Scared as hell right now!!!!!

[Lane24]

I got home from work tonite, and noticed that my oil light and temperature light were on!!!! Aaaaaaahhhhh..... The guages are both reading no oil pressure and no temperature. I didn't notice because I was trying to see through my iced over windshield.
Luckily I only live about 5 or 6 blocks from the factory I work at so I didn't drive too far. I hope. ( I know, I should walk, but it's damn cold out)
It's midnite, It's -29 degrees out and dark. I have oil. It's been about 2900 miles since my last oil change, so it's about due. The Expy has been parked for about 6 days in the cold. I think it may have been clanking a bit. I can't say. It sounded rough. I might just be paranoid right now. I'm too chicken to start it back up to listen.....But like I said it was -29 degrees out. Anybody have a problem like this. I'll have to have a closer look in the morning. I'm gonna plug the block heater in on it tonite.
Hopefully oil pressure sending unit.... probably not though. Oil pump?....hopefully not new engine time....
Send words of encouragement.... or experience if you can....

 

[toms89]

Well.....it could be faulty gauges and maybe the clanking was more than usual clearance due to the extreme cold temps. Piston slap?? Maybe a lifter that would not pump up due to really thick oil??

I would think if you actually had zero oil pressure it would have been noisy as hell due to lifters bleeding down if nothing else.

You should stay indoors anyways if its -29 degrees out!!

Good Luck and think warm thoughts!!

Look forward to some more photos in the "other" thread.

 

[SkyJumper]

The oil pressure at zero may just be a wire falling off the pressure sending unit, it happens. The oil may have gotten thick at first but as soon as the engine got to normal operating temps, that would not be the issue, but only driving 5-6 blocks does not constitute engine being able to get to normal operating temps, especially in those temps. You may of had something of a contaminant get stuck at the opening of the oil pressure sending unit, or as mentioned before a frozen display screen mal-function.

If it was me, I would think about changing the oil and filter, and looking at what grade you are using. You may want to go with a thinner viscosity, and a synthetic (full). That is a security blanket at start up as the synthetic will always ensure a light coat of lubricant on all major areas at start up. Maybe using a royal purple additive for cold weather help to protect oil passsage at start up if going with a conventional oil type. And also and more importantly, allow your engine to warm up before you take off to home or work. In cold climates, I never take off without allow the block to warm up and read the guages and what not to ensure everything is as it should.

 

[alaskanexpy]

i'm calling it a bad sending unit...my opinion.

i've been dealing with sub zero temps for weeks...things make funny noises at -30F

 

[sgtowing]

things make funny noises at -30F

Does that include people as well????

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[alaskanexpy]

Does that include people as well????

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yes...mostly the f word..atleast in my case lol much like "F... ITS COLD!!"

 

[Lane24]

Well this Saturday is supposed to warm up a bit, so i think I'm just gonna let her sit till then. It warmed up to -28 right now.....I don't even want to start it up. Supposed to be -32 tonight, so I'll have the wife drop me off at work in the Jeep, and then walk home for the next few nights. Thanks for your input guys. I see oil light, and I think the worst. Here's hoping....

 

[sgtowing]

I say, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

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[panda24619]

im just thinking its the extra thick oil. but if it is new engine time then these 5.4s rnt that much to get from a junk yard. if your close to the states i would hop over and buy it here. just because it would be more there.

 

[Thermo]

Please keep in mind that the oil pressure "gauge" is not a gauge at all, but an idiot light of sorts. It only tells you if you have oil pressure being sent to the instrument cluster or not. Like others said, could be a bad sensor, could be a bad wire.

You want to prove the oil pressure "gauge" is really an idiot light, rev the engine. If you have a true gauge, the indication on the dash should rise some and fall back down as the engine RPMs come back down. Kinda like it should read higher when the motor is cold for a given RPM as compared to when the motor is at temp (oil is less viscous at the higher temps, therefore easier to pump and needs less pressure to move through the engine).

 

[SkyJumper]

As I mentioned earlier about the oil pressure sensor under the driver side head on the block, take a look under theengine with a flashlight, and see if the single wire feeding the signal to the cluster is broken, popped off the sensor, or at worst, unscrew it off the block, and check it for debris cloggage or just get a new one as they are only a couple of bucks.

 

[Lane24]

That ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is what I'm gonna do first. Like I said, it's gonna warm up to -10 or something on Saturday, so it will be a lot warmer than it is right now. -50 with the wind chill out there. Brrrrrrr. I had a buddy give me a ride home tonite. To damn cold to walk.

 

[panda24619]

Please keep in mind that the oil pressure "gauge" is not a gauge at all, but an idiot light of sorts. It only tells you if you have oil pressure being sent to the instrument cluster or not. Like others said, could be a bad sensor, could be a bad wire.

You want to prove the oil pressure "gauge" is really an idiot light, rev the engine. If you have a true gauge, the indication on the dash should rise some and fall back down as the engine RPMs come back down. Kinda like it should read higher when the motor is cold for a given RPM as compared to when the motor is at temp (oil is less viscous at the higher temps, therefore easier to pump and needs less pressure to move through the engine).

ive knoticed that. in my dads tundra it rises with higher rpms and goes back down while idleing. the old jeep does it too.

 

[SkyJumper]

Oil pressure rises as the demand requires it, meaning the faster the pump is supplying oil, the higher the pressure will be. A good rule of thumb is that for every 1000rpm, you should have 10psi of oil pressure. So if you are running at 3000rpm, then you should be at about 30psi. But, if the pressures are to high, then it can cause higher friction levels on the internals. With these modern engine designs, the clearances are less and less and the more friction created is not good news.

 

[megawatt00]

At those temps would you be better off using a synthetic oil? I do in my diesel and it made a world of difference on it.

 

[SkyJumper]

At those temps would you be better off using a synthetic oil? I do in my diesel and it made a world of difference on it.

Synthetics are not going to prevent high temps because of another issue at hand causing the temps to esculate. But synthetic is a small insurance policy per say when it comes to start-up and penetration of the internals at all times even at rest and not running.

Most oils when at rest fall to the lowest point available and the light coating of those oils seem to dry up or disappear after a certain period of time at rest. But, with synthetics, the oil has micro-elements that allow for a small penetration of the metals and allows the oil to constantly leave a residue coating on all metal surfaces so that when you start up, the friction is reduced, and the metals are not scratching or heating up from friction at start-up or making dry contact for that split moment for which the oil pump starts to produce pressure.

 

[Lane24]

I have heard it's bad to switch to synthetic after so many miles on regular oil.... I've got around 140,000 miles on it right now. Not so sure about Expy's, but when I had my old 2001 Intrepid, I was advised to not switch. Mind you those 2.7L Chrysler motors were known for catastrophic failure due to sludge build up. Switching to synthetic was rumored to release all the crud into your motor that had been building up over the years.

Maybe my next oil change should be synthetic. Mobil1? That's the only one I know from NASCAR . lol. What's a good brand, or are they all pretty decent. I'm tempted to go that route with my Jeep as well. It only has about 3000 miles on it right now. I just did it's very first oil change last week, and wondered if I should have just started it off right.

 

[alaskanexpy]

whenever i get a truck i allways switch it to synthetic...never had an issue. doesnt start leaking like crazy or any of those things you may have heard.

 

[SkyJumper]

Switching to full synthetic is not a bad thing regardless of age or mileage. But you should do a full oil change to include new oil filter. You will have contaminants from the regular oil in your first oil change to synthetic, but will not be enough to contaminate the full synthetic. Then the next oil change should be no issue with that contamination. There is a engine oil detergent that you can use, that you pour in the engine before you perform the oil change and run for like 20-30 minutes. You can use it to ensure a clean internal engine from the conventional oil residue left over when going to the synthetic. But I have never had a issue with just draining the old oil out completely and going full synthetic. Also a full synthetic can help with seals. With full synthetics, the layer of protection that it provides, allows for seals to stay lubricated at all times, running, cool down after shut down and sitting for periods of time. Where as conventional oils do not and the seals have the potential to dry out or shrink over time and shut down cycles.

 

[Lane24]

As I mentioned earlier about the oil pressure sensor under the driver side head on the block, take a look under theengine with a flashlight, and see if the single wire feeding the signal to the cluster is broken, popped off the sensor, or at worst, unscrew it off the block, and check it for debris cloggage or just get a new one as they are only a couple of bucks.

I guess I didn't read your post properly. I was under the truck today looking around the oil filter area behind the front bumper on the driver's side. Didn't/couldn't see anything that looked like a sensor. Came back in, reread your post and I guess I was looking in the wrong spot. Then laying on the snow I started freezing, and it got dark. Soooooo I'll hope for a few degrees warmer temp tomorrow, and the sun to stay out a little longer than 4:30. But if someone out there has a diagram, or has a picture of where I shouild be looking, I'd be forever grateful!!!!!

Sumtimez me no good with words.... Me need drawing or picture.....lol.