Oil Light and Beep Issue
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Joined: Aug 2009
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Oil Light and Beep Issue
Okay,
Here is my problem. I own a 2001 4x4 Dodge Dakota 4-door (automatic) with a 3-18 V8 engine. Today the oil gauge read halfway in between L and H like it usually does and then dropped all the way down to L and made a ding sound giving me a "Check Gauges" light on my dash. It stays like that until I stop and then take off again, then it goes to normal and eventually goes to L again making the light come on with the annoying ding sound as well.
The dip stick says I am full on oil and the oil is pretty clean looking though it needs a change. The truck has well under 100,000 miles on it. The only other issue I have is a sensor is messed up or something because it idles up and down all the time, especially when I have the A/C on.
What could be wrong with my truck? If it helps, its used in a heavy duty environment as I work at a plant in a coal mining industry and drive it all over the surface, so it gets dirty quite a bit and what not.
Here is my problem. I own a 2001 4x4 Dodge Dakota 4-door (automatic) with a 3-18 V8 engine. Today the oil gauge read halfway in between L and H like it usually does and then dropped all the way down to L and made a ding sound giving me a "Check Gauges" light on my dash. It stays like that until I stop and then take off again, then it goes to normal and eventually goes to L again making the light come on with the annoying ding sound as well.
The dip stick says I am full on oil and the oil is pretty clean looking though it needs a change. The truck has well under 100,000 miles on it. The only other issue I have is a sensor is messed up or something because it idles up and down all the time, especially when I have the A/C on.
What could be wrong with my truck? If it helps, its used in a heavy duty environment as I work at a plant in a coal mining industry and drive it all over the surface, so it gets dirty quite a bit and what not.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 20
From: Clermont, Florida
It might be the oil pressure sending unit is bad. They are not too expensive and should not be hard to change it out. If you replace the sensor and change the oil and it still drops to low, I would say the oil pump pickup screen is clogged, which might be from the rough service the truck sees. Unfortunately, the pickup screen is not easy to change in a 4x4 Dakota. From what I understand, you have to drop the whole front axle out to be able to remove the oil pan and get to the oil pump pickup.
The idle up and down issue may be due to a faulty Idle Air Control motor. Those are not too difficult to replace, it is located on the back side of the throttle body. It could also be the Throttle Position Sensor, which is on the driver's side of the TB. Neither one are hard to change out, and both could be defective due to the dirty environment where you use the truck. If you have never done it, this would be a good time to remove the TB and clean it and the IAC pintle end. Cleaning the IAC pintle may restore the IAC to correct operation. Handle it carefully, all you need to do is gently clean the black crusty crud off it with a shop rag soaked in carb cleaner. Do not drop it or you will need a new one. Be sure to use a new TB gasket when you reinstall the TB.
Jimmy
The idle up and down issue may be due to a faulty Idle Air Control motor. Those are not too difficult to replace, it is located on the back side of the throttle body. It could also be the Throttle Position Sensor, which is on the driver's side of the TB. Neither one are hard to change out, and both could be defective due to the dirty environment where you use the truck. If you have never done it, this would be a good time to remove the TB and clean it and the IAC pintle end. Cleaning the IAC pintle may restore the IAC to correct operation. Handle it carefully, all you need to do is gently clean the black crusty crud off it with a shop rag soaked in carb cleaner. Do not drop it or you will need a new one. Be sure to use a new TB gasket when you reinstall the TB.
Jimmy
