4.6 losing oil pressure when accelerating hard...

LXSTASY · Nov 9, 2004

Ok, well its not a mustang its my daily driver, 94 thunderbird. It has the 4.6L SOHC engine. My question is that when I accelerate hard, the oil pressure guage drops and the "check guages" light comes on. Could my guage just be off? I've been meaning to get an electric guage on there to check the oil pressure but I havent yet. Any idea what could be causing the drop in pressure that if its not the guage and is there an easy fix if so.
Thanks
Dan

NicksBullitt · Nov 9, 2004

check your engine oil level.

Not patronizing you, but if the level is at the lower acceptable levels, especially with a car with softer suspension(more squatting), the oil pump may be getting a little starved.

And if you are not already, ........use synthetic I like MOBIL 1.

LXSTASY · Nov 9, 2004

Well I have checked the oil and it seems fine. As for synthetic, the motor has 135k+ on it so changing would result in leaks (or thats at least what I heard.
Could it be anyhting else?

bdcardinal · Nov 9, 2004

nope, changing it will not result in leaks. i changed the oil in my old beater car, 81 LTD with a 146k mile old 302 to synthetic and there were no leaks at all.

VetteEater · Nov 9, 2004

could the belt be slipping or something and under hard acceleration slip and it causes the low oil pressure. Ussually low oil pressure means bad bearings.

AcE XBOX · Nov 9, 2004

LXSTASY said:
Ok, well its not a mustang its my daily driver, 94 thunderbird. It has the 4.6L SOHC engine. My question is that when I accelerate hard, the oil pressure guage drops and the "check guages" light comes on. Could my guage just be off? I've been meaning to get an electric guage on there to check the oil pressure but I havent yet. Any idea what could be causing the drop in pressure that if its not the guage and is there an easy fix if so.
Thanks
Dan

haha I had read this thread earlier and as I was driving home my pressure was kinda low. When I accelerated a little it dropped. So I decided to get on it to see what was up, and the oil level went back to the middle again. Go figure.

LXSTASY · Nov 9, 2004

Well im getting frustrated. The oil pressure is high on the guage (on the M) and it just starts to drop after 3k under acceleration. Im confused, the guage doesnt move at all except when it falls. Could it be the belt is bad? What turns the oil pump on the 4.6?

bdcardinal · Nov 10, 2004

the oil pump is driven by a gear splined onto the crankshaft. so as long as the crank is turning, the oil pump is pumping. check to make sure the oil pressure sending unit still works correctly. also did you do anything right before this started happening?

texasblkgt · Nov 10, 2004

I"m not smart enough to knwo what your problem is, but I blew the main bearing right after seeing the exact same scenario

Str8Pimp'n · Nov 10, 2004

I had a problem like this once. On the oil pressure sending unit, check to see if the electrical plug is on there good. Also, make sure that the wire has enough slack in it. The torque of the engine could be pulling the connector loose.

RTRMustangGT · Nov 10, 2004

It sounds to me like it is a lose connection on the sending unit and the vibrations from the engine during acceleration are causing it to fall. My gauge did that and it had a lose connection at the sending unit. This is just one thing you should check though. It could be many things. If your oil is ok then it has to be something dealing with the gauge or the pump itself. Check the gauge, if it is ok then it must be the pump. And if your car has a lot of miles and you switch to synthethic oil then you will not be able to keep oil in it. It will take a lot of oil. Just but a good name brand oil in it and drive.

LXSTASY · Nov 11, 2004

Thanks guys.
Now for a noob question because I am not familiar with the 4.6 as I am with the 5.0, where is the sending unit

COBRA90GT · Nov 11, 2004

Look at the oil filter housing area - should be right there (look for a press in "tabbed" plug going into the block/filter assembly with 2 wires coming off of it going into a harness).

LXSTASY · Nov 12, 2004

Good thanks, I'm gonna look at it today.

COBRA90GT · Nov 12, 2004

LXSTASY said:
Good thanks, I'm gonna look at it today.

I just re-read what I posted above & it did not sound very clear, sooooo do the next best thing and look at a picture. Check out Indiana 's pictures posted in the thread below, it's obvious here - heh:

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=515477

LXSTASY · Nov 18, 2004

Well I finally got under the car and the connection was loose. I got on it to see if it was just that and it was. Oil pressure didnt drop at all.
Thanks guys

COBRA90GT · Nov 21, 2004

LXSTASY said:
Well I finally got under the car and the connection was loose. I got on it to see if it was just that and it was. Oil pressure didnt drop at all.
Thanks guys

Glad to hear it was just a loose connection. Easy fix.

AcE XBOX · Dec 5, 2004

Check the filter.

Darkhorse845 · Dec 5, 2004

AcE XBOX said:
Check the filter.

Yes,check the filter!

Gearbanger 101 · Dec 5, 2004

...and the blinker fluid.

4.6 losing oil pressure when accelerating hard...

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