About a week ago I lost oil pressure in a 2001 F-250 V-10 4x4. I immediately pulled over and checked the oil which was fine. When I restarted the truck the gauge was back to normal, so I replaced the sending unit.

Thought that was the problem but now its doing the same thing again.

The oil pressure gauge will jump up and down then go down to zero and the light will come on and then it will sometimes jump back to normal or stay like that until I shut it off and start it again.
Dont know what to do but I definitely dont want to drive it like this.

Could it possibly be a bad connection to the sending unit?

Anybody else experience anything like this before?

thanks,
jeff

 

sound like a sludged up oil pump pick up. which means pulling the pan and replaceing the pick up.
i've done many since the advent of jiff/car wash oil change services putting in the wrong oils and pee poor grade oil filters in on oil changes..

 

Get a mechanical guage and do a test first.
As charlie has said we've seen it all here.
Rich

 

Does it knock or tick when it does this?

If not, it's probably a sender/gauge problem.

Do what Rich said, and hookup a mechanical gauge before going crazy like Cappy wants you to

The oil sender/gauge is a glorified (and not so much glory there) idiot light. The gauge goes up to half-way when the oil pressure is above, what, 5-7 pounds? It doesn't move up and down with varying pressure, it's just an idiot light.

 

No knocking or ticking at all and the gauge read zero for maybe a half mile once when I couldnt pull over because of traffic.

The engine would be making a lot of noise with low or no oil pressure wouldnt it, would there also be a rise in engine temperature?

Saturday I will check it with a manual gauge and see whats going on.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Sounds like the gauge is flakey... or the connections going to it.

I wouldn't think the engine temp would spike enough to see it right away. If it was spiking, you'd already hear lots of banging

But, don't drive it this way until you verify that the pressure is really there with a mechanical gauge.

Maybe you should just install one under the dash in the middle just for peace of mind for the "long haul" ???

 

i have to back up art.
DO NOT DRIVE TILL you know whats going on. having worked in a dealership for 41 years oil pressure can cost big bucks if not cared for . even if it turns out to be a bad gauge.not driving is only a safty factor.

 

I have a 2001 V-10 excursion with 58000 k--2nd yr I had it I first noticed that in cold weather 20f or so and below the oil pressure gauge freezes and red oil can light appears--no noise etc--still runs fine--brought to dealer--of course it works fine when I leave it there. Had it in for radiator flush 2 days ago and it did it again--now every morning it sticks--after 2 -3 min or after I rev engine slightly the gauge reacts and the light goes off--mechanic at dealer told me that its probably the sending unit--Im wondering if it could be the oil viscosity maybe also-- may get too thick till warmed and thinned.
Bill in NY

 

Nah, I doubt it's viscosity related - if anything, with thick oil in the cold, the pressure is WAY high until it warms up a little bit. My '74 highboy's 390 w/high volume pump would hit 80 pounds at idle when cold with 10w40, within 2-3 minutes it was down to 55 (at the same RPM).

 

must be sending unit then
Its scary--just lost an 88 Grand Marquis same way almost--engine lt came on -- oil/wtr ok--drove a few miles--dead
Is sending unit hard to install? expensive?

 

Probably $10 aftermarket. Pretty easy - not sure if it's a copper washer type seal or you need teflon tape - make sure before you put the new one on.

 

oh really--great thanks for the info--its probably near the oil filter somewhere right?

 

I think it might be up near the front of the block on the same side as the oil filter, but not sure, and I don't have my service manual CD here right now.

Anyone?

 

If u ever happen to look at it soon Id appreciate if u could drop me a line abt where it is--im not too much of a motorhead --17 yr old son is though--just got a 68 chevelle malibu-- loves the muscle stuff hahaha