High oil pressure-should I worry?

[ElAviator72]

Just noticing as the weather is getting cooler, my oil pressure is getting much higher (until the engine warms up).

I understand the factory oil charge in the engine was 5w-20 (even though Ford recommends 5w-30). Even so, I was noticing it before my first oil change last week. I'm seeing numbers in the high 80's (PSI), until the engine warms up fully, then it is down in the 40-60 PSI range.

I had the dealer do a full synthetic oil change, but this morning, the temp was 33 degrees (Farenheit) when I started up. I swear I was seeing my oil pressure gauge up near 100 PSI (!). Once again, once the car is warmed up, the pressure is between about 40 and 60 PSI.

Just don't want to blow the seals in the turbo :(

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[NvrFinished]

The cold temperatures are creating the higher pressures because the oil is less viscous as the temperature drops until the oil warms up. The first number (5w) determines how viscous the oil is at cooler temperatures. You may want to go to a 0w-20 oil for the winter.

 

[cosmo]

You're fine as long as you don't hammer it until you're up to operating temp. But you shouldn't be hammering it on any car until it is up to operating temp anyways. Aluminum cold shrinkage amplifies the wear on the cylinder head gasket as well. Running high boost on a cold turbo is an issue as well, as that's a large heat change. Drive it for 5-10 until you really get on it. It's going to get worse the colder it gets, I usually saw 80 psi at startup when it was 5 degrees out.

 

[Anthony@HTM]

You're fine

 

[ElAviator72]

It takes a good long while for the oil pressure to stabilize lower, probably about 15 min. after startup. In normal (small town) driving, it is only taking about 5 min. for the temperature gauge to get to running temp.

What is our oil capacity? Sounds like it takes a long time for all the oil to get heated up to operating temperature...how much oil do you guys think is tied up in the turbo plumbing?

Thinking about using 0W-30 for future fall/winter oil changes...

 

[Rogues Gambit]

You're fine as long as you don't hammer it until you're up to operating temp. But you shouldn't be hammering it on any car until it is up to operating temp anyways. Aluminum cold shrinkage amplifies the wear on the cylinder head gasket as well. Running high boost on a cold turbo is an issue as well, as that's a large heat change. Drive it for 5-10 until you really get on it. It's going to get worse the colder it gets, I usually saw 80 psi at startup when it was 5 degrees out.

What I always do

I sometimes just start the car, go back to make coffee and read the paper, then go back and drive once its all warmed up

 

[ElAviator72]

Was playing around with the computer today, and discovered that there's an oil temperature gauge in gauge mode...have to try it out on a cold start

 

[ElAviator72]

Oil temperature lags coolant temp

So what I've discovered the past two mornings is that the oil temperature takes a lot longer to come up than the coolant temperature. I've been using the oil temperature gauge on the Driver Information Computer...just be aware that it may take up to 15 min. for your oil temperature to be in the green! Might want to lay off the boost until your oil temp is in the green...

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