Had an odd one this morning... Oil light at startup :shock:

RedKJ04 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:16 pm

So this morning I went out and started my Jeep for school and decided to let it warm up about 5-10 minutes as it was 14 degrees out and I had to go pick someone up and didn't want to invite them into a freezing Jeep. Well when I got in to leave I noticed that the oil light was on :shock:

As soon as I saw this I shut it off, and checked the oil. The oil level was right up there so I got back in and started it again. This time the oil light stayed out and for the rest of the day after school it has stayed off. It was 14 degrees this morning but I don't see how that would have a huge impact. The thing is that when I initially started it to warm up a bit it was out... Could the Oil sending unit be bad? Could it just have stuck and the light come on? I am welcoming any suggestions at this point. It only has 47k on it and it has had normal scheduled oil changes. It is quiet and has no knocks or irregularities. I will be hooking a gauge to it this weekend to calm my fears... Any thoughts? Anyone seen this?

1996xj · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:37 pm

More than likely, the oil sender is bad. The same thing happend to my 04 last year once or twice then the light stayed off, It came on a couple weeks ago and stayed on!! I went ahead and replaced the oil sender and the light hasen't been on since. If the eng. isn't rattling or making strange noise's and the oil is up and clean more than likley it's a oil sender, it's located where the oil filter screws on to the block ... :wink:

Buy, a mopar sender I think the sender is less than $20.00 at Jeep !!!!

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:03 pm

I would always verify the oil PSI before assuming it is just the sender.Though you need to do this in similar conditions when the light came on.You hook the oil PSI tester where the sender goes anyway,not like it's that much more work to be sure.

RedKJ04 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:24 pm

Yeah it is parked until I figure this whole thing out... I plan on hooking it all up and doing it in the morning when it will be cold and seeing what kind of reading I get. I am hoping it is just the sending unit. I think along with an new sending unit I am going to install a gauge in the Jeep along with it.

Budke · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:43 am

Yeah, park it and don't drive it. You don't want to end up like me..... :shock:

ryanee182 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:09 pm

Mine has done the same thing! Twice within the last week, only when it's been parked outside in the cold. Both times I turned the engine off and restarted a minute later with no oil light. It's been anywhere from 10 to -2 degrees this past week here in MN. I hope it's just the cold, but I will keep an eye on it. Let me know if you find anything wrong with yours.

RedKJ04 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:34 pm

ryanee182 wrote:

Mine has done the same thing! Twice within the last week, only when it's been parked outside in the cold. Both times I turned the engine off and restarted a minute later with no oil light. It's been anywhere from 10 to -2 degrees this past week here in MN. I hope it's just the cold, but I will keep an eye on it. Let me know if you find anything wrong with yours.

So far I have found nothing... It only does it when it sits out in the cold and so far it has only done it with the temps around 10-24. It only does it once in the morning. Right now it is sitting in the garage with me sitting around scratching my head. I am thinking it may be a sending unit issue with the cold maybe??? I have a friend heading over with his pressure gauge that I am going to hook up and get a reading. I plan on pulling it out into the 15 degree weather expected tonight and starting it in the morning and getting a reading. I also plan on installing an oil pressure gauge along with a new sending unit if it looks like I need one. I would like to know what is going on anyways. I will keep you all posted as to what I find. I do know I don't want to really drive it with the oil light even hinting at popping on. I am not going senselessly trash my engine by ignoring this potential problem.

1996xj · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 8:02 pm

Mopar sending unit's, I have noticed seem to act up alot when cold, that's what happend in my case as well !! Adding a oil press. and trany temp. guage is in my future also :wink:

RedKJ04 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:46 am

Ok pulled it in the garage today and hooked up the oil pressure gauge and fired it up. I got about 80psi at cold idle and between 2000-3000RPM it got up to about 95psi. So I would say for sure there is not a problem with the oil pressure and this confirms that the sending unit is to blame. After a new sending unit from Autozone for 19.99 and a some short time in the garage I think I fixed it. The light goes out immediately at start up.
On a side note anyone know what the oil pressure readings should be for a 3.7V6? 80psi at idle almost seems a bit too high. But then again I have no idea what the normals are.

1996xj · **Posted:** Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:31 am

It vary's depending upon oil vesc.,air Temp., age of eng., etc. 80 to 60 prob. isn't uncomon cold and warm I would think 15 to 40 . I really haven't paid that much attention to my oil press. but I would think you are within spec.

Had an odd one this morning... Oil light at startup :shock:

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