Oil Choke Light.

[MalibuDavyou5]

For those who missed my "What did you do to your Gbody today" posting. After replacing the Positive Battery Terminal the car more or less started right up. have to keep my foot on the gas at least a little but when I let off I notice the Oil Choke light come on, I also noticed that oil is leaking from the passenger side of the oil pan. My plan is to replace the Oil pan Gasket, but apart from an Oil change should I consider replacing the oil Pump?

1981 Chevy Malibu K 3.8L

 

[melloelky]

i can't speak to changing the pump because of this as it's a pain when the engine's still in the car but that light usually comes on when your oil pressure is low i.e you have an oil leak,not enough oil in the engine etc etc..

 

[pontiacgp]

or the sender is faulty....if you have low oil pressure the valve train will let you know

 

[fleming442]

Is a "K 3.8" a Buick or Chevy? They're different animals. My original Buick 3.8 would tickle the light after exiting a highway run with 10w-30 oil, then I switched up to 15w-40 diesel oil and it stopped. I gave the engine to member Hooptiewagon, and it was clean as a whistle inside at 155k miles. The Buick oil pump is in the timing cover (similar to an LS), and they make a "repair" pump that will tighten up the clearances. Pack it with Vaseline during installation to help prime on start up. I cannot speak much to the Chevy 229 3.8, though.

 

[pagrunt]

Is a "K 3.8" a Buick or Chevy?

That would be the 229. My '81 originally had one.

 

[gnvair]

On the cars with Chevrolet V6 and V8 with electric choke there will be 2 oil switches. One behind the distributor for warning light or gauge. There will be another screwed into the left rear of the block above the oil filter. This one is for the choke. It is monitored with another light.

 

[pagrunt]

On the cars with Chevrolet V6 and V8 with electric choke there will be 2 oil switches. One behind the distributor for warning light or gauge. There will be another screwed into the left rear of the block above the oil filter. This one is for the choke. It is monitored with another light.

The port behind the distributor is used for warning light (both non gauge & "CHOKE" with gauge, two prongs) & to work the electric choke, the port above the oil fiter is for gauge sender on electric choke carb Chevy v6 & V8.

 

[pagrunt]

The port behind the distributor is used for warning light (both non gauge & "CHOKE" with gauge, two prongs) & to work the electric choke, the port above the oil fiter is for gauge sender on electric choke carb Chevy v6 & V8.

For my experiance I have only seen the set up I have described on electric choke cars with the Chevy engine. Witht that I've also only seen the two prong light switch with
either three wires ('78-about '85) or four wire (about '85-'88) pigtail with them all being mounted behind the distributor regardless of being a warning light or gauge car. As for the gauge sender they all have been above the oil filter. My 'gauge cluster came out of another '81 MC when I pulled it years back & I do remember pulling the enders off the 267 in those locations as was the same for my '86 parts MC with a 305. All gauge cars I've seen in the yards have been this way too. Now for a chance of a factory variance, they all were automatics as I never seen a stick car in a yard with an engine in it. With my stick conversion I elected to place both senders behind the distributor orignally cause of the Hedmans & cross shaft. I'll be keeping this set up with the manifolds this time around. I'll include this scan out of my '81 service manual which includes the LC3 229/3.8 V6 to show the location (for those who are new reading this & might not know that '81 our cars were A-bodies, G from '82 up.) The V8 image is dated as it was for the non-electric choke V8 prior to '80 ('78-'79 V8 cars did not have the electric choke or "CHOKE" light with gauges.)

 

[gnvair]

Most of my experience has been with 78-80 stuff. On those cars the sending unit for the oil pressure gauge is installed in a brass pipe extension with a 90 degree end next to the distributor. I can say this with confidence as my current 78 as well as few previous ones were factory gauge package cars. On the cars with a warning light it used the sender with 2 prongs in the same location.
The cars with electric choke use a sender with 3 prongs as the 3rd wire is the trigger for the choke light. I seem to recall the later El Caminos and Montes (85?-88) have it labelled oil and choke.

 

[pagrunt]

Here's a link to Rock Auto's listed oil pressure switches for '81 Malibu woth the 3.8/229 V6

1981 CHEVROLET MALIBU 3.8L 229cid V6 Oil Pressure Sender / Switch | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com