if someone could help.. how do u check to make sure theres enough pressure?

 

If it's happening at the same time as RPMs drop, while on the brakes, I'd be checking for vacuum leaks. Power brakes are vacuum assisted, so if there's a vacuum leak, the brake could be affecting that, which could cause RPMs to drop, which would in turn drop oil pressure.

 

well if its going off at higher rpm and lighting on lower, I would assume your oil pump is going? not familiar with these cars but that might be worst case scenario but definetely something to look at. usually the light wont flash until its basiacally no pressure.

 

dumb question, but how do u check for this?

 

I think it has been noted that these cars have poor oil pumps, this might be time to change the pump or look in to service on it.

 

fixed. it was the oil pressure switch. very easy to do, you could do it next time you change your oil since you need to jack up your car ne ways. the oil pressure switch is located above the oil filter (at least on the 2003 lancer oz), it is very easy to notice because it has a wire running to it. simply just unplug the wire and being to screw it off. make sure you have a big enough socket or wrench to get it off. it ran about 8.99 at autozone.

 

how do we know it was the oil pressure switch?! Did you put a mechanical gauge on and double check?!

 

Bump. Not a dumb question, I'd like to know the same thing, as this just started happening to my 03 oz also.

 

same thing started happening last night...
it seems to be only going on at the lowest possible idle... as soon as the rpm goes up just a tiny tiny notch, the light goes off..

the oil level is at full, no leaks, no weird smells...

there seemed to be a decent amount of gunk around the top of the engine, near the gasket... but that could also be winter dirt... or old spilled oil....

one thing that i suspect/hope caused it is my last oil change, a week ago.
I've always used 5w30 synthetic oil, but they didn't have any last week so they used regular oil... it's probably too thin or it somehow interacted with the remains of the old oil...

it seems to have stopped this morning after a couple of trips, but monday i'm getting the oil drained and replaced with my regular synthetic...

i also cleaned the engine so we'll see if the gasket is leaking

 

^ Yup, same here. After the car is warmed up (i.e. after a highway drive to work) by the time i get to the offramp and am at the stoplight, the oil light flickers if rpm is lower than 1k, and when on the brake/idle, it's a solid oil light. I tried the STP Oil Treatment (Blue Bottle) AND the Marvel Mystery treatment gas additive (Red bottle) with no luck. According to suggestions, next up is the oil pressure switch...

 

changed the oil and filter, back to my usual stuff.... no luck
going in to check the pressure and the gauge checked out on wednesday

 

i remember people say they get oil light if they run synthetic oil.

 

It stopped flickering on my way back from work today...
still garage tomorrow

 

back from the garage

oil pressure at idle is 2psi and 35psi at ~3000rpm

i was told it's either the oil pump or the the crank bearings.... and recommended getting a new engine....

what do you guys think?
any ways of pinpointing the problem?

 

just got off the phone with a tech at the dealership

official numbers are 3PSI at idle, 40-100PSI at 3500RPM
i was told to change the pressure switch and forget about it since he never saw an oil pump go on one of those cars and that the 2/35PSI would be normal for an engine of 170,000km