Beware!! intermittent oil pressure indications

[Wildpilot]

2000 f-150 5.4 sohc 192,000 miles Two weeks ago my oil pressure gauge was intermittently alternating between normal to nothing at all. I assumed it was an electrical issue and to my suprise I found out the hard way that I had very serious problem. I drove about a week with that, putting off taking it in to the shop. my engine started knocking on a wed. So I had planned to take it in to the dealership on friday morning, but on thursday, I it threw a rod through the crankcase and oil pan. I know 192K is getting up there, but the engine still had plenty of power and I would have saved alot of money only replacing the pump. 5700 bucks for a reman engine put in from the dealer. Hopefully this will at least help someone else out. Happy driving'

[corvetteguy]

I have the same thing on my OLD ford 9N tractor.
Only it is a mechanical gauge and it happens\when I am going downhill.

I guess it has run that way for the last 70 years, it may last
another 70.

[chris1450]

wow. Was the oil level checked? The oil pump shouldn't work/not work intermitently. I had a 2000 mustang GT with 35,000 miles that would do the same thing. Put plenty of miles on it with no problem. Just to lazy to change the sender.... that is what I thought it was anyways. Maybe it was a good thing I traded it to buy my truck!

[groundhogFX2]

That's the problem with Ford Oil sending unit/gauge. At 4 PSI the gauge goes to a normal position, and anything less than that, the gauge goes to 0. Make's puling the dipstick, on a regular basis, imperitive.

[PhqChevys]

Originally Posted by groundhogFX2

That's the problem with Ford Oil sending unit/gauge. At 4 PSI the gauge goes to a normal position, and anything less than that, the gauge goes to 0. Make's puling the dipstick, on a regular basis, imperitive.

Can you put a sending unit on the engine so the gauge reads the actual oil psi rather than normal or 0 psi. Will the factory gauge support that typer of sending unit? I never really noticed it before, until my buddy got a 2000 Tundra, it's OEM oil psi gauge actually varies with the engine RPM, the way oil psi should be. But my F150's gauge shoots up to normal after startup and never moves, no matter how hot or cold the temp is...

[JMC]

Too expensive for Ford to use a real gauge. You used to be able to change the sender for one that gave a varied reading on older Fords but not any more.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

[chris1450]

Originally Posted by JMC

Too expensive for Ford to use a real gauge. You used to be able to change the sender for one that gave a varied reading on older Fords but not any more.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

It isn't the expense as much as it is stupid people who bring there car to the dealer saying there is a problem with the car because the oil pressure varies. My father was a service rep at a ford dealer and that is exactly why ford went to the on/off pressure gauge.

[Wildpilot]

Yes I checked the oil level the first day i heard the knocking last wedensday, it was perfect. Well hopefully this thread will maybe save somebody some money thats why i decided to post it

[Galaxy]

Checking the oil quantity is only half the battle and not always the case. You can just as easily have a full pan of oil and still no pressure...like if a shaft sheared on the pump or something...so don't get wrapped up in the security that you're good to go just because it has oil in it!!!!

[ManualF150]

The oil pressure gauge came standard on my Dak... I love watching it fluctuate. When I am idling, it is lower, when I drive it is higher. Which makes sense.

I wish my F150 had it...