bad oil pressure sensor or lost oil pump?
#1
05-23-2009, 11:10 PM
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bad oil pressure sensor or lost oil pump?
so, my 245K 5.4L 2001 engine is feeling its years.
last week, the oil light was slow to go off. but it did finally go off.
today, its slow to go off, then it comes on for a good pressure reading, then goes to dead, then hops back up! its weird.
my oil level is fine, but i don't know whether i have a flakey oil pressure sensor or a failing oil pump; any suggestions/wisdom? i sure dont want to roast the engine...
thx, jackc...
last week, the oil light was slow to go off. but it did finally go off.
today, its slow to go off, then it comes on for a good pressure reading, then goes to dead, then hops back up! its weird.
my oil level is fine, but i don't know whether i have a flakey oil pressure sensor or a failing oil pump; any suggestions/wisdom? i sure dont want to roast the engine...
thx, jackc...
#4
05-24-2009, 10:04 AM
Senior Member
#6
05-24-2009, 10:35 AM
Sludge in your oil pan can also cause an engine to act this way. I bought a used 98, that acted the same way. After checking everything I could from outside the engine, I dropped the oil pan. Sure enough it had sludge in it, and would stop the strainer up on longer drives. I cleaned it up good, and have now put another 100,000 on it. I would start by checking the wiring and the sending unit. If the problem persists, I would then run a can of seafoam through the crankcase, and change the oil.
Is the oil really nasty when you change it? Does the oil run out slowly when you change it?
When I checked the truck over when I bought it. It apparently had just been changed because the dipstick came up clear. My Son put about 2000 miles on it before the problem showed itself. He went on the first out of town trip, {that I know of} when he called me because the engine shut down. The pressure Gage {until that day} was showing good throughout the ordeal. But in the end it came out OK.
Is the oil really nasty when you change it? Does the oil run out slowly when you change it?
When I checked the truck over when I bought it. It apparently had just been changed because the dipstick came up clear. My Son put about 2000 miles on it before the problem showed itself. He went on the first out of town trip, {that I know of} when he called me because the engine shut down. The pressure Gage {until that day} was showing good throughout the ordeal. But in the end it came out OK.
#7
05-24-2009, 11:26 AM
Sludge in your oil pan can also cause an engine to act this way. I bought a used 98, that acted the same way. After checking everything I could from outside the engine, I dropped the oil pan. Sure enough it had sludge in it, and would stop the strainer up on longer drives. I cleaned it up good, and have now put another 100,000 on it. I would start by checking the wiring and the sending unit. If the problem persists, I would then run a can of seafoam through the crankcase, and change the oil.
Is the oil really nasty when you change it? Does the oil run out slowly when you change it?
When I checked the truck over when I bought it. It apparently had just been changed because the dipstick came up clear. My Son put about 2000 miles on it before the problem showed itself. He went on the first out of town trip, {that I know of} when he called me because the engine shut down. The pressure Gage {until that day} was showing good throughout the ordeal. But in the end it came out OK.
Is the oil really nasty when you change it? Does the oil run out slowly when you change it?
When I checked the truck over when I bought it. It apparently had just been changed because the dipstick came up clear. My Son put about 2000 miles on it before the problem showed itself. He went on the first out of town trip, {that I know of} when he called me because the engine shut down. The pressure Gage {until that day} was showing good throughout the ordeal. But in the end it came out OK.
Nice lookin girl, but dumber than a box of rocks when it came maintaining a vehicle. She didn't have any money, but paid me in ways that I'll leave to your imagination.
When I finished, somehow I guess a stress crack developed in the windshield from the motor swap. I'm not sure how that happened, but I did have to lift the Van body off the motor to change it. The crack may have developed from that, Iduno... Anyways, after all that, she bitched about it
Well, the new car smell had run it's course at that point. Job, relationship - over lol. Yea, it was was was worth it, honest
Last edited by jbrew; 05-24-2009 at 11:37 AM.
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#8
05-24-2009, 11:27 AM
Suspended
If you dont hear any knocking, I doubt its really losing pressure. I would dump in the seafoam, start it up,listening for very faint knocks. If no knocks, let it warm up, drain the oil, new filter, new oil and go from there. If its the sender unit, the seafoam might clean it up and get a good reading. If not, change the sender unit.
With an engine this high up of milege, I wouldnt worry about locking it by running it for a few mins. Everythings worn in and the clearances are nowhere close to where they were from factory
With an engine this high up of milege, I wouldnt worry about locking it by running it for a few mins. Everythings worn in and the clearances are nowhere close to where they were from factory
#9
05-24-2009, 11:27 AM
Suspended
#11
05-24-2009, 11:40 AM
Funny you mentioned that. I replaced a motor in a 98 Windstar about 5 years ago. It was a 3.8 that had about 60,000 miles on it. The chick who owned it was a divorcee 3 years prior who new nothing about maintenance and never changed the oil. The pickup screen in the oil pan was totally plugged. It blew big-time. Upon investigating the problem, I pulled the very old looking oil filter and No (0) oil was inside of the filter
Nice lookin girl, but dumber than a box of rocks when it came maintaining a vehicle. She didn't have any money, but paid me in ways that I'll leave to your imagination.
When I finished, somehow I guess a stress crack developed in the windshield from the motor swap. I'm not sure how that happened, but I did have to lift the Van body off the motor to change it. The crack may have developed from that, Iduno... Anyways, after all that, she bitched about it
Well, the new car smell had run it's course at that point. Job, relationship - over lol. Yea, it was was was worth it, honest
Nice lookin girl, but dumber than a box of rocks when it came maintaining a vehicle. She didn't have any money, but paid me in ways that I'll leave to your imagination.
When I finished, somehow I guess a stress crack developed in the windshield from the motor swap. I'm not sure how that happened, but I did have to lift the Van body off the motor to change it. The crack may have developed from that, Iduno... Anyways, after all that, she bitched about it
Well, the new car smell had run it's course at that point. Job, relationship - over lol. Yea, it was was was worth it, honest
Edit; I crack myself up sometimes
#12
05-24-2009, 12:00 PM
Yea, I sit back at times and just crack up at current events. Then do the same years later lol. You triggered that memory my friend, - thanks for the laugh
#13
05-24-2009, 12:10 PM
Suspended
#14
05-24-2009, 03:33 PM
Join Date: Sep 2003
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where to find the sensor?
Hi gents,
Thx for your replies; I fired it up again this am with hood open (to hear a clatter if present), but its working now. this on again, off again sure seems like the sensor.
however, in prep to swap it, i am not finding it. my 01, 5.4 auto 4x4,
could someone clue me where to find that sensor?
tia, jackc...
Thx for your replies; I fired it up again this am with hood open (to hear a clatter if present), but its working now. this on again, off again sure seems like the sensor.
however, in prep to swap it, i am not finding it. my 01, 5.4 auto 4x4,
could someone clue me where to find that sensor?
tia, jackc...
#15
05-24-2009, 03:40 PM
