I have a 1997 F-150 extended cab 4.2 V-6 4x2, purchased new. So far no major problems until now at 138000 miles. Vehicle has been serviced fairly regular. Have had gasket at the timing chain replaced at about 80000 miles. At that time I reported to my Ford dealer a problem about the oil gauge bottoming out and the idiot light coming on. After almost wrecking getting off the road to check the oil, it was full, I drove on and reported it. The dealer found nothing. Yesterday, I took my truck to the same dealer and reported the water temp gauge was topping out for a minute and coming back to normal and that the oil pressure gauge was bottoming out for a minute and coming back to normal. They told me that due to over heating I need a new engine. I haven't received any recalls on these potential problems, is anyone else having these problems and is the new engine the way to go? Looks like the oil pump quit and due to heat build up the head gasket blew .... ???

 

Wow! I'm sure the dealer would love to sell you a new engine, but I'd look for electrical problems somewhere in the instrument panel or wiring harnesses first. Especially since you've already got a track record of an oil pressure 'guage' indicating low oil pressure while you've got a full sump. Oil pumps either work or they don't, and I doubt you could turn an F150 hard enough and pull enough lateral G's to get the oil pump to suck air.

And remember, these 'guages' on the Fords are really just idiot lights with pointers. Get some good quality mechanical guages from Autometer or another similar supplier, and find out what's REALLY going on in the engine.

Besides, if you really did starve the engine of oil long enough to cause overheating, you'd have all kinds of noise coming from that engine, poor/rough running, then no running at all, etc.

Just my $0.02. Tony.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-Jan-02 AT 03:40 PM (EST)]I had this problem years ago on a vehicle and it turned out to be electrical. If I can recall it was the fuse box was loose..
You could also go to
the wiring harness on the engine a chase down those two wires and see if they are just loose.

 

Hey i have a 2000 F150 and had the same problem with the oil sensor in mine it was wear it was located, in mine the engine still had oil pressure it just didnt show it on the gage it was the electrical connection on the oil sending unit they replaced the sending unit with a new improved one said it was a recal that hadnt been sent out yet mine was under warrenty at the time so it didnt matter... hope this helps a bit