oil pressure light intermittent

[jkempf]

2002 Disco II with about 130k, Vermont, US

I know this has been discussed before. I just recovered from an overheat due to a radiator hose blow about 10 miles from home. Limped it home pouring fluid in the whole way. It didn't geyser or anything but it did get up to the top of the temp range a couple times between fills of water on the roadside. At the same time water/coolant blew everywhere so lots of electrical stuff got wet. I also had a power steering pump that was going.

Fast forward a few weeks, just got the PS pump fixed and the radiator hoses all set, dropped all the fluids and flushed and filled everything. I put in 10-30 dino juice, not synth. Now I have a slight oil pressure light on start up. Goes away as soon as you put any revs to it.

Just put better oil in on next change? Or worry myself to death? Drop pan soon and degunk? Oil pump? It's been cold here at night and in the 40s by day. Good sugaring weather.

Not my rig, it is the wife's. I inherited working on it when I inherited her. I only do German. But I used to have Series Rovers back when my hair still had color.

 

[BenDronsick]

I would pull the pan and check the pickup, up to you if you want to check some bearings down there; some won't. If pickup is clean I'd try 50 wt. oil. If that doesn't work I'd add 1-qt. Lucas. At 130K Lucas can only help.

If that doesn't work, next try is pull the front cover and take the oil pump apart to inspect the gears. If gears are not cracked and there is no excessive scoring on the backplate (behind the gears) I'd put it back together and just run it till it stops. You don't mention any top end noise so it's getting oil.

I've got almost 4K on my '04 with oil light on about 1/2 the time. Runs perfectly well as long as I don't tow anything or run it hard. A good deal of spec. oil pressure is for capacity to remove excessive heat under load or in hot weather. If your wife is driving to the mall and back in Canada you'll never need all that extra capacity. This is assuming the top end is being lubricated; which you would hear if it were not.

These absolutely cannot be driven hot. Live and learn. Lastly, if you absolutely must have spec. oil pressure I would not rebuild that block: I would get a replacement.

 

[jkempf]

I would pull the pan and check the pickup, up to you if you want to check some bearings down there; some won't. If pickup is clean I'd try 50 wt. oil. If that doesn't work I'd add 1-qt. Lucas. At 130K Lucas can only help.

If that doesn't work, next try is pull the front cover and take the oil pump apart to inspect the gears. If gears are not cracked and there is no excessive scoring on the backplate (behind the gears) I'd put it back together and just run it till it stops. You don't mention any top end noise so it's getting oil.

I've got almost 4K on my '04 with oil light on about 1/2 the time. Runs perfectly well as long as I don't tow anything or run it hard. A good deal of spec. oil pressure is for capacity to remove excessive heat under load or in hot weather. If your wife is driving to the mall and back in Canada you'll never need all that extra capacity. This is assuming the top end is being lubricated; which you would hear if it were not.

These absolutely cannot be driven hot. Live and learn. Lastly, if you absolutely must have spec. oil pressure I would not rebuild that block: I would get a replacement.

Thanks Ben,

No top end noise, no noise at all, the engine is smooth as silk and after the event is holding all fluids better than ever. Not a single drip and with my history with British vehicles I probably shouldn't say that stuff out loud.

I forgot to ask if 50 weight was OK for at least summer running. Vermont sees a lot of below zero weather so there is no way to run it in the winter. What is the "Lucas" you refer to? Is that like a Rislone engine cleaner? Or is it a viscosity enhancer of some sort?

The truck doesn't ever do any hard duty and is in excellent all around shape for the mileage. The wife is from NYC so the truck has never really done anything but back and forth at highway sppeds and some around town driving here in the mountains. Never towed anything with it and never beat it hard in the trails.

Jay K.

VT USA

 

[BenDronsick]

Lucas Oil Stabilizer. I get it at Walmart. But if you park it outside at night Vermont would be too cold for 50-weight oil in the winter (even spring if it's cold). Try 40 and a quart of Lucas.

Same thing happened to mine. One overheat and the oil light started. I replaced the front cover and checked the pickup. Nothing worked. So I run thicker oil with Lucas and that keeps the light out about 1/2 the time.

But it still runs perfectly. If it ain't broke...

 

[jkempf]

Lucas Oil Stabilizer. I get it at Walmart. But if you park it outside at night Vermont would be too cold for 50-weight oil in the winter (even spring if it's cold). Try 40 and a quart of Lucas.

Same thing happened to mine. One overheat and the oil light started. I replaced the front cover and checked the pickup. Nothing worked. So I run thicker oil with Lucas and that keeps the light out about 1/2 the time.

But it still runs perfectly. If it ain't broke...

Any chance it is gook in the nose of the sensor? Is there a mechanical test... ie, a gauge that fits somewhere?

Drove the truck a bunch today. Light goes right out when running. Sometimes it comes back when idling. Sometimes not. Most times it goes out while it is warming up. Running is smooth and cool and stable right now. I think I will just run it for a short oil change interval like 2k miles and dump and refill this oil and get some 10 40 and put in some stabilizer and try again. Time will tell how consistent the issue is or whether it is decaying into a real problem.


Thanks for the history and confirmation. I'll report back any breakthroughs later.

 

[jkempf]

Less than a month on the fluid changes and new parts. The truck is working perfectly and the intermittent oil light fault is gone. Must have been some dislodged crud affecting the sender due to the overheat.

Thanks,

jfk

2002 D2 130k Vermont USA

 

[agbuckle98]

what new parts? did you put in a new pressure switch?