cold start oil pressure problem – oil pressure lag

[Blaz]

hi there

I already asked few local mechanics about this and they said it’s normal (or nothing), but i’m not
comfortable with that…

I have a Prelude with a lightly modded H22a4 (mostly Bolt-ons full exhaust, ATR intake, Type S cams)
and recently I noticed that when i start the car, the oil pressure light does not turn off
immediately but with a slight delay – about 1 to 1.5 seconds… And that only happens when the car
sits for like few hours or more like only when the engine is cold, this doesn’t happen with the warm
startups… the oil pressure while the engine runs is normal (have additional oil pressure gauge on
the dash, the sensor is on the adapter plate that comes between the block and the oil filter) and the
engine doesn’t consume any oil… Even when i start the engine again right after the first cold start
the light goes off immediately…

I’m using Motul x-cess 8100 5w40 oil in it and i made about 4500 km’s with it when it started doing this…
the engine was rebuilt 10000 km before that (from what i’ve been told the piston rings, main and rod bearings,
and other stuff that is normally changed…)

Yesterday I switched the old pump with a known good one i had on reserve, and also the oil pressure switch,
poured a new motul oil in it (same specs) with new filter… and it still does it, the old oil didn’t have any metal
flakes in it or anything unusual, and the oil pickup wasn’t clogged or pump damaged in any way (pump rotor
clearance inner-outer, rotor-housing all in specs…)

i know that usually the oil pressure light by cold start turns off with a delay, but before it was like
something of 0.5 second… so it’s a difference…

so did anyone have the same/similar issue already on maybe any other engine, i’m running out of ideas ?

best regards,
Blaz

Topic

[Lorrin Barth]

I’m pleased to hear it is fixed. Happy motoring. 🙂

[Author]

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