Dodge - Ram :: Oil Pressure Fluctuating - Slowly Dropping To The 1/4 Area Of Meter?
Feb 11, 2014
1995 RAM 2500 5.9L 2x4...
I think the wire to my oil pressure gauge might be shorting or loose, since the needle sometimes swings from 0 to the middle unexpectedly for no apparent reason. However, during my recent 350 mile trip back from FL to North GA, I noticed that while "stable", the pressure seemed to be ever so slowly dropping to the 1/4 area of the meter. I checked the oil level at every stop and it was never more than 1/2 quart from full. It did seem somewhat "black" given that I changed it and filter about 1,200 miles ago. Also, it seemed the oil was somewhat "channeling" on the dipstick... hard to explain, but it wasn't 100% coating the dipstick like I'd normally expect and seemed like wouldn't "stick" to it. Anyway, there wasn't any foaminess that would seem to indicate water in it... and I've never used any oil additives.
What can cause reduction in oil pressure? After sitting, it seems normal for a while after start-up but then tends to drop. It is possible there is some kind of "sludge" clogging something? The tranny repair guy told me that some oils contain unacceptable amounts of paraffin (a WAX)... told me to never use Quaker State and that he recommended Valvoline. He was "amused" when I told him I use the Walmart brand... Tech or something in the blue bottle. Of course, I'll change the oil THIS week... is that likely to resolve any problems? What else can cause loss of oil pressure? From what I can tell the engine seals are OK since there are never any "puddles" underneath.
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My oil pressure had been dropping to 0 for a while. After searching the internet, I replaced the oil sending unit. This seemed to fix the issue for a while - until I was going up some hills, and the engine began revving really high, and the oil pressure once again dropped to 0. I then heard some noise from the engine, so I pulled over and turned it off. I had it towed to a garage, and told the tow driver to NOT start the car, because I thought the oil pump was out, and so no oil was getting to the engine.
I then called the garage, and told them it was coming in, and NOT to start it, because the engine was not getting oil, and I thought oil pump might be bad. They called me back an hour later to tell me they had added some oil and started it, and the engine was gone.
First question, is would a good garage have tried starting the car with the information they had? My expectation was that they would have tried to check things out without starting it.
Second, should I try to replace the oil pump and see if the car starts?
Make: dodge
Model: durango
Model Year: 2000
Odometer Mileage: 205,000
Amount of oil consumed between oil changes: 1 qt
Frequency of oil changes, in terms of both odometer mileage and elapsed time: 6months, 5000 miles
Oil level was checked once every one to two weeks.
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I noticed last night on my way home from work that my headlights were flickering. I looked and also noticed my amp meter was also fluxuating. The car seemed to be running fine asside from the lights kept flickering. It did not make a difference what RPMs I was running, or even if the car was moving. My 2000 Bonneville has the original alternator and 181k on her...
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I have a 2000 chevy s10, it has a brand new battery and alternator. When the battery is charged the battery meter will keep dropping until the dash is completely off when I am driving, then i wont be able to start it unless i get a jump or charge the battery. why is the battery draining so quickly?
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I have 60k on a 2010 Prius III. my mileage is slowing dropping, i am thinking about installing new plugs.?
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I have a 2002 Grand Caravan, when foot is on brake, speedometer jumps all over, engine bucks so bad I have to put it in neutral or park at every red light. When I go forward, it jumps a little, and sometimes will not shift, engine revs up so bad, I have to pull over, shut engine off, turn it on and then it shifts. Speed sensors were supposedly replaced with the plug for them. It is at a dealership, they checked all the sensors, electrical wires, etc, and not it doesn't shift at all!! It is still there, now I have no van to drive. They claim they did nothing to it, it was shifting 90% of the time. It will not shift at all, even when I shut it off and re-start it. Now they claim it may need a new used tranny.
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This Dakota has the 3.9 with about 240.000 miles. New battery and Alternator within the last 18 months.
The other day after driving about 12 miles the chime "Check Gauges" come on and I noted that the voltage gauge on the dash was buried at Max.Pulled over shut off the truck and popped the hood. No visible problems. Got back in, started the engine and the gauge went back to it's normal position. I had expected to see smoke from the alternator or the battery blown to pieces from the overload. I also noted that there was no excess heat at the alternator or battery.
I picked up my DVM from the shop to carry along and have driven at least 5 trips over 15 miles since. Today the same problem occurred, but by the time I pulled into a close-by parking lot the meter went back to normal. I checked the voltage at the battery and had 13.25 volts with the engine off and 14.40 volts with the engine running. I drove another 40 miles with no problems.
Tomorrow I plan to run a lead from the battery into the cabin, so I can monitor the voltage quicker if the problem reappears.
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2011 Focus 2.0L L4 engine, manual transmission, 70K miles - when up-shifting gears, the throttle remains high, dropping v-e-r-y slowly instead of dropping rapidly when the throttle is released. It is the same when not moving, when the throttle is run up to steady RPM's, then the pedal is released, the RPM's drop slowly. This has started recently, at first I thought it was just 'operator error', and that our shifting skills were deteriorating with age (ours, not the car), but testing has proven the fault lies with the vehicle. I researched sticking throttle issues, and thought I had located the problem as a bad throttle body assembly. Changed it out with a new one, went thru the computer reset procedure,and the problem still exists. No error codes are showing, but the little yellow wrench light is lit on the dash (resets each startup. Vehicle drives fine otherwise, no loss of power, etc.
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I have a 1998 Jeep Cherokee L6 4.0 Liter automatic with 223,000 miles.
The oil pressure usually runs around 1/8-1/4 when driving around town and now I am getting temperature spikes. I had the coolant and water pump replaced last fall when I was having similar idling issues then. My coolant isn't a perfect green color--it is a little bit grey, but it is full. I cleaned the entire throttle body last January, cleaned the IAC today, and redid the NSS this week (not that this probably matters, just being thorough in my explanation).
It seems to happen worst on hot days (of course) when idling in traffic for a few minutes and makes the air conditioned air run warmer than it should.
Is this a busted radiator? The mechanic said I did not have a leak when I had him check last week.
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My truck started running a little rough so I replaced plugs, wires (looks like a rat may have nibbled them in places), cap and rotor. The truck idles smoother now but there had been kind of a lurching, almost as though it was bogging down then recovering prior to replacing the parts I have done. Now the issue seems worse, if anything. It seems to be either progressive. If I try to drive the truck like this, it's OK once it's going, though it still sort of hesitates periodically. Getting it going, however, is an exercise in frustration.
It's got virtually no power at all and isn't until it surges forward (recovering?) that it goes at all. I realize this may not be the best description but it's about all I can describe it as. The other oddity is it seems intermittent. Sometimes it'll run flawlessly after warming up, others it doesn't. Today, it ran perfectly for 30 to 40 seconds after first starting it to move between parking spots then it began while driving it. I'm concerned about driving as I don't want to cause damage to the engine and also, it's annoying a heck!
The truck's a 1989 Dodge D100 (not D150 as below; why no D100 option?) with the 318, AT and RWD only with about 225,000 miles on it. Historically, it runs without any issues whatsoever, starts instantly every time I ask it to (even now) and overall is great mechanically. (Ugly as heck but its' a truck!) The only issue I've had with it is recently, the coolant overflow hose came off right by the cap and, apparently, I lost enough coolant to overheat. I noticed the temp gauge registering hot and as I pulled over I got quite a cloud of steam.
It must have heated enough to hit the flash point, I guess. This happened on the freeway but I stopped IMMEDIATELY and it was fine once I put the hose back on and got coolant in it. The engine didn't stall or act up, make noises, etc. That was a month or so ago now. Aside from that and needing the brakes done recently (can't imagine that could be related but who knows) the truck hasn't showed any issues at all. Someone mentioned this could be the Idle Air Control motor but my reading suggests that'd only affect me at idle. Am I mistaken or is there something else I should be looking at?
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I have a 1986 Chevrolet El Camino with a small V-8 engine. The vehicle has 150,000 miles on it. It starts and runs fine. It does not use oil. My problem is the oil pressure. After the car runs for a short time, the oil pressure starts dropping. It will drop all the way to 0 if I let it. I have had the sending unit replaced and it did not work.
I have had two mechanics look at it and they have not been able to solve the problem. One checked it with a mechanical gauge and confirmed the low pressure. He suggested a higher weight oil and an additive. The other mechanic's solution was to raise the idle speed. I have had this vehicle since it was new and always kept the oil changed and all other maintenance done. I would like to keep the vehicle and complete any repairs necessary.
My question: Is the engine repairable economically or does the engine need to be replaced and what is causing this problem.
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Just recently got a sweet deal on an 01 Lariat with a very low mileage 5.4L. I almost didn't purchase it because the oil pressure gauge will not read when you start the engine. Sometimes it will sometimes not.
When it does read, it is just past half which is the normal reading. When it doesn't read, it shows zero and the light is on. The engine runs fine either way, and the previous owner said it has been that way for years. The engine has been well cared for, and has been running Mobile 1 full synthetic for most of the 80k miles. The oil was not overly dirty at purchase, so I figured it to be a loose connection. I suffer from the cold solder joints that these trucks are plaqued with, as evident by the intermittent odometer reading. Do you think the oil gauge issue is the same thing? A cold solder joint? Or should i just start with a new sender?
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Ok here is the back story over the last couple months with this late build 04 6.0 with 230,xxx miles. I had problems with it losing oil pressure at idle, which lead me to replace the hpop. After that repair the truck still wouldn't run right so i had it taken to my local shop for some diagnostics. They fixed a few electrical issues and got it running, also telling my I had 2 injectors on the way out. Due to expenses I replaced only the 2 injectors in my driveway. A few days later the ipr screen got plugged and failed. Replaced that, and changed the oil, and it ran for a week.
Now for this weeks problems. Yesterday the truck lost all power and stalled out on my wife. She pulled the codes while I was at work and this is what was listed
P0404-60===
Code: P0404 - EGR valve position control performance or range fault
P0405-60===
Code: P0405 - EGR Sensor A Circuit Low
P1335-60===
Code: P1335 - EGR Position Sensor Minimum Stop Performance
P2290-60===
Code: P2290 - ICP Too Low
Using forscan she forced the IPR 80% open and the truck would start but as soon as you try to accelerate it stalls out. Today i got the truck to start the same way. While idling the IPR was at 44% and I had about 870 psi at the icp. As soon as i would throttle up the icp would drop to around 400.
The hpop i put in a couple months ago is covered under a 1 year warranty and that's what I am leaning towards because of the plugged ipr last week. I waned to see what the great minds hear thought as well.
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Been having a problem with fuel pressure dropping under acceleration intermittently. Normally runs around 65psi, sometimes at idle or normal driving is only 55-60psi lately. Most of the time it has done this it dropped to 50 and I let of the pedal and it will slowly go back to around 55. Then I just baby it and it will slowly creep back up to 60 or maybe 65. A couple times it has gone below 50 after letting of the pedal and wouldn't go back up, so I actually pulled over and shut the engine off and cycled the key to get it back up. Once this happened while towing up a hill, I could only get to around 35mph really had to baby it and at the top I pulled over and cycled the key and it came right back up. At the time I attributed it to the steep hill, 11k trailer, and the tank only being about 1/4 full.
Since I put the fuel gauge on way before any of this started happening, it has always fluctuated 2-3psi at idle. I always thought it was kind of odd, maybe pointing to combustion gasses entering the injector through a bad seal or something weird like that, but a couple of people have told me that fluctuation is normal.
I'm thinking there's either a restriction in the fuel pickup or the pump is going bad. This problem happens even when the tank is full, but seems worse on a low tank. I change my fuel filters every 10k mi, I'm at about 9k right now so I guess it could be dirty filters? Got lots of towing over the passes coming up as fishing season is just starting and I'm sure we'll be spending as many weekends we can at the beach camping.
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Started the morning with oil pressure gauge dropping to 0, gave it a few minutes checked oil, it was fine. Restarted truck, pressure went back to normal. Drove about another 30 miles pressure gauge would drop but would rise when hit accelerator. I was driving about 60mph, gauge went back to 0, check engine light came on and within a matter of seconds, a whining noise started, pulled over before i could completely stop, it died, and now won't crank.
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I have a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 V6 that has been squeaking for a long time now, slowly getting louder and more obnoxious. The belt and belt tensioner were bad so I replaced them, but the squeak was still there. Then I replaced the tensioner pulley, followed by the alternator, but it still squeaks. If the belt is removed and the engine run, there is no squeak. Its very hard to localize where it is coming from - as best I could tell it was coming from the tensioner or the alternator (they are next to each other), but with both of them replaced and nothing else nearby I am at a loss. Looking through some other discussion boards seems like another common problem is the fan clutch. Mine actually went bad 4-5 years ago so I replaced it back then, but this squeak is different than what it was doing back then, so I'm hesitant to replace that again.
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I just completed a front brake job on a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, installing new rotors and pads. Right front rotor and pad installation went perfectly. Left front - I heard a faint "hiss" as I compressed the caliper piston using a c clamp. In addition, as I placed the new inner pad against the caliper/piston, I noticed that the piston had become slightly "uncompressed," meaning it moved back out a little bit on its own. I compressed it again with a c clamp and had to rush to get the caliper back in place with the new pads in place before the piston SLOWLY worked itself back out and I wouldn't be able to fit the caliper around the new rotors and pads. I completed the brake job, pumped the brakes, and took it for a ride - all seems fine. The pedal is not spongy and it does not travel all the way to the floor.
Do I have anything to worry about? This is my 6th brake job in total. This is my first brake job on this vehicle. The slight hiss and the fact that the caliper piston did not stay seated after I compressed it bothers me.
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Our 1997 Grand Caravan with 170K loses more air conditioning every year. So, I assume I have a slow leak. Is recharging something I can do myself with the new type cans offered by auto parts stores? Also, I think the radiator fan no longer comes on, I never hear it and the engine temp will go up when driving slowly around town.
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Grill blocked today for the first time and have a couple questions.
Temps have been dropping more these last 3-4 days and have noticed my MPG dropping as well so I thought I'd try grill blocking.
Tempts have been and will be high 30s-low 40s in the morning and upper 50s to mid 60s for the high.
At first I just wedged the pipe insulation and drove one trip. I didn't feel comfortable that it would hold for the long haul so I added zip ties.
I used two pieces of pipe insulation 1/2 inch copper / 3/8 inch iron. Up close it looks like 2/3 or 3/4 of the grill is covered.
My two questions:
For fWT, at what temperature should it not exceed?
At what outside temperature should I remove the pipe insulation? In the Phoenix area, temperatures rise in March and sometimes we will have a short period of warmer than normal temps in February. I just want to make sure I do not cause overheating.
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I had to replace injector cups due to diesel in the coolant. Then I had to replace the degas bottle because it was swollen and looked like the michelen man. Then I had to replace the radiator cap (again) because I suspect that the diesel in the coolant had dissolved the seal in the radiator cap and it wouldn't hold pressure. Now I've got a bunch of new parts in there.
I parked yesterday, popped the hood -- and heard the radiator cap slowly blowing off pressure. It was the type of sound that you hear when a tire has a slow leak. I tightened the cap and the sound didn't stop. I REALLLY tightened the cap to the point where I felt as if any more tightening would cause the threads on the degas bottle to strip, and the noise lessened.
Unless I'm mistaken, a radiator cap is supposed to hold pressure to 16psi and then release all at one time, not slowly bleed off pressure with a hissing noise.
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I have a problem about which the mechanics I have asked are baffled: In cool, cloudy or sunny weather, my brakes and break-pedal pressure are fine (the mechanics have said I have good fluid, brakes, etc.--they can find nothing wrong--and, of course, it never has a problem when they test-drive my car). However, when the weather warms up and it's a bright, sunny day, my brake pedal loses pressure and slowly sinks to the floor--a dangerous thing at intersections. There's slight pressure if I pump the pedal constantly while at a light; but, without pumping, the pedal immediately sinks to the floor.
This is a real problem, because this problem always occurs right when mechanics are not near or not open for business--and none I've talked to have ever heard of such a problem. The bright, hot sun's affect seems to be key, because if it's 80 degrees outside and cloudy, I don't have the issue--but, then again, I don't usually run the air conditioner if it's cloudy. As such, I'm not positive; but, this may be tied to when I turn on the air conditioner--as though the two share the same vacuum system.
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