'96 - '00 Toyota Rav4 Oil Pressure Sensor/Switch - BIG oil leak, EASY fix! Also Camry, other Toyotas
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- čas přidán 26. 04. 2023
- This DIY shows how to replace the Oil Pressure Switch (or Sensor, Sender) on '96 - '00 Rav4's and other Toyotas with 3S-FE or 5S-FE engines. The repair is similar on many other Toyota engines. Check the Pinned Comment or below for Timestamps, Part numbers, and Torque values:
Timestamps, Part Numbers, Torque Values:
00:15 Oil Leak - this leak can be mistaken for other issues
00:53 Inspection from below - big oil leak mess
02:22 Inpsection from above - pattern is similar to the cam plug/distributor o-ring leak pattern
03:06 Inspect the Oil Pressure Switch for oil
05:31 Begin repair - remove the Oil Pressure Switch (27mm deep socket or crescent wrench)
06:02 Replacement Switch is 24mm, Toyota 83530-0E010, $40
07:27 Compare the oil and new parts
07:59 Check that the electrical connector fits before installing
08:17 Clean electrical connector if necessary (ie, CRC QD Electronic Cleaner)
08:33 Clean the threads on the head
08:52 Important notes about Loctite 242/threadlock
10:39 Important note about aftermarket switches
11:57 Important notes about not over-tightening the switch; caution about tapered threads
16:56 Apply Loctite 242 and install new switch (max torque is 11 ft-lbs or 132 inch-lbs)
18:24 Reconnect the electrical
19:07 Allow the Loctite to cure (10 minutes minimum, 24 hours ideally - I will do overnight)
19:21 Start up and check for leaks
20:01 What to do if you see a leak at the threads
21:47 On the bench: how the switch works (this switch is a "Normally Closed" type)
23:17 Check for Continuity in the "normal" position
24:29 Oil Pressure table from the FSM
24:38 Demonstration of switch function using air pressure
I hope this video was helpful for you. Thank you for watching, and good luck with your repair! - Jak na to + styl
Timestamps, Part Numbers, Torque Values:
00:15 Oil Leak - this leak can be mistaken for other issues
00:53 Inspection from below - big oil leak mess
02:22 Inspection from above - pattern is similar to the cam plug/distributor o-ring leak pattern
03:06 Inspect the Oil Pressure Switch for oil
05:31 Begin repair - remove the Oil Pressure Switch (27mm deep socket or crescent wrench)
06:02 Replacement Switch is 24mm, Toyota 83530-0E010, $40
07:27 Compare the oil and new parts
07:59 Check that the electrical connector fits before installing
08:17 Clean electrical connector if necessary (ie, CRC QD Electronic Cleaner)
08:33 Clean the threads on the head
08:52 Important notes about Loctite 242/threadlock
10:39 Important note about aftermarket switches
11:57 Important notes about not over-tightening the switch; caution about tapered threads
16:56 Apply Loctite 242 and install new switch (max torque is 11 ft-lbs or 132 inch-lbs)
18:24 Reconnect the electrical
19:07 Allow the Loctite to cure (10 minutes minimum, 24 hours ideally - I will do overnight)
19:21 Start up and check for leaks
20:01 What to do if you see a leak at the threads
21:47 On the bench: how the switch works (this switch is a "Normally Closed" type)
23:17 Check for Continuity in the "normal" position
24:29 Oil Pressure table from the FSM
24:38 Demonstration of switch function using air pressure
I hope this video is helpful for you. Thank you for watching, and good luck with your repair!
Dear L35, I have to say that you are second to none in my opinion in teaching repairs on your videos! You not only give good explanations but also give preventative advice to save me from common mistakes you have encountered. THANKS MUCH! I am in need of you experience. I have a 1996 Rav4 that was running fine (oil light off) last fall but now starting it up (May) the light stays on and engine clatters as if not getting adequate lubrication. I just performed a timing belt/water pump service about 200 miles ago, (last fall, and drove the car several times 200 miles or so and then parked it due to subframe rust) so I started it up a week ago only to notice the oil light stayed on. I am confused as to why sitting over the winter has changed the health of the motor. If the car was not clattering I may think sending unit but I fear that the engine is not receiving enough oil pressure causing the clattering. I do not want to tear into the timing belt area (as I was just there) to get to the top side of oil pump unless that is the only way to resolve the problem. I was thinking maybe the oil pickup screen in the oil pan may be restricted or clogged and not allowing oil to get to the pump. The car likely had poor service before I bought it. I changed the oil thinking maybe the dirty may have plugged something. You seem very knowledgeable about 1st gen Ravs so how would you diagnose the issue? Should I pull the pan to check and clean the oil pickup or other checklist?
I'm sorry that's happening, and yes, that certainly needs to be addressed before continuing to run the engine. If this issue (low oil pressure and engine rattle) was not present before the timing belt job last fall, then it is possible that the timing belt job accidentally introduced the issue - specifically with the oil pump sprocket, engine timing, or the timing belt tensioner/spring. Unfortunately, you may need to get back in there and have a look at a few items:
- if you removed the oil pump sprocket to replace the shaft seal or oil pump housing gasket, it is necessary to verify that the sprocket bolt was properly torqued and is not allowing the sprocket to spin/slip or freewheel; this has happened before, and caused issues similar to what you're describing - it is covered in this thread:
www.rav4world.com/threads/oil-pressure.298617/
- double-check timing, timing belt tension and spring, and any sprocket/pulley bolts that were removed (cam sprocket, oil pump sprocket, tensioner pulley, idler pulley).
If you didn't remove the oil pump housing or sprocket:
- do you remember doing the proper FSM steps for setting the tension on the timing belt (the 1 and 7/8th turn procedure)?
If you instead suspect a problem with the oil pump pickup, you can access it by removing the oil pan, but to replace the whole oil pump, you'll have to remove the timing belt, too. Here's an idea of what the oil pan removal looks like:
czcams.com/video/vwiM3hMT7CI/video.html
I agree that if there wasn't a rattle, I'd suspect the oil pressure sender/switch and just remove the oil pressure switch and place an oil pressure gauge there to verify pressure at the cylinder head. If pressure was good, I would replace the switch and see if that solves the oil light issue. But with the rattle happening too, it seems there's something else going on that is causing both issues simultaneously, such as a loose oil pump sprocket, so personally I would head in there first (before removing the oil pan). If I got in there and found no issue, then I would leave the timing cover and belt off and then remove the oil pan so that I could replace the whole oil pump assembly, if needed, without having to backtrack.
I hope that helps! I encourage you to post a thread on the "4.1" generation section of rav4world.com for additional help, because there are some outstanding minds, mechanics, and techs over there who can offer more ideas than I can!
Good luck! : )
@@L35inColorado Thanks so much! Your links were great! He had the oil pump sprocket and camshaft sprocket both loose but at least no engine damage he thinks. This was the second timing belt service that I have done on a 1st gen Rav. I did a '97 6 months earlier and had no issues, maybe I was over confident and not careful enough on this job...I hate it when I get in a hurry and that happens. I think I did the 1 7/8 tension process but its been a while. I did have the oil pump cover off and remember the fun animal cracker gasket....Bottom line is that it is not going to fix itself, just needed to take a breath and hear that there is no way to really know if I don't get into the fun again. Thank you for your prompt response! I will be watching your channel to learn more :)
I will also update my findings when I know more.
Huge thank you. The oil light was coming on while is was driving causing a big concern for me. But after checking the oil level and looking around the engine bay. I saw i had a faulty oil pressure switch at 320k kilometers (200k miles). Cheap part and easy fix saved me a lot of money.
Nice - great job on your DIY! I'm so glad the video helped. Thanks for watching and for your comment! : )
Excellent video! Who would have thought the oil was from the sensor. Thanks for the heads up!
Yes indeed! They can cause a real mess when they fail: it looks like the diaphragm failed on this one, which allowed engine oil to exit at that point. Oil pressure changes with engine speed, and sometimes you can see the leak even more when you rev the engine. You can see in this video that such a leak can be pretty bad even at idle:
czcams.com/users/shortsdaJSsng-amI
That video shows a ZZ Toyota engine, which has the switch located on the block near the oil filter; you can see how much oil can come out that sensor once the diaphragm fails! Luckily, the Toyota OE switches tend to last a long, long time.
Thanks for watching! : )
Yes!!!!!!! Please keep fixing stuff I just did the radiator in my 98 RAV from your video. Hands down best instructionals I’ve ever found and so lucky its for my year range. Thank you VERY much 🫡
That's great - outstanding job on your radiator DIY! I do have a few other videos coming up - I'm editing now a video for the cam plug seal, and hope to have videos on the fuel injector o-rings and valve stem seals within the next couple months. : ) Thanks for watching!
Just bought a rav4 with 159k miles engine sounds good it does have a oil leak I was looking at the oil pan gasket but I saw more oil at the same spots where you showed in the videos so I was kinda stumped that it couldn’t be the oil pan gasket. Gonna check this out tomorrow thank you for the video 👍
Nice! Yes, this leak can cause a REAL big mess!
Thanks for watching : )
Fantastically informative video, and a lovely soothing voice you have.
Thank you, and thanks for watching! : )
Love your content! Great for the Rav4 but useful as basic DIY philosophy. Thank you very much!
Thank you, and thanks for watching! : )
Your deep socket 1/4 turn line is genius & simple. In my case, I write 0,90,180,270 which takes more time. Something I am curious, before you replaced the leaky sensor, how many miles per quart your engine uses oil? Do you see oil dripping daily on the floor?
Amazing presentation as always, your "Root Cause Analysis" makes you a TRUE problem solver 👍
Thanks! Your marking method for sockets is a great idea, too!
To answer your question - yes, this leak caused oil drips on the concrete, especially if the car had been idling in the parking spot before being shut off. It is my sister's car, and I don't see it too often, but I noticed the leak from the mess below when I recently did an oil change for her.
I think most of the oil leak occurs when the engine is running at higher RPM, but so much oil will collect into little pools on top of the transmission that oil will just drip, drip, drip down even after the engine is shut off. This leak really makes a BIG mess!
As far as oil loss - I didn't have a long enough period of time to determine oil loss because this Rav4 only moves about 300 - 400 miles a month. So even with the delay in getting parts, this Rav4 hadn't moved much by the time I did the repair, haha.
My own Rav4 is a '00 with about 207K miles, and it consumes probably a liter of oil every couple thousand miles (and my own Rav4 doesn't get much use these days either!). My '00 Rav4 has leaky valve stem seals, which is likely most of the oil consumption; it doesn't have any external oil leaks. I'm hoping to replace the valve stem seals within the next few months, and I'll record that job for video if I can : )
Also, as mentioned in the video, the leak pattern is very similar to the cam plug seal (or distributor o-ring) leak. I'm working on a video for that repair (the cam plug seal) which hopefully I'll have posted in a couple weeks.
I hope that helps - thanks for watching and adding your tips! : )
@@L35inColorado You keep your XA10 RAV4 so well, it drinks 1 liter oil every couple thousand miles which is nothing in today's standard. We had a F10 BMW, the trunk pathetically has 1 quart of oil from the factory just so if the oil is low, you can top off, LOL...
Can't wait for the valve stem videos & keep the amazing work !
Great video! I already had the crank shaft seal replaced but I still have the leak. I'll check the oil pressure switch and keep my fingers crossed that's the leak source. OBTW, I used your radiator replacement video for my radiator replacement and it worked out great.
Wow, great job on your radiator DIY! Yes, this leak can be very sneaky and cause a huge mess, so be sure to check this spot if you're seeing a high oil leak. Thanks for watching! : )
im so glad you posted this video. very well made an straight forward. ive been having a issue with me 97 RAV and this was it happend yesterday wouldn't let it start but no i know it was just the oil pressure sensor
Thank you!
Thank you for watching! : )
Brilliantly executed video. For this application, what did you use to clean up that ***extensive mess*** from the oil leak-- Super Clean, CRC Green Brake Cleaner, or something else? Thanks kindly.
Thanks! I probably used either Simple Green or Super Clean - those are my go-to's for cleaning up oil big messes. They both work well, but don't get them on your hands (especially the Super Clean - use gloves) and don't breathe in the fumes/spray.
I hope that helps - thanks for watching! : )
Coolant temperature sensor video please 😊
That's a good idea! Thanks for watching : )
👍🏼👍🏼 mantap
Thank you. I have an oil leak on a 97 Rav4. I have tried and failed to find the oil leak. I did the valve cover gasket, cylinder head gasket, resealed the oil pan, replaced the rear main seal, but still there is a minor oil leak terminating at/coming from around the back of the oil pan where it meets the engine block. There is no evidence that the leak is coming from the oil pump area nor the distributor o-ring and seal, or even the front crack shaft seal. Since the back of the engine is relatively wet with oil, I am left to think that the leak is coming from a sensor, probably the knock sensor. Does the knock sensor connect to an oil path? Which other sensor is located at the back of the engine?
Wow, you've done a LOT of work! To answer your question - no, the knock sensor does not thread into an oil galley, so it would not be the cause of an oil leak (unless there was some kind of extreme damage/crack at the block which created a path to the knock sensor threads - but that case would cause a lot more trouble than just an oil leak!).
You have eliminated so many possible options by all the work you've done: as you know, the oil pump gasket leaks from behind the timing cover, and since that leak is so low down on the engine, it tends to stay over by the oil pan. Plus, you state that you don't have any reason to believe it is leaking there - and that is a pretty obvious leak when the engine is running. The front crank seal is in the same spot, as you mentioned, and causes a leak that's just about the same as the oil pump leak.
Instead, it sounds like your oil leak is coming from a source higher up in the engine: you've cleared the valve cover gasket and distributor o-ring, so perhaps now have a good look at the oil pressure switch (as shown in the video). The switch leaks more under higher pressure, so it's hard to see the leak under idling conditions (until it gets pretty bad). As I mentioned in the video, this leak fooled me - I really thought, by the leak pattern from below, that the source was the cam plug. But it turns out that that oil pressure switch makes a big mess, too.
To check for an oil pressure sensor leak, disconnect and clean up the electrical connector and all around the switch, then reconnect the electrical connector. Then go for a drive for 15 or 20 minutes. Pop the hood and wipe under the switch with a paper towel: if there is even a single drop of fresh oil there, then that switch is likely your source, because it will be a relentless leak for all the time the engine is running, and it will leak more under higher engine loads. Remove the electrical connector again and check for oil there, too.
Again - you've done so much work that you're running out of places to check for oil leaks! : ) So...the other thing I'd mention, just to be thorough is to make sure the leak is not actually coming from the power steering system. If your Rav is used, sometimes people put off-label fluid in the PS system (instead of ATF), and it can look and even smell like engine oil. ATF doesn't look or smell like engine oil, but some brands of power steering fluid do (especially random store brands) and sometimes people put the wrong fluid in because they think ATF doesn't belong in the PS system (but in the Rav4, it does!). Then, you get a PS leak and it looks exactly like an oil leak.
Of course, since the PS system fluid capacity is lower, you'll get a clue that there's a PS leaks sooner than an engine oil leak because the PS system will start to whine. But, if it is slow leak, you don't need much oil to make a huge mess when the source is so high up in the bay.
The two main points where the PS system leaks is at the hose connections near/under the reservoir and at the pinion seal at the top of the rack. That pinon seal makes a huge mess when it leaks:
www.rav4world.com/threads/diy-replace-power-steering-rack-seal-pinion-valve-seal-stop-a-common-4-1-ps-leak.264929/
I hope that helps - please post back with any new info! If I can think of anything else, I'll make another reply : )
I continued to check for the stubborn oil leak and finally discovered that the leak was coming from the distributor o-ring. In spite of being a new one, it appears it was a wrong size. This problem is now completely solved.@@L35inColorado
Thank you. Is the oil pressure sensor failure also responsible for a hard cold start? My RAV4 97 has recently developed a hard cold start issue, whereby when the car has stayed overnight, it can't start properly in the morning. Upon turning the key to the "ON" position and cranking, you hear the engine turning (tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk) but it won't fire up. When you turn it off and then crank the second time, then it fires up. Throughout the day, the engine will start up properly as long as it is warm/hot. I thought it was a fuel pressure issue and attempted to solve the problem by changing the fuel pump, fuel filter and pressure regulator, but the problem is still there. I checked, cleaned and tested the injectors, all were ok. I have cleaned the throttle body thoroughly, checked the IAC valve and tested it, all was ok. The resistance measured was 21.7 ohms in the cold temperature range and it was opening and closing when tested with a battery. The plug wires, spark plugs, distributor rotor and cup are all ok as far as I can tell. I checked for vacuum leaks using smoke detection but got nothing. The engine idles properly when in P and N, but there is very occasional sputtering at low RPM (800-1000) when in D and R with/without pressing the break pedal. Any ideas regarding this hard cold start issue?
I'm sorry I missed your comment - you have certainly done a LOT of work! Have you checked the ECT (engine coolant temperature) sensor? The ECT sensor is the two-wire sensor located just to the driver's side of the head.
There's a one-wire "ECT sender" right next to it, but the one-wire is for the instrument gauge. Check the two-wire sensor (the ECT sensor), shown here:
czcams.com/video/9GxATev-cc8/video.html
You don't have to remove it to test it: you can either back-probe the sensor while it is in place and with the electrical connector connected (Key off, engine off - you don't want voltage at that sensor while you're trying to check resistance), or, of course, you can disconnect the electrical connector and just check resistance across the two terminals. Check resistance at the cold and warm conditions and see how it compares to this graph:
www.rav4world.com/threads/engine-coolant-temperature-sensor.302077/
Also, check out this thread from Toyotanation (5S-FE is similar to the 3S-FE):
www.toyotanation.com/threads/diy-ect-sensor-diag-without-tools.475977/
I hope that helps! Good luck and please post back if you can : )
i literally had to replace this shit twice in a span of less than 10 years
Ah man, that's no fun! Do you know or remember if they were all OE switches, or aftermarket brands?
@@L35inColorado no, i dont remember anything bout them, they were cheap tho back then, (less than 20 bux both times) i got easy access to them so it wasnt a big deal, tho i NEVER anticipated the leak from this the 2nd time around
Low value torque wrenches should either be American or Japanese
I’ve had bad luck with low value Chinese torque wrenches. Very dangerous
I have Chinese, Taiwanese, and USA torque wrenches, and I like the Taiwan builds best, I think. I used the cheap-o $10 Pittsburgh Chinese 1/4" wrench years ago, and I actually never had an issue with it. The click/feel is very faint, though. The Tekton inch-lbs torque wrench is from Taiwan, and I love that little thing! You can always check the calibration of your torque wrenches using mechanical means (ruler and weights), and also can compare them to each other if you have several (and at least one of known good calibration). Also, I have beam torque wrenches, which are useful for comparison.