Hiya folks.

Tonight I started my car ('73 Valiant) and drove it for about ten minutes on the highway when the oil light came on. Very very faint at first and it just sort of flickered until eventually, maybe five minutes later, it was super super solid and bright.

I immediately pulled over at a gas station and checked my oil level. Right up to the full line, although I must admit, it's getting pretty black. Regardless of what the problem is, I'm going to do an oil change ASAP.

Anyways, I continued to my destination which was only about 3 minutes from the gas station. Stayed there for a few hours, enough for the car to cool down completely. Time to go home, started the car. No oil light until about ten minutes of driving on the highway again. Same exact thing... faint flicker at first which grew brighter and brighter.

Is this typical behavior? Any recommendation for my first course of action? Filter getting clogged? Oil pump going bad? Don't think I've sprung a leak because because oil level was good. Also, didn't hear any clicking valves or anything that would make me think oil wasn't getting to the top.

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!!

-Matt

The oil pressure relief valve on the pump can get stuck open.

remove and clean the relief valve

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

or the wire end/clip on that connects to the sender is not making good connection or hanging by a thread, or contacts are very oily not making a good connection......

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Install a mechanical gauge, in place of the sender, at least temporally, to verify oil pressure. If the oil pressure is good, look for an electrical problem (bad sender, wire, etc). If the pressure is bad, check the oil filter first, then relief valve, as stated (easiest). After that sorry to say, it would be possibly a bad pump, or time to drop the oil pan, and check the pickup, and/or bearings.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

No, not true. If the wire is making bad/little or no contact with the sending unit you would get nothing-no light at all. Unit works by grounding the wire through a switch inside its self. With no oil pressure it is "on", oil pressure keeps the switch "off"/no light. They do leak oil inside them selves around the switch. I bet your oil sending unit/switch is bad. R&R the oil sending unit. It cheap and most store will have one.

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50 chrysler,54 Plymouth, 64 Valiant conv 4 speed, 66 Valiant V8 wagon, 70 Challenger R/T 440+6 conv 4 speed,80 Colt, 98 Neon ACR,84 Honda V45 Magna
Taking care of 57 300C conv,48 T&C conv. Missing my 67 GTX and 36 Ply coupe

Thanks for all the info guys. Gonna get right on it.

-Matt