I am getting the oil pressure warning light coming on, just recently, along with the chime. It will come on for a short while and then go off again, however this is not happening every time i drive the vehicle. It is a Chrysler T & C AWD 2000 3.8l v6. Some years ago my wife drove the vehicle over a big rock, and it did put a dent in the oil pan but this did not seem to affect anything. We live in the mountains over 6000ft and it's pretty cold at present so if anything the oil should be pretty viscous. The dipstick shows that the oil level is at the max and there are no oil leaks other that minor drips that you could expect from a vehicle with 120k on it. It did have a head gasket job done a few months ago, and thew rear exhaust manifold was replaced as it had cracked. The engine runs well, so i'm wondering if i might have a sensor problem, or an oil pump problem as the engine is not noisy which i would expect if pressure was low. I'm assuming I should test oil pressure. Whats the best way to do this?
If I need to replace the oil pump the manual seems to indicate that the timing cover needs to com off as well as the oil pan. Is it not possible to do the oil pump with just the oil pan off?
Appreciate any wise words from someone who has done this job.
thanks

Install a mechanical (not electric) oil pressure gauge. The fitting can screw into the engine block in place of the original sender. The gauge can be installed under the dash.
The drive the car and see how the oil pressure responds. If the engine or pump is worn, you will find pressure is highest on cold start-up but will decrease as the engine warms up. Also, when warm, pressure will decrease as the engine revs get lower.
Some decrease when warm or at low revs is acceptable. However, imo hot idle pressure should never sink below 15-20 psi.

Finally, the oil pump pick-up is usually a fraction of an inch above the bottom of the pan. Depending on where the pan dent is, the pick up tube may be partly blocked, bent, or cracked. A crack mean the pump is sucking air as well as oil, causing a pressure loss.

Thanks for the good advice. Where is the pressure sender located? It does not mention this in the Chilton manual i have.

I had a good look around and it is sandwiched between the oil filter and the coolant hose.
Thanks