Before I write my post I just wanted to say hi and that I welcome any and all responses, suggestions and any type of help anyone has to offer:

I just changed my sister-in-law's oil filter mounting bracket today. (The threads were stripped and the oil filter actually blew off.)
She has a 2000 Avenger 2.5L.

Anyhow, she was driving it home and noticed that the oil pressure was higher than "normal".

She turned the car around and brought it back. I checked the wires to the 2 sensors mounted on the bracket.
I took it for a drive and noticed that around 45mph the needle on her gauge stayed about 1/2 way.
When I got to 60-70 mph the gauge went towards the HIGH mark. There are actually 2 lines at the high end of the gauge. The needle was at the 1st line when going 65-70mph.
When the speed was lower, the needle would drop.

I thought it might be the sending unit but it's a dealer item and all the dealers are closed now.
Does anyone have any idea as to what might cause HIGH oil pressure???

The other question I have is, in her Haynes manual it shows that the sensor with the black push-on connector is the sending unit. I've talked with a few people and they all say that it's the brass bell-shaped sensor on the oil filter bracket, not the one I thought or saw in the manual.
The brass one has a white connector that slides on to the top od the bell-shaped part

Can someone please clarify which is which?

 

The harder to reach bell housing thing is the pressure sending unit. How much oil did you put into it, what weight, what type of filter, and did you check to make sure the new filter housing openings were the same size?

 

Thanks for the respones Silvercoupe.

I matched the new and old oil filter brackets side by side to make sure they were the same.
I put almost 5 quarts 10W 40 and the dip stick showed the level was between the 2 notches.
I told her to check the level when she got home and if it was low, to add the rest of the 5th quart. (which was never added).
The filter was a Fram filter,not sure of the number.

I made sure the gaasket was on correctly. One way the bolt holes lined up but the holes for the ports did not and the other way all the holes lined up so that was the way I installed it, without any ports being blocked.

Do you know what the other sensor is that is located on the housing, just curious???

Thanks,
John

 

Normally, it's just the two...oil pressure and the dummy light sensor, although an oil temp sensor could have been installed but that's usually an aftermarket item.
I've noticed a tiny increas in oil pressure when shorter filters were used but not enough to bring the pressure up past 1/2. The pressure drop at idle seems increasingly normal, although from the factory there's still pressure since it's new and with the motor being old, the pressure drop is normal.
If anything...I would buy an OEM filter housing. It sounds like an aftermarket housing, but I can't tell online. Sounds like the increase in pressure was created by the new housing at this point. It sounds like the pressure was normal before the filter blew off judging by your sister's reaction to the high indication on the gauge, so I'll go with a funky newer housing as the culprit.
The amount and weight of the oil can often give high indications too, but not what you put in. You can check for something blocking the ports too, some sort of debris.
I think I would definitely suspect the housing or debris since that's the area last worked on and with no prior off the wall indications, like the high pressure reading, that's where I would gyrate to. The oil pressure sending unit wasn't dinged or moved right?

 

Thanks again for the response.

I cannot answer your questions 100% about the sending unit not being moved. My neighbor was helping me and he removed the sending unit and the other senor and installed them on the new bracket while I made sure that the old gasket was removed and that everything was cleaned before installing the bracket.

The oil filter bracket was purchased from a Dodge dealer so I would assume that it is an OEM part. He gave me the Dodge part number for it before I bought it so that's what makes me think that it's an OEM part

I don't want you to think I don't appreciate your advice and don't do the housing part first, but I think that I'm going to replace the sending unit before I tear the oil filter bracket off.

Like I said I didn't do that part of this job so I honestly don't know how it was done.
If replacing the sending unit doesn't do it then I'll tear the oil filter bracket off and start over from step #1.

I probably won't be able to get to it until Monday. Autozone said that the sending unit is a dealer item so until a parts department is open on Sunday.......

Thanks again for all you help and I'll post again after I get the sending unit changed.

Thanks,
John

 

I gotcha. I would do the same thing. That's what I was actually trying to get at and that's why I asked if the sensors were moved. I do remember that they are located on the oil filter housing now and realize that they do have to be removed and then reinstalled onto the new housing, so, good on you for catching that. Those oil pressure sending units are pretty sensitive too. I'm not really sure why they put the sensor there instead of a remote location, but oh well.
By no means am I saying to do it my way either I'm just throwing some ideas at you in hoping that you may remember something that was done along the way. Three minds are better than one right

If you want to order it online, here's a good place for OEM replacements http://webepc.wrencheadpro.com/cgi-b...pc10.cmm+eauto

 

Ok, well, I can't link you directly for some reason. What I did was choose your year and model and motor, type into the search box for "oil pressure unit", and then pick "switchil pressure w/light" and it's the second two for $44.85+shipping. I've ordered from there before and they were the same exact units that replaced my old sensors. Just throwing that out there for you
Part number C1833 made by ACDELCO US

 

Thanks for the picture!!!!
That's exactly the part I was talking about.
Also, I went to the link you have posted and the last 2 items from Standard Motor Products is the other item that I was talking about. I tried to post a picture of it but I'm not sure if it worked

[IMG][/IMG]

That is what I thought was the sending unit. At least that is what is shown in the Haynes manual

I guessing that there are 2 of them????

I just talked with my nephew and he's going to try and get one tomorrow so I guess I'll be installing it tomorrow night.
Like I said, I'll keep ya posted on what happens.

Thanks again!!!!!!

John

[IMG]local://upfiles/41932/87944DCB79EE45BBB6DC6E6A434C4E3D.jpg[/IMG]

 

Yeah this is the oil pressure switch. This is electrically attached to the oil light on the instrument panel and if that light comes on it's basically too late, lol.


There are two sensors put there at the factory, the oil pressure switch (shown in this post) and the oil pressure sending unit (pic in my last post). Do you have more than two sensors there John?
The oil pressure sending unit is the one that moves the needle on the oil pressure gauge. Those you have to be careful with, don't drop, bang, or kick it (well, you can kick it after you've replaced it and made sure that the new one fixes it, lol).

 

Hey John,

My sister-in-law is getting a new gasket tomorrow so I plan on removing the oil filter housing and looking at the sending units and everything else.
My questions is, last time I put the gasket on I used some high temp RTV on the gasket. Should I be doing this?
Also, this is what was used on the threads of the sending units when they were installed on the new housing. I want to see if any might have gotten on the end of the sending unit when it was installed causing this problem.

I should have an update sometime tomorrow night.


Thanks,
John