I know that this subject is one that has been discussed before and I searched for it but I found no clear answer to my problem. About a month ago I noticed that every once in a while I'll find my oil pressure gauge will fluxuate somewhat. It will be at its usual spot on the gauge, which is a little higher than half on the white range of the gauge, then it will dip down towards the low and the light came on the other day. There is no loss of power or knocking. The motor performs like it does when it is at its usual spot. I bought it used at 60k and changed the oil as soon as I got it and the oil actually looked good and it appeared that the truck was well taken care of: had all fluids at proper levels, ect. I loyally change my oil every 3000 or less sometimes. Plus I baby the truck besides. So now I'm hoping someone will get on here and tell me that its the oil pressure sender and that I have nothing to worry about. If it possibly is the sender, do you go to ford, tell them what year and motor and that you need an oil pressure sensor or sender or what? Don't quite know the exact terminology. Thanks

 

I had the same thing happen to my Co. F-150 (1997 with 4.6L, Windsor) except, the oil light never came on. Problem ended up being a bad sender unit.

This truck has the orginal engine & now has close to 200,000 miles on it. Truck still has orginal water pump, fuel pump, starter & alternator. This 97 F-150 also still has the orginal trans., diff. (2WD), battery & rear brakes. Vehicle was built 5/96 in Norfolk,VA.

 

Thanks, i drove it today and the gauge worked just fine, it does that from time to time so I'm probably off to go get another sender.

 

milkman00,
It amazes me as to how many things that I thought were isolated problems with my truck, that turn out to be universal. I have been plagued with this problem since I had about 30,000 miles on my truck. I will look up and see the gage flat and the idiot light will come on. Then suddenly the gage is working fine again.
Under the truck by the oil filter you will see a little sender and a wire that goes up past the oil filter. The problem seems to be the contacts either there or elsewhere on the wire (perhaps it is grounding out somewhere else). Once in a while I have to relocate the wire. I played with it under the truck and let a friend locate it above the engine. I now know which wire it is and if I see it happen, I just manipulate the wire and it stops for 10 or 20,000 miles.