Ok i havent posted in a while, works been killing me. I have spoken to a few of you on AIM about my problem, but im looking for a little more help.

Ok from what i understand the oil pressure gauge is basically a light on the dash, nothing else. Untill you get a low pressure reading. My oil pressure gauge is very jumpy. It goies from perfect to all the way low CONSTANTLY. Basically it flickers a little bit. If i rev the engine back up it goes to perfect. It doesnt do it at a cold idle, but will after a long drive. I have been told it could be one of two things, 1 the oil sender unit (sensor?) , or 2 the oil pump in the pan. Im not to sure what it is exactly. The engine runs like it always has. So im lost.....any help please.....i cant afford to lose the truck!

 

It could be a real oil pressure problem or it could be the oil pressure sending switch. The odds are on the switch - they were very unreliable during the years close to your 2000.

If it was my truck, I'd get a new switch in there pronto. Ignoring a possible oil pressure problem could cost you a very expensive engine.

 

wow sounds just like my answer eh CJ......

 

Hey now!

I wasnt saying you wernt right, i was just puting it out there to more people.........hoping it wouldnt be a bad thing.

Oh well, looks like i gotta get the new switch first, and have them check the oil system.....thanks guys!

CJ

 

Sounds like a perfect opportunity to make it into a real gauge. If you're going to replace the switch, you might as well replace it with a real oil pressure sending unit and do the mod to the gauge cluster. Then you'll get a real pressure reading.

 

highly recommend auto meter gauges and piller pod do it right

 

Here is mine, sport comp electric oil pressure and voltmeter.

 

i have a 99, my oil pressure is/was messing up and jumping, a shop told me the pumps goin out, and if they replaced it, a bigger problem would just break the new one..

it was caused by me getting stuck frame deep i think.. but im running 20-50 oil now and its been fine, my issue is the valves click, and other stuff, my engines on a limited life span haha

but i want another opinion, they told me 10-20k other people r telling me sooner and to check like the oil intake pipe and stuff, the shop wants to charge me 5g for a new engine including install, i can go to ford and get a new one for 2g...


anyways, thats my problem, try heavier oil if the new gauge does the same thing

 

how hard is it to put in the oil pressure gauge???

 

Not that hard, but this will help......

"SEARCH"

 

haha

 

Its takes no more than 5 minutes... My truck had a jumpy oil pressure guage for the longest.. I replace the sending unit and it fixed it.. Its on the passenger side of the engine bay near the back screwed into the block..

 

I've had same problem since truck was new. If you look at your rpm's when this is happening you'll notice they are below 500. The truck is stalling. If you take your foot off the brake or tap the gas it comes back. It's also wierd because it seems to only happen when temp outside is 60 to 70 and during season change??? Weird! Also After a long drive and then your coasting to a stop light.I don't worry about it anymore. Wants temp gets colder doesn't happen or in summer when hotter it goes away. I think it's program issue for computer wit temp change.

 

holy year old topic

 

lol

 

Yeah, but people getting a 3.0 ranger don't know about it . And it freaks you out when it happens.

 

Just What is the oil pressure mod you can do to the gauge cluster? I have been searching but not coming up with anything.

Thanks!!

 

For a 1995 Ranger, it is possible to jump out a 20 ohm resistor on the back of the cluster and substitute a PS60 oil pressure sending unit for the OP switch on the engine. Then the factory gauge will show actual pressure changes instead of merely indicating pressure vs no pressure.

Here's a how to for a 1993 Ranger. Although the 95 cluster is quite different from 94 and earlier, this same general procedure will work for a 95 OP gauge if the correct resistor is jumped.

 

Thanks for the start rwenzing. Now to find the info for my vehicle...

I thought I had heard something like this for the voltage too, sound familiar? Or the temp gauge? Or are these supposed to be accurate? Mine seem awfully consistent.

 

Your voltmeter and coolant temp are "real" gauges working from variable voltage across the windings. The input to the fuel level gauge is electrically damped to keep the needle from swinging wildly with fuel slosh but the gauge is real.

 

Thanks. They do seem to change some so I thought so. I didn't know if there was a way to give them a better range. But I guess my truck is consistent, which is good. I need to go into the cluster when the weather warms up anyway to replace some lights, so I'll do it then.

V8 swap, that is what it really needs. Nice. Too bad you can't just drop a 3.4 into it.

 

sorry to bring up a semi old thread but can you tell mo how you would go about doing this on a 02 cluster

 

I assume that you are talking about converting a 2002 cluster to a real OP gauge. The stock 2002 OP gauge cannot be converted by any simple means.

However, there is another way. It is possible to install the guts of a 95 Ranger/Explorer OP gauge into a 97~2003 Ranger cluster. Do that and drive it with a PS60 sending unit and it will be a real gauge. The PS60 SU is too large to fit in the same location as your 4.0's factory on/off switch but it could be remote mounted. The 3.0 guys have a little more room around the stock switch, so it should be easier to convert those to the PS60 SU.

I have a 95 Ranger OP gauge movement in my 2003 cluster and it works well. The Ford schematics seem to suggest that an OP gauge from a 96 Ranger/Explorer might also work to do this conversion but I haven't tried one of those.