Anyone Have An Oil Pressure Sensor Fail?

[Henrius]

The other day I took the 1972 Newport out for a drive. The oil pressure light came on. I immediately stopped the engine. The dipstick showed nearly full, but I added another quart of oil. Started it back up, and the same thing happened. Poured in another quart of oil.

Turned the engine on, and got another warning light. But the engine did not overheat, and ran fine. Put the car on the expressway and drove it home.

Figured there could have been only two things happen- the oil pressure sensor failed or the oil pump failed. The oil pump was replaced on the engine rebuild. Since the engine didn't seize on the drive home, I figured it must be a faulty sensor. Anyone else have any other ideas what may have caused it? If the wire came loose would that cause the light to come on.

Where is the oil pressure sensor on the 400 B-block engine, by the way.

 

[65pacecar]

Had one fail on a 71 318 Dart.

 

[Polara_500]

Oil pressure sensor is at the very rear of the block, on top behind the intake manifold.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

You drove a car home with the oil light on?

 

[Polara_500]

You drove a car home with the oil light on?

I have hot rodded a car home with the oil light on and the lifters singing loudly. (Some say I display temper from time to time.) Long story, but it refused to break.

 

[Wildaugust]

If you hear any lifter noise or knocking that wasn't always there, don't drive the car. If you do hear engine noise shut it off right away. If the light is still on or comes back on, I would check the pressure with an oil gauge.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

The other day I was having some chest pains and a squeezing feeling, shortness of breath, and sudden dizziness, but I went for a run on the beach anyway to maintain my health.....

 

[65pacecar]

The other day I was having some chest pains and a squeezing feeling, shortness of breath, and sudden dizziness, but I went for a run on the beach anyway to maintain my health.....

Hopefully you wore your mask ;-)

 

[Big_John]

The other day I was having some chest pains and a squeezing feeling, shortness of breath, and sudden dizziness, but I went for a run on the beach anyway to maintain my health.....

I've known a couple guys that did similar things.

 

[Big_John]

The other day I took the 1972 Newport out for a drive. The oil pressure light came on. I immediately stopped the engine. The dipstick showed nearly full, but I added another quart of oil. Started it back up, and the same thing happened. Poured in another quart of oil.

Turned the engine on, and got another warning light. But the engine did not overheat, and ran fine. Put the car on the expressway and drove it home.

Figured there could have been only two things happen- the oil pressure sensor failed or the oil pump failed. The oil pump was replaced on the engine rebuild. Since the engine didn't seize on the drive home, I figured it must be a faulty sensor. Anyone else have any other ideas what may have caused it? If the wire came loose would that cause the light to come on.

Where is the oil pressure sensor on the 400 B-block engine, by the way.

Check to see if the wire is unhooked and shorted against the block or if the insulation is cracked/broken and the wire is shorted to ground. That will turn the light on.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

I've known a couple guys that did similar things.

Not for long.

 

[65pacecar]

Not for long.

 

[Davea Lux]

Oil pump failures on mopar big blocks are pretty rare. A broken intermediate shaft can cause a sudden loss of oil pressure as can a broken push rod that has caused a lifter to be thrown from the galley. As noted, check the oil pressure with a gauge. If you do not have oil pressure, run a compression check on the engine, the cylinder with the thrown lifter will have low compression. The other thing you should check is the oil filter, cheap ones sometimes blow the internals apart and plug themselves up. Would also be a good time to check the filter contents for metal shavings. If you have oil pressure, there is probably a short either in the sensor itself or the wiring going to it, the sensor provides a ground to activate the oil light.

Dave

 

[stubs300]

I'm fighting this issue on a 94 Caravan w/a 3.3L. Gauge was going mazzo all the time and sometimes be dead, then pop to 60, settle down some, die. Replaced the sensor 6 moths ago and now SOS again. Replace your sensor, check wiring contacts, etc. Good Luck

 

[Henrius]

You drove a car home with the oil light on?

And it scared me worse than anything I had ever done in a car. Was in a bad Atlanta neighborhood and did not have a phone to call a wrecker.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

And it scared me worse than anything I had ever done in a car. Was in a bad Atlanta neighborhood and did not have a phone to call a wrecker.

I can certainly understand that decision process.

 

[Sixpactogo]

If you drove the car home with no issues, you more than likely have oil pressure and the problem is a failed sender or the wire fell off or is broken. I would check for a broken wire first, then replace the send unit. Then drain out those two extra quarts of oil you put in. Over filling is not a good thing either.

 

[live4theking]

I had a sense fail in a Ramcharger with a 318 late at night in the middle of nowhere TN a couple of days before Christmas headed to a friend's house for the holiday. Crossing down the interstate I notice the gauge is slightly lower than normal, 10 miles later a little lower, and it kept creeping down till it hit 0. No engine noise, but I stopped and checked everything I could topped the oil off with some STP and called my dad a retired mechanic. His answer was of its not making noise drive the rest of the way and change the sending unit. Problem was fixed the next day.

 

[live4theking]

The sending unit is in the back of the motor behind the intake.

 

[furious70]

I've had a couple fail over the years