Curiosity question about my oil pressure gauge. This gauge always indicates the exact same reading anytime the engine is running. It’s the same when the engine is cold or when it’s hot and whether the RPM’s are low or high. In my previous vehicles, with a gauge, the readings varied some, especially at idle, but not this one. Is this the way your gauge works? Is this normal? It seems to be connected to a switch rather than a pressure sensor. What do you think?

FYI it’s a 2004 XLT Scab with the 5.4.

 

Most Ford gauges are really idiot lights with needles. They don't tell you anything until it's too late usually. The only thing that ever really got good gauges was the Marauder, and they had to go to Autometer for those. Although I've never seen inside a GT.

Edited to add: And where's my manners? Welcome to F150online.com

 

I second that..... true oil pressure guages will vary with the pressure, but most are, as stated, idiot lights with needles. On the ironic side, I have heard people with true pressure guages panic when they see the needle drop at idle....

 

Welcome jimx.
The only two guages that seem to work are the temp. and the fuel guages. the oil and battery guages stay a little above the centerline. Kind of annoying when you expect to get somewhere close to true readings from what is suppose to be an upgrade from warning lights...Kevin

 

yep that's what's up. they are just pretty looking dummy gauges.
i was totally bummed when i found out myself. i miss that with my Jeep, you knew what was up at all times. shame on the Ford engineers and ANYONE for that matter associated with the design
and build process on these trucks for not making them real...
i still love my truck BUT that seems like such an obvious thing to have when offering GAUGES with the truck ....

 

This is the reason why the gauges are DESIGNED not to move unless something happens to cause a drop in pressure or voltage. Let's face it, if something serious enough happens to cause a deadly drop in pressure, by the time you even notice the gauge the damage is done. That's why there are all those SENSORS watching everything.

If the oil pressure drops, engine runs rough or hot, sensors send reading to PCM, PCM goes into failsafe, failsafe shows on dash getting your attention. All this happens much faster then a gauge could show you. Besides how likely is it that one of these new engines will lose pressure, unless you SERIOUSLY abuse them. Change the oil at the proper intervals and there's nothing to worry about.

 

A drop in oil pressure will not put the PCM into failsafe mode. High engine temps as a result of lack of oil pressure might. And in failsafe, the engine can still be operated, so you still might be trucking along, trying to limp to your friendly neighborhood Ford dealership with no oil pressure.

 

The engine will still run but at reduced RPM and throttle. Eliminating the possibility of high RPM with low pressure. Don't forget that the PCM is programmed to prevent overheating by cutting cylinders intermittently. Low oil pressure won't send it into failsafe but high temp and rough idle will.

 

Any RPM without oil pressure is damaging. Everything in the reciprocating assembly relies on oil for cooling. No amount of cylinders disabled is going to save an engine overheating from lack of oil pressure.

 

Are you reading my posts Quintin? I'm talking about LOW oil pressure not a loss of pressure.

 

Which it doesn't. I suppose it depends on what your definition of "low oil pressure" is. 30 psi at 3200 rpm hot or 10 psi at hot idle is considered to be "low oil pressure," but it probably won't show on the message center or gauge, and it probably won't cause any harm, initially at least. If oil pressure is low enough to incite events to coerce the PCM into fail safe mode, then it's a given that there's probably no oil pressure.

Point being, if oil pressure is low enough to overheat the engine and enable fail safe mode, then you might as well consider it the same as having no oil pressure.

 

OK Quintin, we could go all night on this. Let's just agree to disagree.

 

Alrighty then. Safe to say in any case, stock gauges suck.

 

That's something we can agree on! I've got a set of autometers and a gauge pod for the A pillar that I'm going to install next spring(too cold now). I want to add an exhaust temp and trans temp for when I'm towing.

 

Hello, I have a question

I have a 1996 F150 with the 5L V8. The oil pressure gauge is fine when I am driving but when I am at a stop light or drive at very low speed, maybe 10mph, the gauge drops to Low and the needle vibrates, why is that? The temp is does not up and I just had the main gasket (manifold)replaced.