oil pressure guage in 05

[DanM]

is it just an idiot light like the previous model? or did they actually spend the 50 cents to use a real pressure sending unit instead of a cheapo switch?

 

[Mustang5L5]

Prob just an idiot light. I can't remember when the last time Ford had a real oil pressure guage in a car


EDIT: I mean idiot gauge. In other words it points to the middle of the range and nowhere else.

 

[DanM]

Prob just an idiot light. I can't remember when the last time Ford had a real oil pressure guage in a car

Agreed. Could someone who's driven one comment for sure?

 

[Mike Wyatt]

It has one. Unless I don't know what you mean by "real". It is part of the IUP- adds
• Satin aluminum instrument panel appliqué – ribbed
pattern
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with satin aluminum
spokes
• Satin aluminum-plated shift lever with automatic
transmission
• Bright polished register rings and leather-wrapped sport
shift knob for manual transmission
• Satin aluminum-plated door handles
• Special new bright polished six-gauge cluster with
MyColor Feature and message center:
- Coolant temperature (standard on all)
- Fuel Gauge (standard on all)
- Tachometer (standard on all)
- 140 MPH Speedo (standard on GTs)
- Battery Voltage (part of IUP)
- Engine oil pressure (part of IUP)

• Satin aluminum door sill scuff plate with bright Mustang
lettering insert
• Dark Charcoal Aberdeen pattern front door panels

By the way- my 02 Crown Vic has these four gauges, too. No tach though.

 

[Svtpilot]

Prob just an idiot light. I can't remember when the last time Ford had a real oil pressure guage in a car

Maybe my idea of "real oil pressure guage " differs from yours but all of my Mustangs had an oil pressure guage. In fact as far as I know the last time a Mustang came with an idiot light for oil pressure instead of a guage was 1965.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Maybe my idea of "real oil pressure guage " differs from yours but all of my Mustangs had an oil pressure guage. In fact as far as I know the last time a Mustang came with an idiot light for oil pressure instead of a guage was 1965.

Ok, well let me ask you this. How many PSI does your oil pressure run? WHat PSI at idle and what PSI at WOT? How about operating temp? WHat temp is your engine at when the needle is stuck dead center of the range like they all do on SN95's

Even though Mustangs come with oil, water and batt gauges, they are not "real" gauges. They are idiot gauges. They will always stay in the center of range unless something is very wrong.


While my stock Ford gauge is stuck pointed to the R in "normal", my Autometer gauge tells me that i have 25psi at idle when warmed up and 55psi at WOT when warmed up. I also know my car likes to run 188* dead on. If i ever see it creep up to 195*, i know something is wrong.

Maybe that's a bit excessive, but that's what my idea of a real gauge is.

 

[DanM]

Ok, well let me ask you this. How many PSI does your oil pressure run? WHat PSI at idle and what PSI at WOT? How about operating temp? WHat temp is your engine at when the needle is stuck dead center of the range like they all do on SN95's

Even though Mustangs come with oil, water and batt gauges, they are not "real" gauges. They are idiot gauges. They will always stay in the center of range unless something is very wrong.


While my stock Ford gauge is stuck pointed to the R in "normal", my Autometer gauge tells me that i have 25psi at idle when warmed up and 55psi at WOT when warmed up. I also know my car likes to run 188* dead on. If i ever see it creep up to 195*, i know something is wrong.

Maybe that's a bit excessive, but that's what my idea of a real gauge is.

Exactly. The "gauge" in Mustangs isn't a real gauge at all. It's just a switch. As soon as your oil pressure hits 6psi, the "gauge" sticks at midpoint and doesn't move at all. That's not a real gauge... it's basically just an idiot light.

 

[Rootus]

I can't remember when the last time Ford had a real oil pressure guage in a car

Didn't they do it briefly on some of the early 1996 Cobras? Seems like I remember hearing that. And then of course they reverted back to the idiot gauge when they started getting all the calls about oil pressure.

Dave

 

[Svtpilot]

I believe you guys are mistaken. Based on the fact that if you check the parts dept of your local ford dealer you will find the car has an Oil Pressure Sending Unit. This indicates a functioning guage. Cars equipped with idiot lights have oil pressure switches, not sending units. Also the guage on my Cobra is on the L of normal when the car is warmed up, all my other Mustangs were on the R.

 

[Scott_B]

Man, stock guages are garbage! I cant speak for Sn95 cars, but on the Foxes..Garbage! You cant tell nothing from them! As posted above, normaly they read somewhere right in the middle. I have aftermarket temp & oil pressure and reads way different then the stockers..Same with the stock tach..garbage!

 

[Mustang5L5]

I believe you guys are mistaken. Based on the fact that if you check the parts dept of your local ford dealer you will find the car has an Oil Pressure Sending Unit. This indicates a functioning guage. Cars equipped with idiot lights have oil pressure switches, not sending units. Also the guage on my Cobra is on the L of normal when the car is warmed up, all my other Mustangs were on the R.

But like i said, can you actually witness the oil pressure gauge function like a true gauge?

In other words when you car is idling, does the needle point in an area that would suggest it's reading 15-25psi??

Then when ytou blip the throttle, does the needle blip up to the 55-65psi range?

I know that Ford uses senders for the oil pressure and water temp gauges. But the way the car interprets the info isn't like a true gauge. It will not show you instantaneous readings. It takes an average over a period of time and displays that value so it doesn't show spikes. It's why the fuel level never changes quickly.

The average driver does not know what the information on a gauge means or how to read it. So most manuafactures make the gauge point dead center when everything is ok.

 

[Rootus]

I know that Ford uses senders for the oil pressure and water temp gauges. But the way the car interprets the info isn't like a true gauge. It will not show you instantaneous readings.

The SN95's (at least from around 98 or so) have electronics in the gauge itself that make it so you cannot put a true sending unit in to get oil pressure. They want to make sure you always see something "pretty".

It takes an average over a period of time and displays that value so it doesn't show spikes. It's why the fuel level never changes quickly.

"Anti-slosh module". Had to replace it when the fuel gauge on my 95 cut out -- it's calibrated to the gauge, and it keeps the needle from moving around when you take corners.

Dave

 

[DanM]

I believe you guys are mistaken. Based on the fact that if you check the parts dept of your local ford dealer you will find the car has an Oil Pressure Sending Unit. This indicates a functioning guage. Cars equipped with idiot lights have oil pressure switches, not sending units. Also the guage on my Cobra is on the L of normal when the car is warmed up, all my other Mustangs were on the R.

You're incorrect. The gauge does NOT indicate real pressure. The term "sending unit" is generic and can apply to a switch or analog sender.

If you don't believe me, go look in a car. It's nothing more than an idiot light. The "sender" is a switch that grounds out at 6psi. Anything under 6psi = switch open. Anything over 6psi = switch closed.

Calling it a "sender" doesn't make it anything better.

Quote:
It takes an average over a period of time and displays that value so it doesn't show spikes. It's why the fuel level never changes quickly.

"Anti-slosh module". Had to replace it when the fuel gauge on my 95 cut out -- it's calibrated to the gauge, and it keeps the needle from moving around when you take corners.

No, there is no buffer on the oil pressure unit. Fuel gauges certainly, even the temp gauge is buffered. But not the oil pressure. It's a switch and nothing more.

Now... back to the original question, can anyone who's DRIVEN an 05 and knows the difference between a real analog gauge and a switch comment?

 

[Mustang5L5]

Now... back to the original question, can anyone who's DRIVEN an 05 and knows the difference between a real analog gauge and a switch comment?

I'm waiting for an answer as well...

But after searching Ebay for a while and checking them out, i notice all the oil pressure gauges on the models that were running in the photo pretty much just point right to the middle.

So i'm starting to think Ford continued on with the idiot gauge setup .

 

[DanM]

I'm waiting for an answer as well...

But after searching Ebay for a while and checking them out, i notice all the oil pressure gauges on the models that were running in the photo pretty much just point right to the middle.

So i'm starting to think Ford continued on with the idiot gauge setup .

Yeah. And the fact that there are no markings on the gauge means that even if it did move, it'd be pretty useless anyway. I was just being optimistic and hoping they did something with it.

 

[RottenRonny]

As already mentioned, to know if you have a "real" guage, blip the throttle. If the oil pressure guage comes up with the revs, its a real guage.

All GM's I have owned over the years, have had "real" guages, but none of my mustangs have.

 

[GT-03]

Didn't they do it briefly on some of the early 1996 Cobras? Seems like I remember hearing that.

Maybe you are possibly thinking of the Corral Forum's "Oil Pressure (gauge) on '96 Cobra" article?

What happen was that apparently during '96, Ford changed from using an oil "gauge" that was easily modifiable to actually work, to the one we currently have which isn't very easy to modify. The key being, whether the 20 ohm resistor was accessible on the cluster's back circuit board, or was unaccessible because it was built into the gauge's mechanics itself.