Hey i have a 98 dodge dakota with the v6, my oil pressure is abnormally high and i was wondering on how to go about diagnosing my problem, i think its the oil pump but am not sure, any ideas and sugestions would be help full, thanks guys

 

Define "abnormally high." Are you using the gauge on the dash? Put a mechanical gauge on it to verify.

 

I was going of the gauge on the dash, instead of running around 40 it was up around 70 or 80 but I will try and get ahold of a mechanical gauge tonight

 

ONLY use a small steel break tube. trust me

 

ok so the pressure is really running high i ran it though a mechanical gauge like you said to do, so what would be the next step?

 

jitk1

Could you tell us the results please not just say its running high post numbers so we can see what you are getting.


solid info is a great thing

 

FYI, at 3000 rpm, 30-80 psi is normal, by the Shop Manual.

 

Do the aftermarket instrument panels have better gages in them or is that dependent on the sending units and can you change out the stock with a more accurate sending unit?

 

Thought:

Do the stock oil systems have filter bypasses?

They're a safeguard for when the filter clogs, it lets the fluid bypass the filter. This could cause a higher-than-normal PSI reading because the fluid no longer has to go through the restrictive filter.

Our car had 2 different filter bypasses when we first bought it, and lost 12PSI at idle from the unrestricted flow to the restricted flow, with a Milodon high volume pump. And that's with a low resistance race filter. We're turning about 75PSI at 7000 RPM through the traps, was 85-87 psi with the bypasses. So yes, it makes a difference, it will be exaggerated with a resistive stock style filter.

 

Aftermarket gauges are usually more accurate. Aftermarket instrument panels? Not if they run through the PCM. The gauges on this gen Dakota are all run off of the PCM. Small changes in voltage can impact the accuracy of an electrically operated gauge.

Mechanical gauges are preferred as they bypass the electrical issue completely.


Yes, in the oil filter. By necessity the bypass has to be at a higher pressure than when the oil flows through the filter media. If it was not, the oil would bypass the filter during normal operation.

So, oil pressure being high could indicate a blocked filter if pressure is measured before the filter and after the pump. If I remember, on the 3.9 the sender is by the distributor. In that case it's reading pressure through the oil galleries, after the filter.

It shouldn't matter.