Oil pressure....help!
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Independence, MO
Oil pressure....help!
OK just today my oil guage will go from the normal range and snap to the dash.....sit like that for a while then go back to where it was. am i safe in thinking its just the pressure sending unit or do i have bigger problems than that?
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Pittsburgh,Pa.
I would remove the sender and hook up a mechanical test gauge to check it. Most likely the sender is failing but just in case it's anything bigger you have a chance to tear it apart to fix it before it tears itself apart.Hope this helps.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Independence, MO
Well i bought5 a new sender and put it in. the pressure reads higher but it still drops off.......so like you say i'm gona try something other than the dash guage to make sure its ok. I'v had to drive it the last day and a half like this and it doesnt run any different.....doesnt run any hotter and no weird sounds.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Independence, MO
OK so i cheated and used my electrical meter insted of a mechanical guage......while the dash guage shows good pressure my meter reads 14.........when the dash drops to nothing my meter continues to read 14.........i think all i have is a bad wire or guage. anyone else agree?
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Independence, MO
yes volts.....that sensor only has one wire...i assumed it operated as a variable resister and metering it would let me know if the guage was bad or if i really had oil pressure problems.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,996
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From: Pittsburgh,Pa.
Yes, sender operates as a variable resister.As you said your problem is most likely the wire or gauge. I'm a firm believer in double checking things so I would still beg, borrow or appropriate a mechanical gauge just to be sure.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Independence, MO
well i'm workin at a ford dealer tomarow so i'll be stopin in to speak to a mechanic....and i'm gettin a mechanical to replace the bad one till i sell it.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
50 psi at idle. Either you took the pressure with the engine cold or you are running 20w60. Get the oil fully heated up, which takes a good 15 miles driving and your idle pressure should be lower, I would guess in the 20-30 psi range, and your 2000 rpm hot pressure should be somewhere in the 30-60 range. Report back. Rule of thumb is 10 psi for every 1000 rpm and you are fine. Ford spec is going to be about 40-60 at 2000 rpm hot.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Independence, MO
yeah i was about to repost with the correct pressure....25-30 hot and 50-55 driving.....and in the warmer months i run 20w50. And even though the dash guage is now unhooked the needle from time to time flickers around....sounds like i might have a short of somekind somewhere.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
If it's a '95 F150 forget the dash gauge. It's a piece of c r a p. Really it's just a dummy gauge. There is a resistor and the sender is one for an idiot light. If you have pressure (more than say 9 psi) it will sit in the normal zone and if below that, it will be below the normal range. I put a piece of contact paper over my dummy gauge and only use the real mechanical gauge. You also can get an electronic gauge. Autometer makes good ones. You can see my gauge in my gallery. it's a Autogauge by Autometer, their lower priced line, prob comp to a Sun gauge.
Anyway, your pressure is fine, but I wonder where it would be on say 10w40 or 15w40. I get 44 hot at road speed on 10w40 and 22 idle with truck below.
Anyway, your pressure is fine, but I wonder where it would be on say 10w40 or 15w40. I get 44 hot at road speed on 10w40 and 22 idle with truck below.