low. Only time my light is on is when I start it after an oil change, and it goes off in maybe a second.

 

Latest update, I changed my oil and filter and took a test drive. A friend told me to clear all codes and turn off check engine light before test drive. With my auto scanner cleared codes, then went for drive. Engine light came on quick. After about 20 miles the oil light flickered a couple times and I drove home. Checked codes all were P1130, P1135, P0125 and one more. Then, I restarted engine and I sat in driveway for an hour or more and could not get it to flicker once! I tried holding rpms at 1200, 1800 and 2000 for 30 seconds each and quickly letting off gas and that damn thing just would not flicker. I'm thinking a wire got pulled from running over something or something similar to that. I don't know what it is but I don't think it serious. Then Sunday I went for a longer drive and it never flickered once and I drove for 30 miles. Now I'm just shaking my head wonder if I will see it flickering again. Thanks for all the advice from everyone. If it happens again I will check wires going to the sensor.

 

Sounds like the oil pickup tube is getting plugged up. Have you had a chance to drive it with a manual gauge hooked up?

 

You need a manual gauge hooked up to while driving 20+ miles. You can get items like if listed below cheap at harbor freight. Then you'll need some brass fittings to connect hose to gauge. Screw it in to the motor and let it hang out the hood were you can see it going down the road. You may have to leave your hood on the first latch to keep it from pinching hose flat. Use a piece of rope to secure hood down also. If its doing what I think it is. Your engine is starving for oil and will ruin your bearings in the engine. hose like this gauge like this


AND IT IS SERIOUS!!

 

What he said /\.
It's worthy to note that a properly functioning 2.7 oil pressure switch needs to only see something less than 4.3 psi to keep the light off (meant to say something just under 4.3 psi). That is not much pressure for driving speeds. 4.3 psi is the Toyota spec minimum oil pressure at idle.

Now that being said, multiple codes like you just got are sometimes indicative of a ground connection.

 

Dirty pool, don't you mean it needs to see 4.3 or more to keep the light off? All the codes related to air/fuel mixture and one was low coolant. Mechanicjon, I haven't been able to find a pressure gauge. I would like to add a pressure gauge and have it permanently mounted inside where it would be visible while driving. I asked a couple friends if they had one and they didn't, so I guess it would be good for me to buy one and I'll have it. I guess I could mount one somewhere so I could see it while driving. I have a dr's appt today which will be about a 32 mile round trip. I'll be watching for a flicker closely. What amount of oil pressure is normal for driving 50-60 mph?

 

To me you're playing with fire until you verify oil pressure,, mech. gauge,, under hood, somewhere till you verify. Oil sender units go bad, all the time,, maybe not toyota,, just a FYI. Even a new one out of the box can be bad. There's a reason they call them idiot lights.

Is the engine making noise, rattle, ticking, whatever when it flickers? Like the others said and I think since you're not real close on your filter changes,,,also air filter,,, could be a lot of sludge, won't let the oil drain back fast enough.

IMHO, I'd verify oil pressure, if you have it,,, then go get some BG 109,,, follow the instructions to the "t",,, that'll clean the inside of that motor up, big time,, then change the oil again,, DO NOT DRIVE IT with the BG 109 in it, again follow instructions.

But with that kind of miles and lack of maint. the mains could be going bad,, there goes the oil pressure.

 

4.3 psi is what Toyota calls minimum at idle so one would think the pressure switch would turn on the low pressure warning light at some point below what they feel is acceptable. I have no idea what the exact number is but it is likely at or just under the min (allowable) spec.
The takeaway for your troubleshooting should be that if you were actually experiencing the min pressure at speed and not an electrical issue the engine would likely be eating internal parts in short order.
For reference, at 3000 rpm they call for 36-71 psi.

I am in no way saying to skip an actual pressure test. Just suggesting other things that could be checked/eliminated at some point in the troubleshooting logic flow. The catch 22 being low oil pressure could be killing the engine.

 

36-71 at 3000rpm

 

On Saturday, after I cleared codes and check engine light and took 24 mile round trip got a couple oil light flickers around 22 miles. There were no abnormal sounds or anything. Once I got home I hooked up the scanner and read codes and just about all were air/fuel related. What really puzzled me was I restarted and sat motionless in driveway and could not get it to flicker once in an hour or more. I even tried keeping the rpms at different levels for 30 seconds or so and not a flicker once. Then took a 30 mile round-trip drive and not a flicker once. Praying that there will be no more flickering. I've got a 15 mile drive to my drs office today. I'll watch my oil light closely. I'll try to get hold of a gauge and test ASAP. At the moment I don't even have $18 to buy one. I can inspect the sensor and wires. Is the sensor located next to the oil filter? I looked at some pics but still wasn't sure of its location. When under the truck it's hard to see much there's a lot of things blocking my vision.

 

Should be by oil filter. Slower you drive the better. Its the constant rpms like freeway that will cause screen to plug up the quickest. If that's what its doing. Autozone or Oreilys may have an oil pressure gauge loner