What is an Oil Pressure Gauge? | The Meat and Potatoes Series

Most factory cars only flash a dummy light when it's already too late. Learn the meat and potatoes of how an aftermarket oil pressure gauge protects your engine block.

Aftermarket oil pressure gauge displaying engine PSI for Elite Race Fab.

Here at Elite Race Fab, we keep it to the meat and potatoes—just simple mechanics. An oil pressure gauge is something you rarely see on a factory vehicle, as most stock cars will only give you a warning "dummy light" that flashes when your oil pressure has already dropped dangerously low. That is where a quality, reasonably priced oil pressure gauge from Elite Race Fab can save you tons in engine repairs.

The use of an oil pressure gauge is simple, but the data it feeds directly into your vehicle's cab is super important. The gauge displays the force or pressure of oil pumping through your engine, usually in pounds per square inch (PSI). Monitoring this number might not be crucial if you are just running a full bolt-on setup, although you can still get one for safe measure. Most oil pressure gauges read this PSI from either a sending unit or a sensor that screws into your engine block.

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