This is the same problem that I have, it happens after driving the car at "operating temperature" for awhile.

As soon as I hit the gas, it goes away.

Would love to know what the cause of this is, and if you do fix it.

 

as you said, there are 2 possible causes for the light to happen: sensor going bad (not terribly uncommon) or loss of oil pressure at low rpm, which is actually more often caused by a worn out engine than a worn out pump. there is an inherent issue with M motors and oil pressure and that is that they specify only 3-4 psi of oil pressure at idle, and 25-75 psi at 3k rpm....quite a bit of wiggle room and the pressure switch will trigger the light at only 4 psi. granted the presence of oil, not the pressure, is what keeps the bearings for being blown but still. the problem with having that little pressure at idle is that most gauges are not precise enough at low pressure to distinguish between 0 and 3 psi.

I would at least get a new stock sender, from toyota. not used or another brand. alternately you can get an aftermarket gauge and see for yourself. there are benefits and drawbacks to both electric and mechanical gauges. I don't like mechanical because every installation of them I've had has leaked from a cut, kinked, broken, or vibrated loose hose. electric gauges aren't quite as accurate (being sensitive to ground quality and other electrical issues) but as long as you have oil pressure you should be ok. beyond that, whether it's 50 or 53 psi at 3k rpm doesn't really matter much to me.

 

thanx for the answer, i will consider your response when taking my decision but still, where is that nice little sensor located ?

 

According to the TSRM, and the terrible diagram it gave me....

It is located on the side of the block, passenger side. If I remember correctly it is above the oil filter, it has a long connector that just slides in. It is threaded right into the block.

This should help you.

Alldatapro says that the sensor is $33 from the dealer, which is just an estimate.

Good luck, and don't forget to post back if you replace the sensor so I can decide to do the same

 

thanks guys. toyopartsman i sent you a PM. djmart i will post back when/if i change it

 

I sent you a picturea and a part schematic. I also gave you the OEM part# 83530-60050 for you information. MSRP is $37.30 but I know that the guys in here never buy retail. But at least you are armed with information now.

Good luck, let me know if I can help in any way.

 

Hey guys. in addition to my oil pressure sensor, i have a new problem now,which might be related or not. starting from 2 days ago,after the engine heats up, the car shakes when idling and i can even hear the sound from the engine is not continuous anymore,it's like it interrupts every few seconds. my question is : could it be from the spark plugs ? should i change them ? or worst, could it be from the oil pump ? i just checked the engine oil but i checked it wrong, i just stopped from a 10 mile drive so the engine was indeed hot, and the dip-stick indicated low oil ( it wast at the E mark).

any ideas ?

 

it could be any number of things. if there's any oil on the dipstick you have at least 3.5 qts of oil in the pan still. nothing about the oil pump will cause the engine to run rough or miss (other than complete failure causing bearings to seize) spark plugs and wires typically do not fail suddenly. unfortunately the 7M is known for blowing the head gasket, which can come on suddenly, cause a miss, and eat oil.

 

Ahh, the 7M cam tower reseal. I think I can still remember those part numbers. Both the Supra and the Cressida. Kamesama980 is correct, most of it was in the cam towers, not head gasket, although the head gasket could be blown. One of the things that was also done, and it depends on the inspection after tear down, were the lifters.

it could be any number of things. if there's any oil on the dipstick you have at least 3.5 qts of oil in the pan still. nothing about the oil pump will cause the engine to run rough or miss (other than complete failure causing bearings to seize) spark plugs and wires typically do not fail suddenly. unfortunately the 7M is known for blowing the head gasket, which can come on suddenly, cause a miss, and eat oil.

 

i took 2 pictures, and i'd like to see what you guys say..but unfortunately i am afraid it's the head-gasket,but i'm not sure yet :| you can notice the oil spots near the bolts.

i'm afraid even to think how much buying and replacing it will cost me, i don't know if i should use the car anymore to go to work.





or maybe it is just an oil seep caused by the rocker arm cover gasket, and that wouldn't be that much of a problem. i will check the spark plugs anyway, but tomorrow, because today i had a really long day at work.

latest update : now the engine won;t start at the first attempt anymore. it starts at third or fourth attempt. and it;s not from the battery, it doesn't even try to start, it's a dead sound, just like you'd try to start your engine but the car is not in Park gear. i really need to do something to this car, i like it to much.

 

If you are doing the work yourself, you would save a whole lot of money, but as I kinda stated in an earlier post, the 7M was famous for a CAM towers leaking. From what I can see, it looks to be that is where the leak is coming from. Based on age you may be into more than just a gasket reseal. You may want to consider what a good rebuilt engine would run vs. fixing yours just to get a side by side comparison. I would also consider budget, shape of the car, and how much you really like it.

i took 2 pictures, and i'd like to see what you guys say..but unfortunately i am afraid it's the head-gasket,but i'm not sure yet :| you can notice the oil spots near the bolts.

i'm afraid even to think how much buying and replacing it will cost me, i don't know if i should use the car anymore to go to work.





or maybe it is just an oil seep caused by the rocker arm cover gasket, and that wouldn't be that much of a problem. i will check the spark plugs anyway, but tomorrow, because today i had a really long day at work.

latest update : now the engine won;t start at the first attempt anymore. it starts at third or fourth attempt. and it;s not from the battery, it doesn't even try to start, it's a dead sound, just like you'd try to start your engine but the car is not in Park gear. i really need to do something to this car, i like it to much.

 

those pictures are the valve cover (or cam cover, but not rocker cover since there aren't any rockers) gasket. the 7m does not have cam towers (5M does, they're detachable). you cannot tell if the head gasket is leaking by external photos.

the not starting thing might or might not be related. if the starter solenoid doesn't click at all, then either the starter or some wiring has major issues

 

things are not good at all. the car looses oil from the valve cover area (as seen in the pictures), now there is also smoke coming out through there, i don;t think i should drive it anymore. i don't think the head gasket is blown because there's no foam on my oil cap, nor water in my oil.and it pisses me off because the rest of the car is perfect, i even invested money in new parts and now the engine is dyeing. i don't have money to repair it; i don't even think i have enough to get it to an auto-service so a mechanic can tell me his opinion about what's wrong with it. should i sell the car for parts ? if so,where ? a junkyard is only offering me 230$, that's a lame offer. the headlights alone cost 200$ and the back tires 50$ in the meanwhile, i;m spending money on the public transport, which is more expensive then going to work by car, by the way.

 

latest updates i got one problem fixed today,the big one. the smoke that was coming out of the car was because the valve cover gasket was broken , oil was leaking through there, dripping on the manfold from the exhaust. the gasket was 17$ and the labor was really cheap, a friend of a friend took care of it.i also changed the spark plugs, they were flooded in oil, i couldn't even see them untill i got the oil out of there . i still have to change the spark plug wires, they don't look too good and it seems that's why my car is shaking at idle.

by the way, i never checked the vacuum pipe. i should have ,lol. it was clocked with hard oil mixed with debris,dust. now the engine runs really really better.

at least for the moment, i don't think i'm selling the car anymore, i love it too much

 

My mother had an 85 Cressida and she just loved that car, so I know what you mean about not wanting to give it up.

I just wanted to let you know, that I am the Parts Manager at Toyota of Newnan, and should you need any OEM parts I do offer TN members 30% off MSRP, plus shipping and a couple of dollars for materials, I really do mean a couple of dollars. We do not over inflate shipping, in fact we only charge the actual shipping cost.

Well, I wanted to say I am glad that you got your problem solved, and if you need anything at all, and not just parts, you can ask me questions, if you need information, etc, let me know. I am in here just about everyday.

Good luck.

latest updates i got one problem fixed today,the big one. the smoke that was coming out of the car was because the valve cover gasket was broken , oil was leaking through there, dripping on the manfold from the exhaust. the gasket was 17$ and the labor was really cheap, a friend of a friend took care of it.i also changed the spark plugs, they were flooded in oil, i couldn't even see them untill i got the oil out of there . i still have to change the spark plug wires, they don't look too good and it seems that's why my car is shaking at idle.

by the way, i never checked the vacuum pipe. i should have ,lol. it was clocked with hard oil mixed with debris,dust. now the engine runs really really better.

at least for the moment, i don't think i'm selling the car anymore, i love it too much

 

thank you toyopartsman, i will get back to you for sure next time i need parts

 

happened to me too
once i change the oil the light went away
hav u been changing ur oil every 5 000