I have been working on trying to resolve this issue for over a week now and with no luck and only more confusion. I have a 1998 Dodge Durango 4x4 5.2l V8 mag.

On a return trip home from Texas to OKC, everything was running normal. Suddenly, the check gauges light came on and my opg had bottomed out to zero. It kept coming and going and so I pulled over. One suggested that maybe I had sludge biuld up and to add a bit of ATF to it. I did so and made it about 20 miles before it did it again.

The next day, I had the oil and oil filter changed and put in a new sending unit. On the continued trip, it bottomed out again and eventually died before I could make it home. However, it was more like the battery just went dead. The lifters had started ticking as well, but no knocking or any other noises. I went ahead and had it towed the rest of the way.

So far, I have replaced the PCV and it's hose, the sending unit, oil and oil filter change, new battery, and just yesterday added a can of Seafoam...and this solved the ticking noise.

Thinking something may still be wrong with the dash opg, I tried hooking up a mechanical gauge to get a more accurate reading. Just my luck, I had gotten a bad one (had someone else check it out too just in case I was wrong.) Instead of putting the sending unit back on (again) I went ahead and left the mechanical gauge on it and drove it up to the parts store. They didn't have one, so I had to drive to the next closest...again, just my luck, whoever had the key to the cage was gone and they couldn't get into it to get me another one.

Instead of driving around with a mechanical gauge that didn't work, I decided to go ahead and put the sending unit back on in their parking lot. Mind you, I had this car running most of the day and made all those trips and not one noise. Low and behold, as soon as I put that damn sending unit back on, I didn't make it but 2 miles away and the lifters starting ticking again and the problems started all over again. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what it could be?? At first I thought it could be the pump or the a dirty screen. I'm not so sure anymore. Why would everything run fine all day long until I put the sending unit back on? It makes no sense to me.

 

Did you replace the oil pump and clean the screen? Pull the oil pan and replace that is what I would do

 

I haven't done that yet. In all honesty, I was trying to avoid having to do that because with it being such a pain in the **** to even get to the oil pan to drop it, I was trying other things first. Even at that though, why would things be running fine, no lifter noise or any other noises, while the mechanical gauge is hooked up and then everything go to crap when I put the sending unit back on? That doesn't make any sense to me...unless the sending units the wrong length and going too far down when I screw it in.

 

it is every well possible that you got the wrong sending unit. depending on where you got it, could have been someone threw the wrong part back into the bin containing the right parts. It also could be listed wrong in there computers.. There are a few parts on mine that when i went to Autozone for replacements the right ones where not found till they searched under "98 Ram 1500"

I do know that the OEM oil pressure gauge/ sending unit has been a headache for a few of us here and i think i would go as far to call it a common problem. With you having the noises i think my first line of defense would be to get a good working mechanical gauge on it and see what your true pressure is then go from there...

 

i would suggest installing the mechanical gauge with a T fitting so that you can have both gauges installed at the same time and compare readings

 

I agree with the others about the pressure gauge. Are you using OEM parts? I'm not trying to scare you about what i have seen, but it is good information. If the pressure gauge goes to zero and the lifters start making some noise, the problem could be an oil pump as some of the others members have said. But you could also have a cam bearing coving the oil pressure hole and cutting off oil pressure to the lifters. And then rotates to allow oil pressure. Again this is only information and may not be the problem you are having.

 

Well, I took the mechanical gauge back and got another one. And guess what...it's still reading zero psi. However, the lifters are no longer ticking and changed the oil again yesterday. The gauge I bought was just a cheap one from AutoZone. That's where the sending unit came from as well and I swapped that one out for another one yesterday as well.

I bled the oil line going to the gauge, and oil ran into it, but it won't budge. The guys at Valvoline said it was getting pressure, because if it wasn't, it wouldn't be pushing the oil up the dip stick like it was. Well, if it's got pressure, why isn't the mechanical gauge working? If it's issue with the cluster/electrical gauge, Dodge no longer makes them and has discontinued them. So, I would either have to have this one removed and rebuilt, or go to a pull-a-part and dig for one I hope is working.

 

Okay the mechanical gauge is reading zero at all times even at 2000 rpm? Or does that show any oil pressure?