oil pressure gauge?

AUcobra94

New Member

May 23, 2005

59

1

0

Feb 25, 2007

#1

• Feb 25, 2007

• #1

My oil pressure gauge is dropping to 0 at low idle, around 800rpm. If it is idling higher than that or if i'm driving it will go back to normal. Do ya'll think it is the oil pressure sensor or the oil pressure is actually dropping at idle? Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm hoping the motor is gone, I need an excuse to build a new motor.

thanks

 

I

IEatRiceGT

New Member

Sep 22, 2005

150

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MD

Feb 25, 2007

#2

• Feb 25, 2007

• #2

If your using the stock gauge to determine your oil pressure you might as well not even pay attention. They are historically inaccurate and are literally a dummy gauge. Get a real oil pressure gauge and double check things.

 

illwood

Member

Apr 3, 2004

636

1

19

Worcester, MA

Feb 26, 2007

#3

• Feb 26, 2007

• #3

AUcobra94 said:

My oil pressure gauge is dropping to 0 at low idle, around 800rpm. If it is idling higher than that or if i'm driving it will go back to normal. Do ya'll think it is the oil pressure sensor or the oil pressure is actually dropping at idle? Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm hoping the motor is gone, I need an excuse to build a new motor.

thanks

Click to expand...

Listen to IEatRiceGT. Our cars don't have an oil pressure sending unit, they have an oil pressure switch. Basically, if you oil pressure is more than 5psi, they send the current to the needle in your dash. Ford just put a resistor inline with that current so that the needle would read in the middle of the range. So it's a pretty crap-tacular setup.

I've got some pictures of my factory gauge reading on the lower 1/4 of the gauge with my Autometer reading 29psi at idle and then 40psi when I reved it. The stock gauge showed no change (no surprise).

 

M

mcvey90

Founding Member

Jan 24, 2002

950

0

16

B TOWN

Feb 26, 2007

#4

• Feb 26, 2007

• #4

get a good autometer gauge. I used a mechanical one.
they are not hard to install. you need a drill to get through the firewall if you want to mount it inside the car.
It won't take you but half an hour, if you have any experience at all.

 

AUcobra94

New Member

May 23, 2005

59

1

0

Feb 26, 2007

#5

• Feb 26, 2007

• #5

I was going to put one in the car, ive just been stalling. I guess Ill put a water temp gauge in at the same time.

thanks

 

Reactions: Road_Runna

illwood

Member

Apr 3, 2004

636

1

19

Worcester, MA

Feb 27, 2007

#6

• Feb 27, 2007

• #6

AUcobra94 said:

I guess Ill put a water temp gauge in at the same time.

Click to expand...

That's what I did. I put the 2 gauges in the Autometer gauge bezel.

 

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Car Nut

Founding Member

Jul 6, 2000

1,176

1

37

Snellville, Georgia (Atlanta area)

Feb 27, 2007

#7

• Feb 27, 2007

• #7

illwood - that guage setup looks really nice. I might look at doing that myself, cause I'm sure the stock Temp guage is probably nearly as bad as the stock oil pressure guage.

Only 30 minutes? How long if you don't have any experience doing them? Did you use instructions and if so, were they spot on?

Thanks.

 

Black95GTS

Active Member

Jan 8, 2004

1,644

3

38

Marlborough, MA

Feb 27, 2007

#8

• Feb 27, 2007

• #8

illwood said:

That's what I did. I put the 2 gauges in the Autometer gauge bezel.

Click to expand...

WPI FTW!

The stock oil pressure gauge blows dong. I stopped paying attention to it a long time ago. I believe the gauge in my F150 has the same design, dead nuts in the middle, or off, giving me a red light. A small revving of the engine makes it go away.



Adam

 

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HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

31,179

33

129

Feb 27, 2007

#9

• Feb 27, 2007

• #9

Good call - the stock temp gauge is just as useless.

For both gauges and a first time install, give yourself an afternoon. I'm pretty proficient but Illwood makes me look like a piker in terms of install-time. I spend a couple hours doing an oil and water gauge install. I spent a chunk of time just removing the ground in front of the oil sender so I could remove it.

Good luck.