Is my startup oil pressure too high?

[Frenchard101]

I'm worried I may have added too much oil and my oil pressure is too high. When I start the engine cold the pressure starts at around 75-80 psi and stays between 75-85 psi while driving until the oil warms up to 140-150 degrees (usually takes about 5-7 minutes) and then it will start dropping until its at 25-40psi. From what I've read 80psi is too high and is a risk for blowing a seal or oxidizing the cams.

When I initially added too much oil (1qt) it was reading about 1" over the full line so i drained about 1/2 - 2/3 of a quart to get it to the top of the full line on the dipstick, and as far as i can tell the oil level is fine now. I'm hoping its just something I never paid attention to before and that it's normal for cold oil to have high pressure but I figured I better check before making that assumption.

I have a 2013 Ram 1500 3.6l V6 with 5w20 full synthetic, 120k miles on the engine.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Never owned the 3.6 Pentastar but do have the 3.2 version in a 2020 Cherokee, which is pretty much the same in regards to things that build oil pressure....

Those engines can have pretty high oil pressure....I think you're within normal range for that engine when cold.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Arth]

I'm worried I may have added too much oil and my oil pressure is too high. When I start the engine cold the pressure starts at around 75-80 psi and stays between 75-85 psi while driving until the oil warms up to 140-150 degrees (usually takes about 5-7 minutes) and then it will start dropping until its at 25-40psi. From what I've read 80psi is too high and is a risk for blowing a seal or oxidizing the cams.

When I initially added too much oil (1qt) it was reading about 1" over the full line so i drained about 1/2 - 2/3 of a quart to get it to the top of the full line on the dipstick, and as far as i can tell the oil level is fine now. I'm hoping its just something I never paid attention to before and that it's normal for cold oil to have high pressure but I figured I better check before making that assumption.

I have a 2013 Ram 1500 3.6l V6 with 5w20 full synthetic, 120k miles on the engine.

I believe what you are seeing is normal oil pressure. From what I recall those engines have a two stage oil pump. So it can produce really high pressures if called upon or keep the pressures lower as well. I am pretty sure it's normal operation to keep pressures high until the engine oil starts to get a little warmer.

Could try it out once you are up to operating temps. Watch your oil pressure as you accelerate and get past 3k RPM. It should spike from 40s up to 60s or 80s.

Of course I could just be wrong all together.

 

[Different Drummer]

I have the Pentastar. Interesting you post this.
I am usually in a warmer climate this time of year. Two days ago with Temp. around 26*F I noticed that my oil pressure was 100PSI at start up and holding there. I was Kind of surprised to see a pressure that high.
Oil is 5W-20.

 

[turkeybird56]

That cold, initially be OK. Once warms up, if reading there, U got an issue. Just IMHO, My Hemi runs 50-70 PSI when cold on startup. But I honestly not worry so much about that as the dreaded Hemi Tick/Manifold bolt issue.

 

[Burla]

Oil is thick when cold period, thick oil causes higher oil psi period. If you need to know more, please go back and see how thick it is in last 2-3 pages this thread. with graphs. So maybe there is something that causes the v6 to have high psi anyhow, but when it is cold, it would be worse. It might be nice if hemi's have this issue, maybe we would not have so many cam issues if we did.

 

[Burla]

I have the Pentastar. Interesting you post this.
I am usually in a warmer climate this time of year. Two days ago with Temp. around 26*F I noticed that my oil pressure was 100PSI at start up and holding there. I was Kind of surprised to see a pressure that high.
Oil is 5W-20.

26f is -3.3c and below freezing, that "5w20" is a viscosity in the neighborhood of 450, but at operating temp has a viscosity of 9. 5w20 is only a thin oil when it is at operating temp, when you start it is it literally 50 times thicker, I think that is something like 5000 percent thicker? Damn thick anyhow. I wouldn't mind 5,000 more percent money in my bank account, but I'm not sure I would like 5,000 percent less.

 

[retired]

I have had 4 3.6L and all have been this high on cold start.

 

[Rado]

WELCOME to the group

I have a 2015 Pentastar and when I first got it it shocked me to see the high Oil Pressure ! But found out that is normal for a Pentastar ! Mine cold is around 90 PSI than drops when warm. As mentioned it has a @ stage Oil Pump ! What also bugs the crap out of me is the Running temperatures ; Seeing 200 * I first said Oh crap lol

 

[Different Drummer]

26f is -3.3c and below freezing, that "5w20" is a viscosity in the neighborhood of 450, but at operating temp has a viscosity of 9. 5w20 is only a thin oil when it is at operating temp, when you start it is it literally 50 times thicker, I think that is something like 5000 percent thicker? Damn thick anyhow. I wouldn't mind 5,000 more percent money in my bank account, but I'm not sure I would like 5,000 percent less.

I agree totally with what you said. I listed my oil weight in my original post because I figured someone would ask what it is. Not because I thought it was low viscosity on start up.
Interesting thing about my 100 PSI reading, as I began to drive down the road it would jump between 50 PSI and 100 PSI back and forth. Not a gradual fluctuation or change. As the engine continued to warm up the Delta value between the two became narrower and narrower until it stabilized. Pressure after stabilizing was dependent on RPM. I wonder if the changing back and forth between high and lower pressure when cold would be consistent with a bypass system opening and closing?

 

[Burla]

Which bypass system?

 

[Different Drummer]

Which bypass system?

Well, that's a good question. This RAM stuff is pretty new to me and recently I have been spending most of my time trying to learn about the 8 Speed transmission and it's maintenance requirements.
BUT, somewhere in my reading I think I came across something about the filter housing on the Pentastar having a pressure sensitive bypass system. My ( admittedly limited ) understanding was that it would bypass the filter if the filter was clogged OR if the oil was excessively thick. As you point out at 3*C the old would be pretty viscous or heavy. Perhaps I am mistaken and there is in fact no bypass system in the filtering system of the Pentastar.

 

[Burla]

Yeah yeah, I forgot filter bypass. Good point there. I think that is more of releasing psi then anything, I do believe it is pretty immediate with cold oil. If it didn't have that boy that sure could account for high psi. I can't believe they don't though, sounds crazy. A lot of pennstar filters come off looking like it was vacuumed? all crushed?

 

[Burla]

Is there something like this? From what I gather there has been some oil filter bypass that has even been upgraded over the years. It doesn't make any sense to not have something for the bypass. Then something simple can kill and engine, usually they have protections in there.

 

[Different Drummer]

Yeah yeah, I forgot filter bypass. Good point there. I think that is more of releasing psi then anything, I do believe it is pretty immediate with cold oil. If it didn't have that boy that sure could account for high psi. I can't believe they don't though, sounds crazy. A lot of pennstar filters come off looking like it was vacuumed? all crushed?

Yeah, I have to research some of the oil / oil filter threads to see who makes a spun synthetic oil filter for the V6 Pentastar. I don't think they are as prolific as the spin on's for the 5.7

 

[Different Drummer]

Is there something like this? From what I gather there has been some oil filter bypass that has even been upgraded over the years. It doesn't make any sense to not have something for the bypass. Then something simple can kill and engine, usually they have protections in there.

Yes for earlier systems. I think in the later models ( 2016 and later? ) it is located in the cap side of the filter housing. Again, I am not 100% up to speed on the filtering of oil in the V6 though.

 

[squid013]

Your fill level wont cause your pressure to go up, if too much fill reaches the throws on the crank, it can froth the oil and cause a drop in pressuee

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Frenchard101]

Thanks for all the quick responses! Sounds like everything is operating normally and I was just being paranoid. The oil pressure gauge is not something i normally pay much attention to but started watching it like a hawk after adding too much oil and seeing 80+psi gave me a scare.

While we're on the subject is being 1/2 qt overfilled a serious issue? I did drive to work and back (about 10 mi round trip) with it overfilled before i had time to drain and correct the oil level.

 

[Rado]

Thanks for all the quick responses! Sounds like everything is operating normally and I was just being paranoid. The oil pressure gauge is not something i normally pay much attention to but started watching it like a hawk after adding too much oil and seeing 80+psi gave me a scare.

While we're on the subject is being 1/2 qt overfilled a serious issue? I did drive to work and back (about 10 mi round trip) with it overfilled before i had time to drain and correct the oil level.

What got my uptight with the 90 PSI oil pressure was I was used to 40 PSI average back in the day as normal !

But like you got real concerned when I first got my RAM and saw 90PSI lol

As for 1/2 qt overfill for such a short time I do o thing that will be a issue! But I am no gear head