Ah, why does it seem that every time some part decides that its time to venture to the great mopar land in the sky, its blustery, snowy, and cold outside.

I was doing my 15 minute commute to work, most of which is downhill, kinda nice that. When i noticed that happy idiot light flickering in the upper right hand corner. Not the parking brake light. The other little bastard.

By the time I got to work, the light was bright steady, and didn't go away when i accelerated, something it was doing on the way in.

Parked in our lot, popped the hood and checked the oil level. Seemed fine, but its hard to tell with my booger welded replacement dipstick that someone put in.

So...its down to this. Thankfully i have the FSM, so I can walk myself through replacing the pump if needs be, but I'd rather not. But i have to ask, is it even that, the oil pump? could it be something else? What should i look for? Will a thicker oil help band-aid this till i can replace the pump? If it is the pump, what brand/PN is a recommended replacement?

Gee, enough questions, I'm going to back to reading my book where the cell phones make people insane so that they kill everyone and thus bring down most of western civilization.

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The old white brick

Hang on, before you go nuts and replace the oil pump, try changing your oil and installing a new oil filter and running 1 quart or transmisison fluid for 100 miles, then do another oil change using heavier oil. I have read several accounts of people using certain oil lfilters (cough cough *FRAM* cough cough) which cause their idiot lights to come on but when they switched filters to a better brand the light stayed off. Believe me, its easier to do this than jack your engine up twelve inches to get the oil pum driveshaft out of the block.

Sounds like you are ready the latest transportation safety board report about drivers talking on cell phones...

Don't panic yet. If the engine wasn't knocking or heating up, there's a pretty high likelihood it's just your oil pressure sender gone bad, or the oil pressure sender wire grounding out.

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

ok, good, done panicking(sp?) I'll do the double oil change and using a heavier oil (10w40, do they make a synthetic of that weight?) and replace the napa gold filter with another. But i don't understand the tranny fluid thingie, kinda need that explained.

Nope, no knocking or overheating, but we're assuming the temp sender is still good, and it looks to be. As for the pump sender and ground wire, i'll check the ground tonight, how do i go about checking the sender?

Yeah, Stephen king wrote a book about the whole cell phone insanity thingie, love the premise. Seeing as it took me 5 years to catch up with everyone else in the cell phone department, and then i tend to forget the damned thing anyways.

As for oil filters, i know that there have been numerous discussions as to which brand its best, least of all fram, the purolator ones that i've compared would seem to have a better flow rate due to the larger openings. and then again, they'll have to do for now. until i can get down to napa and get a good one.

But thanks for the quick calming replies. I needed that.

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The old white brick

10w-40 non-synthetic oil is not a wise choice. Too much VI-modifier chemistry that cooks into sludge, not enough oil. Since the oil pressure warning light isn't just flicking on at idle and going off above idle, a heavier weight of oil will not address the problem you have.
It was a brief description of how to partially flush an internally dirty engine, which will probably also not address the problem you have. Nevertheless, here's a more complete procedure, more carefully explained.
It's not really a ground wire. The sender wire gets grounded by the pressure sender to turn on the light. If the sender is dead or the wire is grounding out externally (i.e., bad insulation at some point) it'll create a path to ground, turning on the light.

The surest way to check the pressure sender is to unscrew it (requires an oil pressure switch socket, $6 at the parts store) and put a mechanical pressure gauge in its place for diagnostic purposes. The senders are inexpensive enough (buy good quality, though -- Echlin or Standard) that the easiest way is just to replace it.

If it turns out you do have low oil pressure (which I doubt—usually you don't go from acceptable to zero pressure all of a sudden, with no knocks or other indications) and not just a bad sender or grounded sender wire, then the first suspect becomes the oil pressure regulator valve, which is at the other end (front) of the oil pump behind the screwed-on plug. Remove, clean, inspect, reinstall.
Yeah? What's the title?

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

That's the title of the book.

But thanks for the information dan. ok, so i'll stick with the 10w30 I've been using and maybe spend the weekend flushing my engine in the manner you prescribed assuming i can go out and find all those happy chemicals.

As for the mechanical pressure gauge, can i get one at the parts store?

So lots of cleaning, inspecting and more cleaning this weekend.

Yay.

ps. in the flushing method you describe, you say to use a mix of 1/1/2/1, i'm assuming this is in quarts?

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The old white brick

You might find one, yeah, but it'll cost you more than a new replacement sender, and you'd scarcely ever use the gauge...I'd just throw a new sender in it!

Yep!

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

Man, but you're speedy. Ok. Thanks. I'll go looking for the chemicals later on if I can.

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The old white brick

Ok, so I was poking around today before the weekend comes and I need to get down to some actual car work while its still warm. I was looking for places to physically buy the chemicals that Dan lists in his Engine Cleaner Milkshake. Here's what I found.

Marvel Mystery Oil: Midway Auto Supply. Possibly Ace Hardware, which is good since they're near me. Edit: Ace was out of stock, but Advance Idjit Auto Parts carried it.

Kroil: Manufacturer

ATF: <smack>

Berryman B12 ChemTool: PepBoys/Advance/Walmart

I'll edit this once I find out.

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The old white brick

Kroil comes from the manufacturer.

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

I've seen Kroil at Graingers and at least one NAPA store.

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

The only place I have seen Kroil, other than mail order from firearms supply companies, is at a swap meet. There is a Disabled Vet from Jax FL that occasionally sets up at the auto swaps. Because of his situation, Kroil allows him to sell retail.
KROIL is good stuff!

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Slant Cecil

ok, well then i won't be doing that this weekend. I'll have to order some kroil in, grainger's is usually too expensive around here. Thanks for the info though.

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The old white brick

Went to check it today to clean it, and it didn't come out. The spring came out, but no valve. So....do i use a metal pick or some such to get out?

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The old white brick