There are puddles of oil on top of the engine, particularly visible on the passenger side. This is the 2002 I put a new short block into about 5000 miles back. Anyone have any idea where that's coming from?

oil pressure sending unit

if near front ps fluid?

You own a subaru.

 

Other places to check.  If near the rear passenger, check the pcv hoses.  If turbo, theres a middle block nipple that likes to leak when the clamps weaken from heat.

No turbo, thank God. @montana tom, where's the oil pressure sender? Is that near the front, a little to the passenger side of the middle?

Near the front, on top, on the pass side. Between the alternator and the power steering pump.

Is this motor oil or perhaps it is power steering fluid?

 

It's definitely motor oil. I looked closely at that sensor, and I can see oil bubbling out of it. It must be bad if my old eyes can see it.

NAPA calls that an oil pressure switch, and they should get it in today or tomorrow. Oddly, NAPA specs say it's a 2-7psi switch. I guess that means it closes somewhere between 2 and 7PSI? or maybe closes at two, re-opens at 7? That seems WAY low.

If I put a proper gauge there, what would it read?

It'd read somewhere between 2 and 100. 

I remember when ford fixed complaints of low oil pressure by replacing the gauge sender with a switch and resistor, so the gauge always read 2/3rds from 2psi up...

15 hours ago, bushytails said:

It'd read somewhere between 2 and 100. 

I remember when ford fixed complaints of low oil pressure by replacing the gauge sender with a switch and resistor, so the gauge always read 2/3rds from 2psi up...

Apparently in the ‘60s ppl wanted their V8 fords to be capable of “high revs”. Apparently the kids back then liked to see over 4000 rpm on the tacho, but the engines didn’t like it so apparently Ford modified the tacho so it looked like the engine would rev that hard when in fact it was still within what Ford considered safe operating. 

There’s always a way around things. It’s also why modern temp gauges don’t move once “at temp” until something catastrophic occurs and it sky rockets.

Cheers

Bennie 

It's a basic idiot light switch.

I keep them in stock, and I routinely replace them when a car comes in for other work.  

Subi's are extremely forgiving about running low on oil, but when that light starts flickering or worse yet, stays lit, you need to check things out.

 

I changed out the sender, cleaned the oil off the top of the engine as best I could, and took the dog for a ride. So far so good, that may have been the only leak. I got this one from the local Napa, I'll get a couple more coming via mail order.

Thanks, all!

I've had pretty poor luck with aftermarket ones leaking in less than a year. 25240KA041 genuine Subaru number, MSRP is $24.57. Every dealer has a pile of them (I have 15 at the moment).

 

I used a Subaru switch on my Toyota Celica because I was tired of the aftermarket ones leaking and the Toyota one has an MSRP of $71