I just bought a 2010 Toyota Corolla 1ZZ 5-speed with less than 90,000 miles. It’s my first car and I paid for it with my own savings. Got an oil change done two days ago. Last night while driving home I gave it some good revs on an empty road for the first time, and after a few minutes the low oil pressure light came on and the engine got noisy. I pulled over, turned off the engine and waited 10 minutes. After starting it again, everything seemed fine. The light went away and the noise stopped. But now I’m really worried. What could’ve caused this?
The oil pressure sensor switch is known to fail on this engine and can leak a lot. It’s connected to the oil filter housing.
Denise said:
The oil pressure sensor switch is known to fail on this engine and can leak a lot. It’s connected to the oil filter housing.
Can a bad oil pressure sensor switch cause the engine to sound rough like that?
Please go through the replies before telling the person who posted this to check oil level.
It’s possible that a leaking valve cover gasket is causing oil pressure issues.
Laurel said:
Please go through the replies before telling the person who posted this to check oil level.
It’s possible that a leaking valve cover gasket is causing oil pressure issues.
Even if the valve cover was gone, you’d still have oil pressure. That pressure comes from the oil pump deep in the engine and mainly feeds the crankshaft bearings. The oil reaching the camshaft is more of a light flow. A low oil pressure warning usually means the pump isn’t pulling enough oil, the pump is failing, or something is blocking the oil flow.
@Vin
Thanks for explaining. I think there might be a blockage somewhere because I saw a thick sludge right under the oil filler cap.
Mica said:
@Vin
Thanks for explaining. I think there might be a blockage somewhere because I saw a thick sludge right under the oil filler cap.
In that case, it’s a good idea to do an engine flush. You can use something like Liquid Moly Motor Clean or whatever is available locally. Add it to your current oil, let the engine idle for 15 minutes, then change to fresh oil. Drive about 100 miles, then change the oil again. Most people don’t mention the second oil change but it helps if there’s a lot of sludge.
Laurel said:
Please go through the replies before telling the person who posted this to check oil level.
It’s possible that a leaking valve cover gasket is causing oil pressure issues.
That’s new to me. I’ve driven older Toyotas and Hondas with bad valve cover gaskets and never had low oil pressure. Maybe the oil pressure sensor is bad or the wires to it are messed up? The noise you heard makes me think of a clogged VVTi solenoid or even piston rings full of sludge.
@Claire
Yeah, that adds up. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m starting to think it’s either a clogged piston ring or blockage since I saw that gunk under the cap.
Laurel said:
Please go through the replies before telling the person who posted this to check oil level.
It’s possible that a leaking valve cover gasket is causing oil pressure issues.
Thanks for the help
Take a look at the valve cover too… the early models like this one are known to leak there.
Zinnia said:
Take a look at the valve cover too… the early models like this one are known to leak there.
The valve cover is letting oil seep out.
@Mica
That picture helps…
Devlin said:
@Mica
That picture helps…
Sorry if it’s a dumb question, but can a leaking valve cover alone make the engine knock or lose oil pressure? The dipstick shows oil level is okay.
@Mica
When was the last time you changed the oil? Also, was that reading you took from the dipstick the first one, or after wiping and checking again? Some people don’t know the first dipstick pull isn’t accurate unless the car has sat for a long time. You’re supposed to wipe and re-check it.
@Devlin
I got the oil changed just two days ago. That picture was after I wiped and checked again.
@Mica
These Corollas from 09 and 10 always have common problems like leaking valve covers, axle boots, water pump, and blower switch. I’ve had to change my driver side axle boots three times, water pump twice, blower switch twice, and just got the valve cover done yesterday at a local shop.
Could be the oil pressure sensor. I wouldn’t drive it again until you double-check the oil level.
Check your oil level. Don’t drive it anymore until you know for sure.