oil pressure sender issues.

[2000 Limited]

By the way, obviously my other problem is I cant spell.

 

[stingerj]

I'm having similar problems with my '99. My oil pressure gauge flickers off and on after start up for a while. Can somebody give me a description of where the sending unit is exactly or a pic please? thanks

 

[Cobraguy]

What engine? A 4.0 OHV and 5.0 V8 are both located on the left front of the engine by the timing cover. Go through the driver's side wheel well and you can see it. Remove it with a socket and extension.

 

[stingerj]

Ok, its the 4.0 OHV. I should be able to find it with that description, thank you

 

[Masterd]

Something about the way the engine sounded in that video didnt sound right to me.

Check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge, if a new sender doesnt fix it, also check the wire for dirt and debris.

 

[ruben james]

And I thought it was just me...

When I bought my 1999 Explorer Sport the oil pressure gauge[LOL] would show pressure then drop after 20 secs...

I put a mechanical gauge on the engine and did not like what I saw...

So I decided to drop the pan, change the oil pump and the pickup... This is what I found when I dropped the pan..

Not pretty at all but it explains a lot... The pickup is completely plugged up and the mess in the pan wouldn't flow and this is after changing oil..twice...

I figure the car got more maintenance in the last week than it has in the last 10 years...At least the pan and windage tray cleaned up well and I now have 60 psi oil pressure...

Hopefully your flickering oil pressure is less sever than mine...

 

[Masterd]

Judging from what my ears heard on the video that IndecloudzUA posted, he could very well have an oil pressure issue.

 

[fordbabes]

oil pressure gage

hello,

i have and issue with my oil pressure gage...
i have a 2000 ford explorer and the oil pressure gage flickered so much that it
went below the little black stopper...
what do i have to do to lift it above the black stopper...
can someone please helllppp....

 

[gijoecam]

When I bought my 1999 Explorer Sport the oil pressure gauge[LOL] would show pressure then drop after 20 secs...

I put a mechanical gauge on the engine and did not like what I saw...

So I decided to drop the pan, change the oil pump and the pickup... This is what I found when I dropped the pan..

Not pretty at all but it explains a lot... The pickup is completely plugged up and the mess in the pan wouldn't flow and this is after changing oil..twice...

I figure the car got more maintenance in the last week than it has in the last 10 years...At least the pan and windage tray cleaned up well and I now have 60 psi oil pressure...

Hopefully your flickering oil pressure is less sever than mine...

What the hail is that stuff?!!? Looks like somebody filled the pan with chocolate pudding!! Was that seriously oil, or was it some sort of mud mixture from a flooded-out vehicle?

Yeesh!! Glad it didn't destroy the rest of the engine, but I've never seen a pan that looked that bad before...

 

[ranger7ltr]

I saw this first hand

and this engine also had sludge in the top end that caused one of the rockers to stick and the pushrod to fall out and cause a damn misfire!!!

This was the aftermath of no oil changes and lack of decent oil in the engine...This was nasty as hell...

This engine actually has great oil pressure and no bearing issues yet....I guess Cologne engines are tougher than the stupid no maintenance performing owners that own them..

This engine needs the intake and the rockers removed and cleaned but the synthetic oil is slowly working to remove the sludge as well...

 

[gijoecam]

Wow! OK, I now admit to having seen two engines with a true sludge accumulation. What do you think caused that? When I had my pan off at 120K, I saw nothing but dirty oil... no sludge in sight. (Pics are in one of my galleries somewhere... I think my Flickr account actually... I've posted them here before)

 

[Prof. Wernstrom]

Uhm wow to the amount of sludge that oil pan had thats crazy.

 

[96eb96]

Uhm wow to the amount of sludge that oil pan had thats crazy.

50K oil change interval will do that.

 

[shaggymane]

Even though it looks like a guage, its actually just an on/off switch and it is either normal or nothing so kind of worthless in my book.

Ok, so the gauge isn't really a gauge. that oughta make them eassier to test, right? So how does one test them. Chiltons says "oil senders are for gauges and oil switches are for lights" Goes on to give the description for testing the switches for the lights but says nothing about testing senders.

Does it then stand to reason that if they both are an on/off deal the test procedure is the same?

The oil presure has been dropping in my 91 4.0L. I hate throwing parts and didn't want to buy a mech gauge.

Does anyone know how to test senders?

 

[TedJ]

Check the sending unit and the wiring connector for corrosion on the contacts. Even a small amount of corrosion will make the gauge go wacky. It's a gauge, but it does not actually change based on oil pressure. Its a fake : It just moves to the middle position when the single wire attached to the sender is grounded. You can test by grounding that wire, it should move to the center.

 

[blkhwkns]

Would this kind of malfunction throw a code i could pull??

Yes, but first dose you scan tool read " Data" or "pids"? If it dose you can scan the "ICCM" ( Instrement Cluster Controll Module ). Assuming you get this far you can read the signal from the sender to the "ICCM" and see if the problem is in the signal to the cluster (bad sensor) or in the cluster itsself ( Bad gage). But ford has many known problems with oil senders, best bet is to risk a few bucks and get a new sender. Example: If you are reading pid data and your oil signal jumpes back and forth like the needle of the gage dose, you need a sender, if it has a steady signal then you fault is in the cluster and you need a new one. If you can't read data with your scan tool you can run this same test with a DVOM. Hook you red lead to the sender hook the black lead to ground, click it to read ohm's, if is go's crazy replace the sender. if not you will need a wiring diagram and time to pull the cluster to test the output signal from the sender to the cluster, if the sender checks out fine with a steady signal then the signal should be the same at the connecter inback of the cluster ( look at you wire color should be white with red tracer ) if again the signal is steady then you need a new cluster, if the signal out of the sender is ok but is crazy at the cluster pin then you have a problem in the wire like a rubbed through wire shorting to ground.

 

[badfrogbert]

hi

Hi Im not sure about the different years but my 94 4.0 has a oil pressure switch on the drivers side near the front and also it has a low oil switch towards the rear of the oil pan also on the drivers side. you might want to check that wire also as it could make lights go haywire in your dash. Im not sure if it has anything to do with oil pressure gauge or not. Funny thing is when I broke my low oil switch off I went to get a new one at the auto parts and there book dont even show one for my year motor but it is there. Good luck!

 

[Mack67]

Hi all, in advance, I apologize for my bad English, I'll try to apply myself.

I have approximately the same problem on my Explorer 1998 V6 4.0l SOHC :

I start the motor, the oil pressure gauge is good but a bad timing chain sound.
I pushed a little on the power,
The motor power go down,
the oil pressure gauge, go down and the "Check gage" light go on.
I re pushed a little more power, the oil pressure gauge go middle, and the "Check gage" light go off.

etc....

Little movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aaTZ5QyYug


Can you help me?

 

[janolsson]

Do a search on the uk owners site "Timing chains" or "death rattle" will bring up loads of info.
Basically the rattle could just be the oil filled tensioner at the top front of engine or the guides and tensioners in the front of the engine is broken (common problem). This means bits of plastic break off and end up in the sump and get wedged in the oil pick up filter blocking the flow of oil. Drop the sump and clean out the pick up and you may get oil pressure back but if there are bits of plastic in there then you will need new guides and chains etc.

 

[Mack67]

Thank's sir.