I have a two vehicles that sit for months at a time. I recently started one, after non-start cranking it to prime the oil pump--and it took quite a while to build pressure. Is there another way to prime it? Would it help to use one of those dipstick-tube oil pumps to put oil up in the heads? There's got to be a better way, other than starting it once a month.
Old 2003 v6 toyota highlander, old 2004 v8 nissan titan, and a 2020 pentastar. I guess I have 3. I don't drive a lot.
You did not mention what kind of vehicles you're dealing with.
Old 2003 v6 toyota highlander, old 2004 v8 nissan titan, and a 2020 pentastar. I guess I have 3. I don't drive a lot.
That shouldn't make a difference. Take a mechanical guage and measure the pressure. You can rent them at AutoZone. If the oil pressure is actually low, you probably need to perform more frequent oil changes, if you're neglecting it and using conventional oil. You're supposed to change it once a year or 5k miles, whichever comes first. I don't drive my old 1979 Pontiac nearly every day, and the oil pressure is fine, even after over 100k miles. It still has the original oil pump.
@justin-shepherd It is NOT the oil pressure I am concerned with. It is how long it takes to build up after sitting for months on end that is concerning. I am presuming all of the oil drains down (past a check valve?) and dries out. For instance, I fired up the Titan last week, and it took probably over 10-15 seconds of cold cranking (by flooring the pedal before turning on the key) before any oil pressure regestered. Sure, 15 seconds of slow speed is nothing compared to running, but I could not help but think of the pentastar tick as that poor titan was cranking dry.
The only thing that would cause that is engine sludge. Oil pressure results from the oil pump pumping oil through the engine. If passageways are clogged, you will have a hard time building up pressure (there is more resistance than the pump can handle). You never said whether or not you change your oil once a year or 5k miles. If you never change the oil, there's a check valve within the oil filter that trips once the filter has reached its filtration limit, so the oil can bypass the filter and keep your engine from grenading right away.
@justin-shepherd , I change the oil every 3 to 5k miles. Sometimes that is 2 years, sometimes a few months. I do it myself, and there has never been anything but clean oil that looks very good, as you would expect from a low mileage engine. Absolutely nothing like sludge.