oil light coming on uphill

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Cassix

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I have a 2000 expedition xlt w/ a 4.6l v8. Since ive had it, ive had 2 spark plugs pop out and had to rethread them, I've always taking care of it and done a full oil change with Filter every 5000 miles. Ever since I've had it I think I can't remember for sure but it's had to ticking noise when it's running and one time when one of my coil got loose it made the ticking worse so I just figured that's what it was from but it sounds like it might be an oil problem even though it does burn oil so I put some oil seal in it or stop leak in it and I seem to run worse after that. But today I stopped on a hill and noticed my oil light was on and my oil pressure gauge went down like lol like it was off and as soon as I leveled out it went right back on and just to test it again to make sure I pulled my front two tires up on a small curb and as soon as I did the oil light came on and when I pulled off and went right off so I don't know if maybe my sensor or my pump I'm not sure but the ticking didn't get any louder the quieter when this was happening and it doesn't make my MIL light come on. It just went over a 180k miles. I put it on the OBD2 sensor in no pids came up either. Also I have the Forscan app I use and nothing seems to outrageous there except it says low pressure under the oil switch. But I don't know if that's different since that's the first time I've ever looked at it. any help or advice would be greatly appreciated
 

1955moose

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Cassix, sorry no one responded to your post. I just found it now myself. I too have a 2000, mines the bigger 5.4, but essentially the same vehicle. I'd first pull all 8 coils, and snug up all eight plugs. Preference is using a 3/8 inch torque wrench set around 22-23 ft lbs. Also check to be sure you don't have an exhaust leak at either manifolds, real common on these. Also check around the exhaust collectors, exhaust leaks anywhere will sound like a valve ticking. If you haven't already install a Ford oil filter. Some of the cheaper ones can occasionally cause a ticking. If your stock oil gauge is going up halfway or better, your oil pressure is probably fine. Mine goes about half full when running, and I don't hear a tick. Read on a later post, your already leaving us, sorry to hear, this is a real knowledgeable group here. The rotted out exgaust studs are most likely causing your tick. This was the only post I read, hope you stick around, we don't have but a few female mechanics here.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk
 

Trainmaster

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You should really check your oil pressure with a real gauge. The Ford "gauge" is really like an on-off idiot light. If pressure drops below a certain point it goes from normal to none. You may have low oil pressure which could be caused by a few things, especially with 180K miles.
 

TobyU

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2nd the real gauge test. I have a 200 with 5.4 that has a flaky or clogged sending unit. It started letting gauge drop to 0 right after start or a few seconds and scared me to death!

Found out if I tap of it with long breaker bar handle it comes back up.
Bad sensor.
I switched to 5-30 mobil 1 and it cleaned it out and works almost all the time now.

If you have no oil pressure, you are going to get a ticking tapping rattling sound in the top of heads and soon after damage...lots of it.
They will screech like a belt squealing as the cams weld themselves to the head cam journals/saddles. Then they no runny no more. Had a V-10 lose oil pressure and stop running.
Cams messed up, balance shaft messed up...cam gear and balance shaft teeth jumped/chewed. Engine still cranked but clunked and no running.
I think I could have saved bottom end but never pulled bearing to see how scored or if spun.
The heads and cams starve first on these.

If you can't tap the sender and see the gauge spring to life and hear no noises you would have to get a screw in gauge to test actual pressure.

I lost pressure on mine one cold 25ish F night and turned it off and checked oil and was full. Then it seemed fine. Then when pulling into driveway back home the light came on and off twice.
I changed oil to 5w-30 Pennzoil Platinum and motorcraft filter and put new sender in it (different vehicle than the tapping to come up one) and it was fine for 6 hours run time.
Idles a lot and drove slowly around town for 5 hours over the next week with only highway for one exit.
Then next time it was used it went local roads for 8 miles and idled for 30 minutest then got on freeway and made it 15 miles until if squealed to a halt.
I bought it 6 years old with 83K on it and apparently they were very lax in oil changes.
It blew at 133K and was full of coked up varnish and peanut brittle looking crap.
Pick up tube was extremely clogged and valve covers coated.

If I would have done 2-3 motor 5-10 minute flash flushed before the fresh full syn oil I might have saved it but the damage was done when I got it.

It was almost 3 qts low on oil when I got it so a sign...but it was a great deal and even after the used engine swap I did....still a great deal for me.

I am now pulling and selling the 95K V-10 (2006) and parting out the body ( 2001 Excursion) and junking the shell.
 

Wal92tt

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Is there a chaulky residue on the spark plugs? If so, then your ring seals/valve seals....? That's where your oil is going.... The tapping, is the sound progressively louder as you accelerate? Then it's the exhaust manifold gasket.
BTW, not everyone is sitting around waiting to answer random questions at a moments notice, per your scathing post.
 
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