How to Fix the Oil Pressure Switch in a 2001 Cadillac Catera

Luxury car enthusiasts have long known Cadillac as the staple of American luxury cars, but the marque is not without its flaws. In the 1980s, Cadillac experimented with the compact car market with the Cimarron, which was little more than a decked-out Cavalier. Cadillac regrouped after the Cimarrons removal and came up with the Catera, which it borrowed from Opel an overseas affiliate of GM. Had the Catera been any other make but a Cadillac it would have likely succeeded. Cadillac buyers, however, did not embrace The Caddy That Zigs and the Catera zagged into extinction after the 2001 model year. The oil pressure sensor on the 2001 Catera monitors the pressure in the oil system and alerts the driver of low oil pressure via a light or gauge, depending on options.

Instructions

Removal

1

Raise the front of the Catera with a floor jack and slide jack stands under its subframe. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.

2

Crawl beneath the Cadillac and find the four bolts securing the underbody splashguard to the vehicle. Remove these four bolts with a ratchet and socket, and pull the splashguard off the Catera.

3

Find the oil pressure sensor on the front of the engine block, toward the drivers side next to the alternator. Slide a drain pan under the oil pressure sensor.

4

Press and hold the unlocking button on the sensors wiring harness, and pull the wiring harness from the sensor.

5

Remove the sensor with a combination wrench, if the Catera has an oil pressure gauge, or a ratchet and deep-well socket, if it has an oil pressure light.

Installation

6

Coat the threads of the new oil pressure sensor with a thin coat of thread sealer and allow the thread sealer to cure for the time specified by its instructions typically 5 to 10 minutes.

7

Hand-tighten the oil pressure sensor into the engine block. Tighten the oil pressure sensor to 30 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and deep-well socket, if the Catera has an oil pressure light. Substitute the deep-well socket with a crows foot attachment, if your Catera has an oil pressure gauge.

8

Plug the wiring harness onto the receptacle on the oil pressure sensor; listen for the locking button to click into place.

9

Position the splashguard on the underside of the Cater and hand-tighten its retaining bolts to hold it in place. Tighten the four splashguard bolts with a ratchet and socket.

10

Raise the vehicle off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the Cadillac to the ground.

Refilling the oil

11

Pull the engine oil dipstick from the engine and wipe the oil off it with a clean, lint-free cloth. Reinsert the dipstick and remove it again. Check the oil level on the dipstick. If the oil level is below the Min mark on the dipstick, continue to Step 2. If the level is between the Min and Max marks, reinsert the dipstick and close the hood.

12

Unscrew the oil filler cap from the top, drivers side of the engine and insert a funnel into the oil filler hole.

13

Pour new 10W30 engine oil into the engine, via the funnel, in half-quart increments. Check the oil after each increment. Tighten the oil filler cap onto the engine once the oil is within the correct range.

14

Take the old oil in the drain pan to a local automotive fluid recycling center for disposal. Some auto parts stores take old oil free of charge.