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Arrrrrrgh!

2K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  John@Reliable 
#1 ·
I'm about ready to put a bullet in my truck! My oil pressure sensor failed .... again! This will be # 8 since new in 2001, # 5 since Jan 2012. I've put in 3 Ford OEMs, and 4 from two different manufacuters.

It is a Ford Ranger with the 6 cylinder 3L engine. When the engine gets run for 60 minutes at 60 mph, the needle "gitters" when you pull off the highway and let the engine idle, like at an off ramp stop sign. If you turn the vehicle off, it acts normally again.

It is a pressure switch that feeds a fake guage. If you have more than 5 p.s.i. the guage sits at 1/2 scale. If you have less than 5 p.s.i. it drops to zero. When it acts up, it bounces wildly between zero and max.

My plan is to install a digital pressure guage and a new switch so I can get a real oil pressure reading when the guage goes heywire.

Anyone else faught this battle & won (or lost)? Any ideas?
 
#5 ·
Might want to try to find a Ford Ranger "support group" forum on the internet. I have had very good luck when
problems arise with cars that I or others don't have an answer for, saved over 500 bucks on a repair for a bad fuel gauge
that I found was a very common problem by other owners, but the dealer had never heard of


P.S. the repair took 10 minutes and only cost 25 bucks for part.
 
#10 ·
I thought this was a belated talk like a pirate day post and was gettin ready to walk the plank.

Nothing else going on about that time??? Backfire nor temporary loss of power? I wonder where the oil pickup is on that thing and whether it is swimming in "muck". How about viscosity of oil. If you're running too high, it can boost oil pressure at certain temperatures and perhaps throw the sensor out with too much pressure. I'd feel it's not the sensor after that many tries and if it was a bad sensor all around, it would be all over the internet.
 
#11 ·
The only thing walking the plank is my truck.

No, nothing else going on. The engine runs like a swiss watch. Doesn't burn or loose oil. No extra noises. No stumbling or stuttering. The oil gets changed every 4,000 km with Castrol GTX 5w20 & a new Fram filter. The oil pan was off and cleaned two years ago.

The many stumbling block is that a new sensor fixes the problem for about 2 months. If it was something else, it should still be dead or dying when the sensor is changed.
 
#13 ·
If you have room at the sensor area, you can always tee-in a new guage and keep the old sensor in there.
 
#14 ·
I looked up your Ranger on Mitchell Repair Info . Intrusting thing they use a gauge which looks like it should have a variable resistance sending unit but the they use a " Oil Pressure Switch " like you said in your first post. One of the tests is to connect a 10 amp jumper from the sending unit wire and ground . Key 'ON engine OFF " should show normal . You said yours is bouncing I would try tapping the ground to see if you can get the gauge to act up.If you can't there might be something wrong with the dash cluster .There's a lot of things tied into the oil gauge that could effect it , way more then I would have thought ,I've repaired some of our International med duty truck dashes that had cracked solder joints and the trans temp gauge's ground was bad , it put the low air alarm on ! Yea I replaced a few " Low Air sw's before I found that lol , Al
 
#15 ·
I think to rule out the engine would be to keep the fused jumper on and drive it if the gauge acts up that will let you know for sure it's not the engine . Also check/clean all the grounds that you can find engine ones too . You never know , Al
 
#16 ·
Thanks for all the helpful ideas!


I followed KennyP's suggestion and had them put a Tee in. Now I have both a digital read out and an idiot gauge (what else would you call an gauge that acts like an idiot light?) If it happens again, at least I will know if I have low oil pressure or a f***ed switch. I can then move to "more aggressive problem solving". Whether that includes a 10 amp jumper or a 12 gauge, is anyone's guess.

I must say, they did a nice job of the install. I found a quick way to reset the reverse pegged oil gauge. I drilled a small hole in the plastic shield & stuck a piece of 20 gauge wire through it to move the needle.

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#18 ·
I was thinking of your problem today when a fellow at work said his " check gauges" light came on his Jeep . His oil pressure was below 15psi ( on the dash gauge ) when he came to a stop , I'll let you know what he finds . Did you have any problems since you installed the new digital gauge ?
 
#19 ·
Yes, the symptoms returned this weekend. I find it happens first thing in the morning on my way to work. I'll have 40 psi & a dead gauge. When I leave work the gauge is fine. If I get 30 minutes, I'm going to install the jumper like you suggested.

The biggest difference is that I don't panic because I know I have oil pressure.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
I finally found the time to install the jumper Alc recommended. Now I always have oil pressure & don't get the "Check Gauge" light. The digital tells me what the factory gauge should have told me all along.

Interestingly, albeit mildly, I found fresh oil in the oil pressure sensor connector (pic #1). Doubt it should be there, but what do I know? I also found the braided ground cable on the grounding point to be corroded (pic #4).

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#22 ·
It almost seems like if the oil is from this switch and not the ones before it's bad too !! If you have a meter I wonder what the ohms at that switch are with it disconnected both with engine on and off ?
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just a quick update. The digital oil pressure sending unit packed it in this week. My indicated oil pressure dropped to 3 psi at speed. Changed the sending unit and all is well again. I think I'm done with Castrol GTX 5w20 and Fram filters. I'm going to try Penzoil Full Synthetic 5w20. Canadian Tire had it on sale last week so I picked up a jug.
 
#24 ·
I have the prefect fix for you.....get a Chevy :D

I wouldn't put a fram filter on a bicycle, too much bad history of poor construction inside.
 
#27 ·
Step #1- Buy a Chevy!!
Just for giggles I Googled the following

General Motor Problems = 44,900,000 hits

Ford Motor Problems = 20,600,000

I was happy until i did my Dodge 65,300,000 :D :bigrofl:
 
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