Psi oil gauge moving a lot, is that normal?

Asked by Ben Feb 26, 2024 at 10:10 PM about the 2012 Cadillac CTS

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2012 Cadillac CTS and my psi oil gauge
goes up when I accelerate to about 75 then when I
get to my speed it will go down to 25 to 35 then idle
at 50 but it constantly moves up and down. Is that
normal?

3 Answers

307,595

I would have the oil pressure checked with a manual gauge first, some gauge swing is normal for electronic gauges but yours sounds excessive.

203,195

I'd expect pressure at idle to be around 30 psi, when accelerating, around 60, and at highway speed about 40. So yours seems close to that and on a car that age, it's pretty normal. You might have a mechanic analyze that. With the ranges you have you could have something going out, like cam/crank bearings or oil pressure resistor or switch. Or maybe the car has high miles and it needs a rebuild.

1 people found this helpful.
155,745

The oil pump is driven by the engine. So when you accelerate the oil pump speeds up too and pumps more oil so the pressure goes up. Oil pressure will also be higher when the engine is cold because the oil is thicker. Hope that helps! Jim

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CTS

Looking for a Used CTS in your area?

CarGurus has 53 nationwide CTS listings starting at $3,495.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Brandon Foster
    Reputation
    3,260
  • #2
    TransAm77
    Reputation
    2,320
  • #3
    Robert Yelenik
    Reputation
    1,760
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Cadillac ATS
7 Great Deals out of 100 listings starting at $3,000
Used Cadillac XTS
6 Great Deals out of 33 listings starting at $11,900
Used Cadillac CTS Coupe
2 listings starting at $19,495
Used Dodge Charger
43 Great Deals out of 785 listings starting at $7,400
Used Chrysler 300
29 Great Deals out of 492 listings starting at $4,389
Used Chevrolet Camaro
29 Great Deals out of 484 listings starting at $11,999
Used Cadillac Escalade
15 Great Deals out of 440 listings starting at $11,495
Used Ford Mustang
45 Great Deals out of 1,594 listings starting at $8,800
Used BMW 5 Series
18 Great Deals out of 302 listings starting at $5,299
Used Cadillac DTS
4 listings starting at $7,999

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.