87 Pathfinder

[MikeSomeone]

Recently what I belive to be the oil pump (I don't know much about the mechanics of cars, but it looks like some sort of pump and the sticker says oil, psi on it) About two weeks ago there was a loud clickoing noise coming from it. IT went away until last night after I got home form work I could hear a clicking again. I opened the hood and sure enough it was the oil pump again. The clicking speeds up as you push the throttle in while idling. My oil pressure guage has read that there is no oil pressure for a while but I figured the guage just went bad. Someone told me that if I had no oil pressure my engine would have already been f'ed. What do you guys think this means? Do I need to replace my oil pump? If so, how much would you say labor will probably cost?

Thanks in advance
MikeC

[denisb]

First off your oil pump is inside the oil pan underneath you your motor. So this clicking pump is not your oil pump, but probably your power steering pump. Your friend is right if you would have no oil pressure, you would most likely not go more than 10ish miles before some nasty knocking would develop from your motor. A motor with no oil pump is as bad as a motor without oil.

Are you seeing harder steering or squealing belts along with this? If so this would pretty well confirm a bad power steering pump. How loud is the clicking, are you sure it's coming from this pump and exactly were is this pump located? Power steering pump would be on your left hand side (as you're facing the truck) and would have one of two egine belts turning it.

[mekaniclyinclined]

your ac compressor would also have an oil & psi sticker on and could click when cluch is going on the pulley as far as your oil pressure its probably a bad sending unit. turn your car on and put the ac on or defroster and see if the clicking stops the ac clutch engages in either mode.