High oil pressure is a very common issue.
Almost every experienced vehicle owner has faced this issue while driving.
The regular engine oil pressure of a Duramax or any other vehicle is between 30-70 PSI when idle.
If the engine oil pressure gauge shows 80 PSI or above when the engine is idle, it will be considered as high oil pressure.
Can you drive or not your vehicle with high oil pressure depends on what is causing the problem.
If high oil pressure is caused by a faulty engine oil sensor, you surely can drive, but if it’s caused by low oil, you must stop driving.
Otherwise, different parts of your engine will wear out, and it will cause engine failure.
How Long Can I Drive with High Oil Pressure?
Yes, you can if the high oil pressure is caused by a faulty oil sensor or wrong grade engine oil.
On the other hand, you can’t drive if high oil pressure is caused by less engine oil than its capacity.
Let’s explore the reason behind this.
01. Driving with a Faulty Oil Pressure Sensor
There is an oil pressure sensor in the engine block or nearby the engine oil filter of every vehicle.
The Oil pressure sensor and oil pressure sending unit are basically the same components.
After driving 30k miles, the oil pressure sensor often goes bad.
In 99% of cases, a faulty oil pressure sensor causes high oil pressure in your vehicle.
No matter which brand and model of vehicle you are driving.
You can drive your vehicle with a high oil pressure warning on your dashboard as long as you want if the cause is a faulty engine oil pressure sensor.
But there will be a loud ting…ting.. sound while driving with a high oil pressure warning on your dashboard.
Solution
Change the oil pressure sensor.
The price of an oil pressure sensor is $25 to $75.
02. Driving with Low Engine Oil
Different models of vehicles have different engine oil capacities.
For example, Duramax 6.6 v8 Diesel engine can hold 9.2 quarts of engine oil.
In order to run smoothly, every part of an engine needs to be adequately lubricated.
If you put 7 quarts of engine oil in Duramax, surely the engine component won’t be able to lubricate as it should be.
And the high oil pressure warning sign will pop up on your dashboard.
You should not drive if the high oil pressure is caused by low engine oil in the tank.
If you do so, there will be friction among the engine parts, and it will cause engine failure.
As a mechanic, I strongly prohibit driving with less engine oil.
Solution
Read the user manual of your vehicle.
Buy engine cleaner additive along with company-recommended engine oil grade.
First, flush and clean the engine oil tank with the cleaner, and fill the engine oil with the recommended amount of engine oil.
Or you add extra engine oil you have reserved.
Don’t use less engine oil than its capacity.
Be sure the problem will be gone.
03. Driving with the Wrong Engine Oil Grade
Different vehicle brands and models suggest different engine oil for their vehicles.
For instance, GM suggests SAE 15w-40 grade engine oil for 6.6 Duramax diesel engines.
If you put a different engine oil grade that is incompatible with your car, it will fail to lubricate the engine parts properly and cause high oil pressure.
Don’t drive with a high engine oil pressure warning sign if it’s caused by the wrong engine oil grade.
Your engine parts are not lubricating and moving as they should be due to wrong grade engine oil.
Major engine parts will wear out due to friction.
In an emergency, you can drive at a very low speed at 20 MPH and don’t drive more than 15 miles.
Only drive 15 miles to find a mechanic shop or return to your house.
Driving more than 15 miles will cause major damage to your engine.
Solution
Buy an engine cleaner and recommended grade engine oil.
Flush the engine with the cleaner, then put the new engine oil in the tank.
Then the high oil pressure sign will automatically turn off.
Now, you can usually drive.
What Causes High Oil Pressure?
There are 03 reasons for high oil pressure.
01. Faulty Oil Pressure Sensor
After driving 30k miles or above, the oil pressure sensor often goes bad, and high oil pressure warning sign pops up on the screen.
02. Less Engine Oil than Capacity
If you put less engine oil than its capacity, the engine components won’t be able to lubricate and move properly.
Then there will be high oil pressure warning on your dashboard.
03. Using Wrong Grade Engine Oil
Many new vehicle owners don’t know the engine oil grade and which engine oil grade they should use in their vehicles.
Using the wrong grade engine oil hampers the lubrication of different engine parts and causes high oil pressure.
FAQs
Can low oil cause high oil pressure?
Yes. Faulty oil pressure sensor and low engine oil cause high oil pressure.
Can I drive with high oil pressure?
If the high oil pressure is caused by a faulty engine oil sensor, you can drive as usual with a high oil pressure warning.
But if it’s caused by the low engine oil, you should not drive your car cause different parts of your engine will wear out due to bad lubrication.
What causes 2015 Duramax high oil pressure?
Faulty oil sending unit and less engine oil than the tank capacity and using wrong grade engine oil causes high oil pressure in every vehicle.
Final Thoughts
I advise you, to find out what is causing the high oil pressure and then, decide whether you are willing to drive or not.
You can drive if a bad oil-sending unit is causing the problem, but don’t drive if it’s caused by the low engine oil.
If you have enough time, change the engine oil and sensor then drive without any worry.
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