A few annoyances...

My HVAC problem is slowly coming to an end. I found out that the vacuum pressure was about 9 kPAs (should be around 60 kPAs), combined with 2 faulty solenoids. Now I'm checking for leaks and waiting for a solenoid box to arrive. I hope it'll work.

Now, I read a lot about low oil pressure, which drew my attention to my oil pressure in the family's 94 TS. I can't say I'm too happy when I look at the oil pressure gauge. Let me describe.
At start everything looks nice: the needle starts somewhere near the top and then, after 10, 15 miles, slowly crawles down to the red area and hovers there, just inside. At idle it seems the pressure is still slowly (very slowly) dropping. When I first started worrying, I bent under the car and noticed that the oil filter was leaking. The gasket had cracked and was totally out of position, with some oil spread under the filter and on the pipes.
Not a big deal, one would say, changing an oil filter. Yes, indeed.
But it's not that that's bugging me, now when I know what seems to be the problem.
When the engine warms up, it delivers that rattling noise (only at idle, not at higher RPM) that sounds kind of menacing. Not a BUM-BUM or KNOCK-KNOCK sound, but a very distinctive metalic rattle of higher pitch and volume than the engine's when cold. Also I noticed that, when the car warms up, it shakes, (apart that it rattles, too), slightly, but still more than when the engine is still cold. Oil Pump? Something else? I don't have a clue, but I have problems sleeping lately...

Any ideas, thoughts, words of comfort?:crying:

Oh, I didn't mention that the guy who sold me the car said the gauges can go a bit lazy through time and show lower values than they really are. What about that?

Our '94 TS has 150000 miles, still going strong and pretty. I will also start methodically documenting my work on the TS (which I always forget, with the dirty hands and a camera somewhere out of reach and ) for other visitors to get a close view inside the almost-always *$%&#*! work.

My HVAC problem is slowly coming to an end. I found out that the vacuum pressure was about 9 kPAs (should be around 60 kPAs), combined with 2 faulty solenoids. Now I'm checking for leaks and waiting for a solenoid box to arrive. I hope it'll work.

Now, I read a lot about low oil pressure, which drew my attention to my oil pressure in the family's 94 TS. I can't say I'm too happy when I look at the oil pressure gauge. Let me describe.
At start everything looks nice: the needle starts somewhere near the top and then, after 10, 15 miles, slowly crawles down to the red area and hovers there, just inside. At idle it seems the pressure is still slowly (very slowly) dropping. When I first started worrying, I bent under the car and noticed that the oil filter was leaking. The gasket had cracked and was totally out of position, with some oil spread under the filter and on the pipes.
Not a big deal, one would say, changing an oil filter. Yes, indeed.
But it's not that that's bugging me, now when I know what seems to be the problem.
When the engine warms up, it delivers that rattling noise (only at idle, not at higher RPM) that sounds kind of menacing. Not a BUM-BUM or KNOCK-KNOCK sound, but a very distinctive metalic rattle of higher pitch and volume than the engine's when cold. Also I noticed that, when the car warms up, it shakes, (apart that it rattles, too), slightly, but still more than when the engine is still cold. Oil Pump? Something else? I don't have a clue, but I have problems sleeping lately...

Any ideas, thoughts, words of comfort?:crying:

Oh, I didn't mention that the guy who sold me the car said the gauges can go a bit lazy through time and show lower values than they really are. What about that?

Our '94 TS has 150000 miles, still going strong and pretty. I will also start methodically documenting my work on the TS (which I always forget, with the dirty hands and a camera somewhere out of reach and ) for other visitors to get a close view inside the almost-always *$%&#*! work.

I can realize your difficulty. Replace the oil filter with a new one if you haven't yet. Make certain the oil level is at full. Take it for another spin and see what happens. At 150,000 miles it would be still worth repairing. Mine has 283,000 kms( 170,000 miles) 1993. With numerous electrical and electronic problems that I have repaired over the last 4 months (thanks to this fourm) it is now running well and ready for the winter.
The wife has a 1991 Lumina APV which runs even better then mine. 242,000 kms.