# Oil Pressure Warning Light



## doctordon (Nov 25, 2015)

Hello All,

Just want to hear your responses. A friend just bought an '06 Pathfinder. The first thing discovered was that the oil light comes on at idle, goes out above idle. The oil lever is OK. Being a master tech, and experienced with this issue on another "brand," my first thought was oil pickup screen clogged due to poor maintenance. Of course, it could be as simple as a faulty pressure switch.

The friend called the used car dealer and their explanation was that "this is normal for Nissan to have the oil light on at idle."

Does anyone have any experiences with this issue? What is the most common cause of this issue on Nissan?

Thanks,

Doctordon


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

No, it's not normal for the oil light to be on at idle. There could be several reasons for the light being on:
- worn oil pump
- oil pickup screen plugged
- worn rod/main bearings
- defective oil pressure sensor
- defective oil filter

You can check the pressure very easily by installing a temporary mechanical oil pressure gauge. You would remove the oil sensor which is located next to the oil filter and install the mechanical oil pressure gauge in it's place; you may need to get an 1/8 BSPT to 1/8 NPT adapter to hook up the gauge.

With the engine fully warmed up, the pressure should be as follows:
idle - at least 14 psi
2000 RPM - 43 psi


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## doctordon (Nov 25, 2015)

Thanks for the reply, I'm going to have a quick look at it before they
take it back to the idiot who told her it's normal for a Nissan to have the 
oil light on at idle.

Doctordon


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

oil pressure switch (sending unit) failure is somewhat common on these trucks
it's the most likely cause
if the oil filter is OEM, I'd definitely check the sending unit
now, as far as the dealers' comment, since they have no idea what they are talking about, i'd recommend that your friend take it to someone competent to give the truck a health check
also, she needs to be aware of the "dreaded" internal transmission cooler failure potential which will take out the transmission if it happens
a forum search should provide the info necessary
there were also several recall campaigns on this model
with her VIN, she can check with Nissan to find out if any recall campaigns are necessary


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I have a 2006 Pathy and I've never seen the oil light come on at idle. I also moderate the Pathfinder-specific forum, thenissanpath.com and have never heard of any oil warning light issues. The more common complaint is the the sending unit fails and the oil pressure gauge needle gets begged on the "high" side. You should know that Nissan used an actual gauge for the first couple of years but then switch to a "dummy" gauge around 2007 or 2008, so there are two different oil pressure switches (yours being the more expensive) and it is best to stick with the genuine Nissan part, as aftermarket switches have been prone to failure. Kukla brings up a very good point; if you see a Calsonic sticker on the top of the radiator with the part number 21400-EA215, -EA200 or -EA265, you have the original radiator that was prone to cooler failure that could take out your automatic transmission if it leaks. The best thing to do is replace the radiator as "preventative maintenance" or bypass the radiator's trans cooler by re-routing the cooler hoses, utilizing the factory installed, auxiliary cooler located in front of the A/C condenser.


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## doctordon (Nov 25, 2015)

Thanks to all who replied!

I checked the vehicle out myself. I found that the oil light comes on at idle after being warmed up. A slight touch on the gas and the light goes out. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where a tech. decided it needed to have the oil pan off to clean the oil pickup screen, a leak at the oil cooler, new oil and filter. They "claimed" that the oil light problem was fixed, however, on the drive home, the oil light came on again (Sat. Nov.28). Vehicle was returned to dealer on Mon. nov. 30. They still have it!


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