Oil Pressure Sensor, red oil light was coming on at idle?

Tiny
MARKF2023
  • MEMBER
  • 2016 KIA SEDONA
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 65,000 MILES
Hi, my red oil light was coming on at idle. I changed the oil to see if that would make a difference. That I could tell, the van was not leaking oil, but during the change, I noticed it was about a quart low. The light still came after the change - sometimes solid, sometimes flickering. I self-diagnosed the problem and thought maybe it was just a bad oil pressure sensor. I bought a new aftermarket replacement sensor at a national chain and replaced the sensor. I thought maybe I had over torqued the sensor, so I backed it out a little bit and retorqued to specs. I started the engine, and everything looked good until I backed out of the garage and oil came pouring out under the vehicle. Hoping that it was just a bad sensor, I replaced it with a brand new one and the exact same thing happened. Help!
Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 AT 5:42 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

Did you remove the intake manifold to replace the oil pressure switch? Based on what you described, it doesn't sound like you did.

The oil pressure switch is below the intake manifold. (See the pic below) They are known to leak oil into the valley below the manifold and leak down the back of the engine. Is that where you are seeing the leak?

Let me know.

Joe

See pic below.
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Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 AT 10:18 PM
Tiny
MARKF2023
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Hi Joe,

Yes, I removed the manifold, cleaned it thoroughly, and replaced the lower seals. I wasn't able to find new upper seals at the time of service, so I kept the original seals for the upper.

Oil is definitely leaking heavily in the valley as you described below the manifold where the sensor is located. I probably lost 1-2 quarts of oil in the 30 seconds or so as I backed out of my garage. Does that much oil get pumped into the intake manifold when the engine is in gear vs in idle?

Mark
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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 4:24 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi Mark, oil isn't pumped into the intake, so I'm a little concerned. The idea that you may have overtightened it and then redid it to spec makes me question (because I'm not there) if the new sensor cracked or where it mounts was damaged. The plastic portion of the sensor where the connector plugs into, if cracked, can allow oil to leak.

As far as the gaskets are concerned, if they were in good condition, I doubt they are an issue. I feel we need to remove the intake again and inspect the sensor for damage.

Let me know.

Joe
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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 7:44 PM
Tiny
MARKF2023
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Hi Joe,

After tear down again, I think there is a crack in the aluminum housing that the sensor goes into (see picture). Since it was losing oil slightly before my original replacement, maybe the crack was already there, and I made it worse when I tightened the sensor. The second sensor went in way too easy.

Can you research and see if the housing is a replaceable part? There are screws on it but I can't find anything online on how to remove it. Or will I have to weld/repair the block?

Thanks again for your help!
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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 7:53 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

Before we go further, there is a technical service bulletin (TSB) that indicates this is being covered under warranty by a dealership for 15 years or 150,000 miles.

Since you already have it apart, that will void that warranty, but interestingly, I noticed the TSB indicates to inspect around the sensor for leaks from the engine block. That tells me that the crack you found may have always been there. Ugh! Nothing is easy. (See pics below)

I would recommend contacting a dealer and telling them you removed the intake to inspect and found the sensor was leaking and a crack where it mounts.

As far as the part, if you look at pics 3 and 4, they show the sensor (circled in red) and what they call the oil cover. Ugh! Again, not a very specific name, but a dealer should be able to help. Make a copy of the pic and take it with you.

Let me know your thoughts. Also, if it was mine, I would put it back together with the original oil sensor and have a dealer fix it under warranty.

Take care,

Joe

See pics below.
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Monday, April 3rd, 2023 AT 9:47 PM
Tiny
MARKF2023
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  • 4 POSTS
Joe,

That is very useful information. I'm going to contact a dealer and see what they say. Thank you for your time and efforts. You've been very helpful. I'll keep you posted.
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Wednesday, April 5th, 2023 AT 7:00 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

That is where I would start. If they are not able to help, let me know and between you and I, we will get it fixed.

Take care and let me know what they tell you.

Joe
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Wednesday, April 5th, 2023 AT 7:26 PM

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