cold weather starts
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Senior User
Joined: May 2007
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cold weather starts
Today I when I went to start my 2000 EXPY the oil pressure gauge was saying it didn't have any oil pressure and the low oil light was on. I turned it off and checked the dip stick and it showed full. When I started it again I let it idle for a bit but noticed a cloud of blue smoke from the tail pipe along with the gauge still reading low. After a few minutes the exhaust cleared and the gauge started working. I drove the car for about 30 miles with no problem. I parked the car for a while and then went out and restarted it and the cloud was back but no problems with the oil gauge. The temp this AM was 19 deg. Is this a common problem and how do I fix it? thanks fitzy67
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2006
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If it is just the seals they are not to bad to change once you get to them and have the proper tools. The seals themselves were about $30 for 4.6 in my mustang and I would suggest new gaskets even though they are supposed to be reuseable. The guides are another story as the heads have to come off.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 24,316
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From: 0,0,1
I would suspect a build up of sludge restricting the pickup tube. You could try engine flush, then do an oil change. Start using 5W-30 synthetic and it will help with eliminating the sludge over time.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
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The switch that reads the oil pressure in one of your oil lines, which is what runs the oil guage and light, went bad in my Expi at about 80k miles. I thought something must be blocked, so i tried an engine flush...still didnt work. Gauge wouldnt work at all during a cold start...and would work intermitently while running at warm temps... the needle would flicker all over and the light would go on and off...drove me nuts. I took it to Ford and it turns out the switch was shot, and filled with oil, causing the guage to give wacky readings... Ford replaced the switch, and changed my oil and it was like $65... guage works perfect ever since, no oil light. Apparently its very easy to fix, but since it happened to me in the dead of winter, i didnt mine paying $65.
I didnt notice any extra smoke during a cold start though...
I didnt notice any extra smoke during a cold start though...
