Chrysler Repair: LHS 1994 oil light ON while hot idle, conventional oils, oil light

Question
LHS 1994 233,546 km  but in good shape.

New oil filter ,syntetic oil   - after
engine warm-up and drop RPM idle to 800 and below,
the "Oil light" blinking and lit steady until
you start driving (but no light at any speed).
Probably pump problem? Can I drive it
without repair?

Thanks


Answer
Hi Gene,
The light "on" is a not usually a concern with the engine idling. The minimum requirements for idle pressure are usually in the range of 4 psi, but the warning light sender may be set to close at a psi higher than that, and what your sender is actually alarming at is an unknown unless you substitute a reliable gauge for the sender to check it yourself. My experience is that as long as the light goes out upon increasing the rpm it has been acceptable and not resulted in harm. A thin oil weight also exacerbates the warning light problem. My inclination would be to use a one grade higher weight of oil when the engine mileage gets that high, and maybe not use a synthetic oil because they tend to run thinner at higher operating temps than conventional oils. I wouldn't necessarily believe there is a fault in the pump, rather just looseness in the main and other bearings supplied with oil under pressure which allow for an easier dispersal of the oil and thus a drop in pressure. I believe you can drive it without repair until you get a warning light at rpms greater than idle. That is the time to stop the engine and investigate the reason immediately.
Roland