Is my oil pump..
 

Is my oil pump going bad or is it the sensor?

2000 Mercury Mountaineer (Ford Explorer)
302
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Yesterday the oil pressure needle started going crazy and the dash light came on we stopped at the nearest gas station and turned the car off. Waited about 15 min. Started it back up and everything was fine, checked the oil added added some drove all day, everything fine and then it started acting up again. Any thoughts? :)

Light it on fire and start filming.

It's the only car I have and it only has liability on it. :D

Probably just an instrument cluster issue. Is the engine making any unusual noises when you see it happen?

Oh, well then you should definitely change the policy first.

The needle on the oil pressure gage goes crazy and then flat lines and then the check gages light comes on. then when I press the gas pedal, the harder I press, the higher the needle goes and the everything is normal. :confused:

My money's on a cluster issue, then -- it's hard to picture the oil pressure jumping around like that.

I'd clean the connection on the sensor first....and look for a loose wire.

Now that I think about it, the F-150 I use to own would do the same thing when it would get around freezing outside.

An oil pressure sending unit for that rig is $20. Change it, and go from there. We stock several. Just do it. OEM motocraft one is $20, an aftermarket one is $12.

Make sure to specify that it has a gauge, not just a light, they are different.

~Nate

I thought that Found on Road Deads had a fake gauge that read 3/4 scale when there was pressure and zero with no pressure, with the sender being an oil pressure light switch.

If that's the case, I'm betting on the gauge itself...

IIRC, it is 3-5 psi that will make it read a little over half. That kinda makes me wonder. Is the pressure fluctuating and low? I would hook a mechanical gauge up to it to see what it is doing. After that, chase grounds.