Low oil pressure light flicker?

[Chas]

I just recently bought an 02 wrx and I was driving it the other day and I stopped at a light and my low oil pressure lighte was flickering my rpms sit at 400 that seems really low but also why would the oil pressure light flicker has anyone had this issue?

[Anub1s]

The oil pressure light only comes on if the car detects low oil pressure. It could be a bad sign, but it could also mean that your oil level is either low, or that you REALLY need an oil change. Either way, I wouldn't drive it much until you get it figured out. Low oil pressure is nothing to take lightly, especially in a turbocharged engine.

[mycologist]

^+1

The oil pressure light is a "park immediately and get towed" light unless you can resolve it on the spot.

[Chas]

^+1

The oil pressure light is a "park immediately and get towed" light unless you can resolve it on the spot.

Well the guy I bought it off of did an engine swap from a 2.0 to an ej22 and someone advised him to put 10 w40 in... This is way to thin I changed the oil this morning to 5 w30 and my situation resolved itself

[Mikie13]

So no more light flickering?

[teflon_jones]

Did you check the oil level when it was flickering? That would be the obvious place to start...

Well the guy I bought it off of did an engine swap from a 2.0 to an ej22 and someone advised him to put 10 w40 in... This is way to thin I changed the oil this morning to 5 w30 and my situation resolved itself

10w40 is thicker than 5w30 not thinner. Regardless, that wouldn't cause it.

[MainFrame]

10w40 is thicker than 5w30 not thinner. Regardless, that wouldn't cause it.

yep

[SD_GR]

Well the guy I bought it off of did an engine swap from a 2.0 to an ej22 and someone advised him to put 10 w40 in... This is way to thin I changed the oil this morning to 5 w30 and my situation resolved itself

This makes no sense.

Check the sending unit. If OK suspect a cracked pickup tube I suppose. Park.

[teflon_jones]

This makes no sense.

Check the sending unit. If OK suspect a cracked pickup tube I suppose. Park.

It makes no sense unless the problem was simply a low oil level, which I'd strongly suspect if an oil change fixed the issue.

[Chas]

Well when I dropped the oil it felt real thin and its a brand new motor it's an ej22 motor. The oil level is fine but he had put a sti oil pump on there and it's bigger so im wondering if the sensor is not reading for the correct pressure for that engine because im pretty sure the sensors for a 2.0.... But this still doesn't explain why just an oil change helped(but not entirely fixed it). I was driving home from a concert last night not being concervitve bout my driving at all and it did it again at an idle

[Chas]

My idle is also at 400 rpms and that light only flickers when I'm about to stall it from not giving it gas or after the oil heats up and I sit at a light so it also could be that my idle is too low but idk how to adjust it

[SD_GR]

Your idle is likely not at 400 because you cannot measure 400 with the tach. The first line on the tach is 500 and idle is usually the second line at 750. idle is not user adjustable generally without access to the electronics.

Park.

[SD_GR]

Consider measuring pressure with a gauge fitted to be sure and again, better safe than sorry, park.

[Chas]

I'm probably going to throw a gauge on this week what's the pressure supposed to sit at?

[SD_GR]

At 5000 RPM: 294 kPa minimum (43 PSI)
At 800 RPM: 98 kPa minimum (14 PSI)

Sender tightening torque: 25 Nm (18 ft*lbs)

EDIT: CLAFIRYING: The numbers above are for a 2002 2.0L US turbo motor (what I own).