Occasionally when starting the engine, usually when it has been sitting a while, the oil light comes on at the last second before it starts then turns off. It might stay on for a 1/4 a second. I checked my oil level and its fine. I use Motorcraft 5W-20 oil with a Motorcraft filter. Is this a common thing to happen or should I be concerned? Also, is the full mark on the dipstick at the top of the cross-hatching or the pinhole above that? 2004 Lariat 4X4 Supercab 5.4 Liter V8 Thanks, Rick

 

Does your Lariat have an oil gauge? I have an 04 FX4, it has gauges no lights that I'm a were of....

 

The light should light up with the key on and while cranking. It should only shut off after pressure has built up past 7psi.

 

I think the guage in these trucks is no more than an "idiot light." If there is pressure, the guage is up, if there is no pressure, the guage is down...

But I could be wrong...

Mk

 

"Light" was the wrong word to use. I should have said the message center shows "low oil pressure" for about a 1/4 second while cranking the engine then disappears when the engine starts. Any answers to the dipstick question?

 

I would say that you are fine as long as the light goes out after the engine is at idle. If you just turn the ignition to the on postion without starting the engine the same measage will come up. It does make sense that before the engine gets up to speed (idle) the oil pump will not be spinning as fast as it does. Simply the elecrical system is reading the pressure before the engine is running.

By the way. Does anyone know how the oil pump works on these engines, is it electric.? Because i know that the older windsor engines, it ran off of the distributor, and there is no distributor.

Thanks
Brian

 

Brian: Thats a very good question about the oil pump. Anybody know?????