Question about the low oil pressure light

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:45 pm

Hey guys....
I was talking to my wife on the phone and while we were talking she said the low oil light came on. I told her she needed to get off the road and shut the engine down immediately. While getting off the road...she said it went off. She waited a minute after shutting down and checked the oil. Based on her findings...it sounds as though the oil was fine on the dipstick. Am I correct in saying this is more than likely just a sensor going wonky? I told her if it did come on due to low oil....the engine probably would have locked up or shot a rod through the block by the time she got to a parking lot and shut it down (correct?).

Thanks, Jim

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:09 pm

kissfan79 wrote:

Hey guys....
I was talking to my wife on the phone and while we were talking she said the low oil light came on. I told her she needed to get off the road and shut the engine down immediately. While getting off the road...she said it went off. She waited a minute after shutting down and checked the oil. Based on her findings...it sounds as though the oil was fine on the dipstick. Am I correct in saying this is more than likely just a sensor going wonky? I told her if it did come on due to low oil....the engine probably would have locked up or shot a rod through the block by the time she got to a parking lot and shut it down (correct?).Thanks, Jim

With a normal oil level in engine, hopefully it is just a sensor going bad, and they do go bad, mine blinked a few times a couple years back and I replaced it and never had any more issues...
Change it first and hopefully your problem will go away....
You can purchase one at AutoZone, Part Number: PS401 or NAPA Part Number: ECH OP6185. They are easy to change, located down close to the oil filter area... :wink:

Other parts stores also list them!
Advance: Part No. S4191

papaindigo · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:10 pm

Park on a dead level spot (if vehicle nose is up just a bit then reading on dipstick will be way off low); wait 5 minutes after shutdown; check oil level; if good replace sensor (PN 56028807AB - alternative Standard Motor Products PS317)

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:25 pm

Thanks for the replies. She checked the level at the parking lot in the mall so I can't vouch for how level the ground was but she said the level was a few millimeters below the "max" line. She sent me a text saying the light comes on when she starts it up but then goes away "shortly" and does not come back on while driving. I'll have a look-see at it when she gets home. I just changed the oil last week. The only thing I did different was I used a different filter. I used the new Purolator Boss synthetic filter (I cross referenced it against a Mobil 1 M1-301 that I normally use). Even though I'm still thinking it's the sensor....anyone heard of an issue like this caused by an oil filter?

Jim

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:53 pm

kissfan79 wrote:

Thanks for the replies. She checked the level at the parking lot in the mall so I can't vouch for how level the ground was but she said the level was a few millimeters below the "max" line. She sent me a text saying the light comes on when she starts it up but then goes away "shortly" and does not come back on while driving. I'll have a look-see at it when she gets home. I just changed the oil last week. The only thing I did different was I used a different filter. I used the new Purolator Boss synthetic filter (I cross referenced it against a Mobil 1 M1-301 that I normally use). Even though I'm still thinking it's the sensor....anyone heard of an issue like this caused by an oil filter?
Jim

the Purolator Boss synthetic filter is a top rated oil filter, I am currently running the Purolator Pure One Synthetic filter and have been using them for the last several oils changes with none issues. I doubt very seriously the filter is causing your issue. Change the oil pressure sensor/switch and see if the problem goes away.... :roll:

lacabrera · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:27 pm

Did you use a 40 weight oil? I tried a 5w-30 once and it reduced the oil pressure enough to cause the light to come on at tick over. I know 30 weight is rare your side but worth mentioning.

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:32 pm

I used the last of my Mobil 1 5w-40TDT stockpile that I had from when it went on sale a few years back. Time to start buying oil again :wink:

Jim

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:25 pm

Ok..so my wife got home. I let the Jeep sit for a short while and took a look. The oil is definitely fine on the dipstick and there weren't any signs of leakage underneath. If you start it up....the oil pressure light comes on an will stay on until you touch the accelerator. If you just sit there without giving it any throttle....the light will stay on. As soon as you touch the peddle and rev it...the light goes off. It'll prolly be a couple days but I'll change that sensor and see what happens. When pulling out the sensor...will all of the oil drain out until the new one is in place? In other words....should I be ready to basically change the oil :wink:

? Also...does anyone know what size the nut part of the sensor is? I saw where you can get a special socket but hopefully I have a wrench already that will fit it.

Thanks, Jim

papaindigo · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:53 pm

Unless you "open" the system by for example popping the oil filler cap you shouldn't get any significant leakage provided you prep things properly so the sensor exchange goes quickly. Have correct wrench; new sensor all ready to screw in at least hand tight; etc. I don't know but would bet the threads are standard 1/8NPT tapered threads so the sensor will friction seal as it's screwed in (e.g. no sealer need be added but looking online it appears the new sensor will come with some sort of thread sealer already applied.

Sensor failure is not a all uncommon.

peteyz24 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 6:31 pm

The sensor is screwed into an oil passage in the block. Most likely some oil will come out, just enough to make a mess most likely :banghead:

, it will not drain all the oil out of your oil pan.

cerich · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:03 pm

many years ago I did the oil change and the oil light came on at stop signs...I changed the filter and never had the problem again. i would start there..

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:45 pm

You do not have a oil level sensor,you have a oil pressure sensor.If the programing is the same(like most Chryslers) it will turn on the oil pressure light at 3psi or lower.Being it happened at around the same time as a oil change not using the correct filter I would actually check the oil pressure via a mechanical gauge to be sure it's just a bad sensor.

Oh and never use anything other then the OEM part.In 21 years of turning wrenches for a living I've rarely ever seen a aftermarket oil pressure sensor work in a Chrysler vehicle.

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2016 10:13 am

Well....update. I did some more reading last night and searching on the forums and, based on what I read, I changed the oil filter this morning to a spec oil filter that I always keep in my Jeep with some oil (Purolator Classic L25230). I didn't do a full change.....just pulled the oil filter and swapped it out (as well as topped it back off with oil :wink:

). After doing so....the oil pressure light stopped coming on at idle. I started it it a couple times and both times the light never came back on after the initial startup sequence of lights. I don't know if there was something about that particular filter (Purolator Boss PBL30001) being defective or being that it was an "off spec" oil filter but the problem seems to have been the filter. I'll post back after driving it (I have to make a 2 hour round trip later today) and report if the light comes on again. I did drive about 300 miles on that Purolator Boss filter before the light came on. Hopefully there are no "issues" as a result.

Jim

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2016 10:16 am

cerich wrote:

many years ago I did the oil change and the oil light came on at stop signs...I changed the filter and never had the problem again. i would start there..

When this happened to you....were you using a spec oil filter or oversize? I've been using the Mobil 1 m1-301 up to this point with no issues. I got the Purolator Boss as part of an oil change special.

Jim

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:46 pm

Well....I guess I got happy too quick. A few miles down the road on my trip today (I'm guessing after it warmed up?) The oil pressure light would come on any time I had to stop for a stop light. As soon as I started moving again...it'd go back out. Looks like I'll be changing that sensor after all.

Jim

rankom · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:10 pm

i say oil pressure gauge is needed , somebody did mention it , just to be safe you need to monitor oil pressure when engine is on operating temp.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:54 pm

kissfan79 wrote:

Well....I guess I got happy too quick. A few miles down the road on my trip today (I'm guessing after it warmed up?) The oil pressure light would come on any time I had to stop for a stop light. As soon as I started moving again...it'd go back out. Looks like I'll be changing that sensor after all.

Jim

Yep, Purolator Boss synthetic filter is a good filter and I did not suspect it was causing your problem! Change the sending unit and let us know what happens.... :wink:

PZKW108 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:23 pm **Posts:** 461

rankom wrote:

i say oil pressure gauge is needed , somebody did mention it , just to be safe you need to monitor oil pressure when engine is on operating temp.

THIS

kissfan79 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:12 pm

Update: Well I finally got the new sensor installed. I ended up buying and OE sensor from ID Parts. The sensor came in last Monday but with being busy and the rain...today was the first day I could get to it. With the new sensor installed the oil pressure light has not come back on yet. I did drive about 11 miles round trip this afternoon with some stop and go (so I'd get to idle after the engine was warmed up) and it never came back on. While the sensor was out, I did hook up an oil pressure gauge and fired the Liberty up. Upon start up...it read 80psi and then quickly came down to 65. It slowly worked it's way down to about 55psi. I ended up shutting it off and pulling the gauge so I could get the sensor installed. I kinda' wanted to see what the reading would have been at idle after the engine was fully warmed up but it would have taken forever for it to come up to operating temp just idling in the driveway. I figured if there was a problem with low oil pressure it would have been wonky on then gauge right from the get go. So far so good. I'm cautiously optimistic that the sensor was the culprit. I'll update again after another week or so of driving. Thanks again guys.

Jim

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:43 pm

It was the sensor. These have a mechanical gear driven oil pump, and to answer your question the idle oil pressure at temperature is disturbingly low - usually about 18psi.

Low pressure isn't the problem to be afraid of though - low FLOW is. The passages where the oil's work is most critical, are very small.

Question about the low oil pressure light

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