98 taurus oil light blinking

[samurch]

I just bought a 98 taurus 3.0 L. When I got it home I noticed the oil light flash quickly when in gear at a stop but got off idling in park or neutral. Now it is staying on in gear and flashing when in neutral or park. I checked the oil and it is full, can anyone help? Maybe the dealer (used car) put the wrong oil in, would that make a difference?

[shorod]

When the light was flashing, did it seem periodic or random? Are you sure it was the oil light?

If it was the oil light, that light is typically triggered by oil pressure. If too thick of an oil was used, I suppose it could trigger the light, but I would expect it to trigger the light, not cause it to flash. I'm not sure what would cause it to flash, unless the oil pump is missing some teeth or the intermediate shaft is stripped out, something that would cause it to pulse the oil.

-Rod

[hughw]

Originally Posted by samurch

I just bought a 98 taurus 3.0 L. When I got it home I noticed the oil light flash quickly when in gear at a stop but got off idling in park or neutral. Now it is staying on in gear and flashing when in neutral or park. I checked the oil and it is full, can anyone help? Maybe the dealer (used car) put the wrong oil in, would that make a difference?

You could have a bad oil pressure sensor...thats the best hope....Other possibility is a stopped up oil pump screen..thats bad..lets hope for a bad sensor....

[denisb]

Originally Posted by samurch

I just bought a 98 taurus 3.0 L. When I got it home I noticed the oil light flash quickly when in gear at a stop but got off idling in park or neutral. Now it is staying on in gear and flashing when in neutral or park. I checked the oil and it is full, can anyone help? Maybe the dealer (used car) put the wrong oil in, would that make a difference?

My brother in law had a 96 Taurus that started doing this right before the oil pump broke. He replaced the pump and then replaced the motor about 3 months after I would suggest checking your pressure sensor conections. You definately want to see if it's a bad read or low pressure. Low oil presure is never good.

Denis

[samurch]

Originally Posted by shorod

When the light was flashing, did it seem periodic or random? Are you sure it was the oil light?

If it was the oil light, that light is typically triggered by oil pressure. If too thick of an oil was used, I suppose it could trigger the light, but I would expect it to trigger the light, not cause it to flash. I'm not sure what would cause it to flash, unless the oil pump is missing some teeth or the intermediate shaft is stripped out, something that would cause it to pulse the oil.

-Rod

It is definately random, and only after driving for 20 minutes or more, sometimes it stays solid when idling in gear, and flickers in neutral, other times just flickers idling in gear off in neutral. The flickering seems almost like a bad ground but I know that is not it just the same type of flicker.

[samurch]

Originally Posted by hughw

You could have a bad oil pressure sensor...thats the best hope....Other possibility is a stopped up oil pump screen..thats bad..lets hope for a bad sensor....

Are these things that can be tested or do you just replace the suspect parts?

[samurch]

Originally Posted by denisb

My brother in law had a 96 Taurus that started doing this right before the oil pump broke. He replaced the pump and then replaced the motor about 3 months after I would suggest checking your pressure sensor conections. You definately want to see if it's a bad read or low pressure. Low oil presure is never good.

Denis

Where is the sensor located?
Did it only happen at idle? It doesn't happen over 800 or 900 rpm.

[denisb]

Not sure where the pressure switch is. If your problem doesn't happen over 900 RPM, it might very well be your pump going south. At higher RPMs your pump will pump higher pressure and it might just be enough to make the difference between the pressure being to low to being ok.

[Millermagic]

I've heard of that happening if the engine goes too slow. Engine goes too slow and the pump doesn't pump enough. I mean like 300 rpm.

[hughw]

Originally Posted by samurch

Where is the sensor located?
Did it only happen at idle? It doesn't happen over 800 or 900 rpm.

I havent looked for the sensor but the haynes manuel says it is located
at the rear of the engine block just ahead of the transmission......I'm no
expert but it seems that if it doesn't flicker at higher rpms that the sensor is probably not the problem.....previous experiance of this that
I have had .....bad oil pump or cracked pump tube....Higher rpms will
give enough oil pressure to give a good reading to sensor....but at lower
rpms the lack of pumping action or cracked tube produces the sensor reading.

[samurch]

Thanks for all of your replies, is an oil pump replacement a big job? If it only happens at idle is it worth worrying about?

[denisb]

Originally Posted by samurch

Thanks for all of your replies, is an oil pump replacement a big job? If it only happens at idle is it worth worrying about?

Definately worth checking into and worrying about. If it's low enough to be dropping the oil pressure at idle the pressure is probably not at it's operating pressure. The light is also a dummy light and from my experiences lights usually come on at the very last minute. You can buy an after market oil presure gauge and sending unit for about $30. I would buy one and install it to get a good read.

One question. At idle, are you getting lifter clicking? If you are not getting clicking at idle, you're probably getting enough oil presure that you didn't hurt anything yet, but still get this checked and refrain from driving it till you know the problem.

Denis

[hughw]

Originally Posted by samurch

Thanks for all of your replies, is an oil pump replacement a big job? If it only happens at idle is it worth worrying about?

If I'm getting an oil light I would take action....I think the first thing I would do is go ahead and replace the sensor first and see if that may be the problem..although others would say thats throwing parts at it.

Changing pump is going to require dropping thre oil pan and according to the haynes manuel (you'll need this)...it can be removed by removing the starter motor.....I'm surprised, I would have expected to be required to pull the engine......If you do this remember the oil tube & screen
The screen could be stopped up with sludge or whatever or the pickup tube could be cracked......but since you are in there anyway I would go ahead and replace the pump regardless.

[anthony m]

hello i have done a few of these and it is usually the pick-up screen is clogged i always replace the oil pump while i have the pan down also as lond as you didnt drive it till it started to knock you should be ok just drop the pan and you'll see a lump of sludge on the screen ...a poor design on this oil pan lucky its not a 2.7 chrysler motor good luck

[samurch]

Originally Posted by anthony m

hello i have done a few of these and it is usually the pick-up screen is clogged i always replace the oil pump while i have the pan down also as lond as you didnt drive it till it started to knock you should be ok just drop the pan and you'll see a lump of sludge on the screen ...a poor design on this oil pan lucky its not a 2.7 chrysler motor good luck

This doesn't happen until I have brrn driving for 20 minutes or so and even when the car is warm but sits for 20 minutes it won't start again for a few minutes. Does this change your prognosis at all? I got a Haynes manual and it says I have to drop the Y pipe to remove the pan is that your experience as well? How big a job is this and what parts do I need besides the pump and pan gasket?