This is something new as of today, while driving and giving the old beast a gentle boot suddenly the oil light comes on, not a flicker but on full. Shut down engine, let the car rest for ten seconds, restart, and light goes off. This seems to have happened while driving down a hill in second, get on to it bringing up rpms to 3500 or so and on comes the light. Shift into neutral, kill engine, coast a short distance, switch key to on, and everything is fine. This has happened five times today, never before, and no unusual baring noise can be heard when light comes on.

After the first two times the light came on, once home I added a quart and a quarter of oil thinking perhaps the oil level was low. My dipstick is not the correct one for my engine. When five quarts of oil are added, and filter changed the oil level reads a about a quart over the full line on the stick. I have been meaning to mark the dip stick, but haven’t got to it. Where I only drive 3000 miles a year it hasn’t been a problem up until now.

The oil pressure relief valve was inspected 10,000 miles ago, and was fine. 3000 mile oil is dark, but not opaque, and no sludge or deposits can be seen in engine under valve cover. She’s clean as a whistle.

I did notice a good sized, six inches in diameter, oil spill on the garage floor from the area of #6 when the valve cover was removed the other day to check the lash. And, I was wondering if installing a new passenger side engine mount may have upset the angle of the dangle in respect to the oil pick-up.

For now I’m going to change the oil, mark the dip stick, and hope that this problem is due to low oil level in sump.

Any thoughts on this are welcome.

Bill

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I am assuming the sender wire is not disco-ed and hitting on the fender intermittently. I had this happen back in 1989 and scared me !@#$less.

All that hipo stuff and you don't have an oil pressure gauge on that beast? I wouldn't dream of that...

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Well you never said if it continued to come on or not, or what the oil level was after adding. I dont think that the problem would be the dangle of the tube either, but could be due to a failing oil pump, even though you serviced it.

AMEN, I would not use an 'idiot' light in that application either, and if ya want the light to work also use a T fitting PLUS a mechanical O.P. gauge. I also would not/do not trust any factory electric 'gauge'.

_________________
MRO....

Cheap, Fast, Reliable.... Pick 2...

Sender wire grounding out and/or faulty pressure sender.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Mroldfart2u,
After dumping in a quart plus level shows about a quart over full about where if memory serves is where it should be after an oil change. Today I shall change oil and filter, and mark the dip stick.

Car had a mechanical aftermarket oil pressure gage when I got it, but it was a leaking mess which soured me on having a potential oil leak in the cockpit. I’ll have to ponder the addition of a gage.

Are there any oil pressure gages that transmit pressure electrically keeping plumbing and oil out of cockpit?

Dan, factory sender wiring is new, not grounding, and several years ago I replaced the sending unit. I see the wisdom in redundant pressure monitoring.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Sure. I run a VDO electric OP setup.

Your symptoms are classic of a bad sender wire. It's shorting out somewhere. The harness likely got stretched tight at some point, or the wire is pinched. Check to see if it somehow got under the valve cover.

CJ

_________________
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

It did it again, after backing out from Napa with a fresh 1806 on board, I hadn’t gone 200 feet, and the oil light came on. No hot rodding, no steep slopes, no fast stops, just grandpa putzing a long in a 25 mph zone. This time there was no wind noise, no engine high rpm sound, no 2.5 watt Music Master radio to distract from any strange engine sounds that an oil starved engine may produce. There was none, no big end clunk, no clackaty lifters, just the light glowing. I pulled over, stopped the car, killed the ignition, and quickly restarted the engine. As soon as the engine started the light went out. There were no more oil light illuminations during the 12 miles back home.

This is leading me to suspect the sending unit is starting to give out. I should get a gage connected up for a second opinion when this happens.

Once home I changed the oil, removed the oil pressure sending unit, flushed it out, but there was no crap sequestered with in it. Someone mentioned the oil pump maybe giving up, but I don’t know how it would pump one instant, stop pumping, and then pump as soon as engine is shut down and re started. But nothing surprises me anymore, and could well be the thing is getting ready to take a dump. Oh well…

CJ,
That was the first thing I looked for, short to ground. Sender wire was replaced recently, shows no breaks in insulation, and is housed within loom wrap.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Maybe a cracked pick up tube but you need to find the cause now before you cause any damage.

Brian

_________________
63 Plymouth Valiant Wagon

I have had 2 oil pressure switches fail and do exactly this on my 65 Poly 318. Change the switch.

_________________
'81 W150 on Propane... Oversize valves, Oregon Camshaft cam, 10:5 static CR, Distributorless ignition, megajolt timing controller, PowerTrax lockers.