Oil Pressure

[perryatstate]

My '95 4.0 oil pressure gauge has been doing a lot of dancing around for the last 10000miles or so that it didn't used to do (105000miles now). At constant rpm it will be about in the middle of the normal band then just drop down into the lower third of the normal range, hang there for a second then come back up to the middle. Sometimes it will do it several times, sometimes just once. Sometimes it's pretty frequent, sometimes it goes for days without doing it.

I've changed the oil and filter several times since it started doing it. I'm hoping it's just the gauge or sending unit and not the pump or worn out bearings or something.

The question is, where is the oil pressure sending unit?

Thanks,
P

 

[TSTONE]

There's a huge thread here somewhere about how the 1st gen X's temp gauge is a dummy gauge (A/B = ON/OFF, with no true movement), I'm not sure if the 2nd gen X's were any different. If it's the same then it is probably just a bad sending unit.

Here is the thread of which I speak:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14894&highlight=fake+oil+pressure

Here is how I found it:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/search.php?

 

[F14CRAZY]

You may want to check the sending unit wires under the hood. Mine touched the headers for a while and shorted. It was like that when I got my truck. I fixed it so it reads pressure but it's kinda going bad again. It fluctuates. It's unlikely that your engine is going bad.

 

[Lefy]

mine did that for a while it the oil pressure sensor on your block is dead.
15 dollar part and some time. but get a real gauge on there just to make sure.

you don't hear any valve ticking do you cause if you do you migh have any oil pressure problem.

 

[perryatstate]

thanks for the advice guys. i've been gone for a couple days so haven't checked the board in a while.

no i don't hear any ticking in the valve train, but i'd still like to put a real gauge on it just to check.

still leaves me with the question - where on the engine is the sending unit?

thanks

 

[Bill MacLeod]

I think (someone correct me if wrong) you will find the sending unit on the side of the block, just above the oil pan and below #4 cylinder. Single wire with a push-on connector.

There is a specific socket that fits the sending units as it is in a very tight/congested location. Most auto parts stores have them.