Oil Pressure "Gauge"

funny part, alot of toyota dials sit in the middle cause most people freak out when they have a gauge with a center point. they think sitting in the middle is suppose to be norm instead of reading the dial for what its worth.

i remember toyota dials being the old way and then people complained so much toyota went back to making dials read center.

 

I'd say that's normal operation. I have a '18 and it does the same thing. Just below 1/2 when warm and idle, but increases the more load the engine is under.

 

The oil pump isn't impacted by load on the engine. It's mechanically driven and spins in direct relation to engine rpm. The oil pressure is simply a result of oil viscosity, pump flow, and resistance from moving thru the oil passages and bearing clearances.

 

I used "load" as more of a generic term. I had a feeling someone was going to point that out. lol.