Oil Pressure
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
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Oil Pressure
Good morning everyone,
I own a 1999 3.0l flex fuel ranger. A funny thing happens to it when I start it after it has sat for a while (cold days are worse than warm). My oil pressure gauge remains pegged low for a while - before it "springs" to normal. I dont think it is an actual oil pressure problem - I think it is my gauge or sender. It's never stayed low for more than a couple of minutes. It seems to remain low when its colder - On hot days it comes up like you would expect. I haven't seen a schematic of how the oil system works for this truck - so I really don't know what I should be looking at. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
cscottyr
I own a 1999 3.0l flex fuel ranger. A funny thing happens to it when I start it after it has sat for a while (cold days are worse than warm). My oil pressure gauge remains pegged low for a while - before it "springs" to normal. I dont think it is an actual oil pressure problem - I think it is my gauge or sender. It's never stayed low for more than a couple of minutes. It seems to remain low when its colder - On hot days it comes up like you would expect. I haven't seen a schematic of how the oil system works for this truck - so I really don't know what I should be looking at. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
cscottyr
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,940
Likes: 2
From: Eastern WA
The oil pressure gauge is really just an idiot gauge. It is designed to read midway when the oil pressure is about 7 or more psi; it never shows true pressure. My hunch would be your sender is needing replacement.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,748
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From: Connecticut
I agree with Bill, it sounds like your oil pressure sending unit is acting funny. I've heard of them failing before on the 3.0L vulcans, so it's not that uncommon, and it's not an expensive part, either.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
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i had a simular problem with my 88 rngr. 2.3L my guage showed midway when cold then drop to the bottom when warm. so i bought a triple guage set from motion auto for $34 and i read 50 psi when cold and reving and about 38 psi when warm and idling. so i would have to agree with the cowboy and say that it's the sending unit.
i hate the idiot gauges. i like to know what my mtrs doing so i can fix a problem before it becomes a nightmare. like my timing issue. but thats another thread.
i hate the idiot gauges. i like to know what my mtrs doing so i can fix a problem before it becomes a nightmare. like my timing issue. but thats another thread.
New User
Joined: Jul 2004
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My truck does the same thing...
Man...Its big relief to hear someone else has seen this 
. I have the exact same year/eng. as cscottyr and it does the exact same thing. When I start the oil pressure gague doesnt move at all then a half a mile later it "jumps" to a normal range and stays there. I can shut off the truck and as long as its still hot the guage will act normal. Is changing the oil pressure sending unit a job that I could do as a weekend project. (Note I am not a mechanic but a hobbyist gear-head 
)?? Or what would be the ballpark price on the part and how much time would a real mechanic take to replace it?
Thanks for the post cscottyr!
. I have the exact same year/eng. as cscottyr and it does the exact same thing. When I start the oil pressure gague doesnt move at all then a half a mile later it "jumps" to a normal range and stays there. I can shut off the truck and as long as its still hot the guage will act normal. Is changing the oil pressure sending unit a job that I could do as a weekend project. (Note I am not a mechanic but a hobbyist gear-head )?? Or what would be the ballpark price on the part and how much time would a real mechanic take to replace it?Thanks for the post cscottyr!
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 63
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Hey RJC1,
Here is a link to some info at autozone concerning the oil sending unit. It may help.
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d800d46de.jsp
cscottyr
Here is a link to some info at autozone concerning the oil sending unit. It may help.
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d800d46de.jsp
cscottyr
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Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 10,562
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From: South Jersey
Changing the sensor should be pretty easy, it's on the back side of the block, passengers side.
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