Just yesterday I noticed on my '04, when stopped at a light, the oil pressure dropped to 0 and the check gauges light came on! Once RPMs got above 1500 or so pressure was back to normal. I got to a friends house and checked oil level. Fine.
Checked under the truck for any leaks and the oil filter is covered in oil and looks like all the surrounding parts (frame, pan, wires) anything in the vicinity is also covered in oil! drove home and parked, after about an hour went out and noticed a few drops of oil on the ground.
(FYI: its a 4.7L 2wd and has only got 65,000 miles on it)

Is this something that can be fixed by replacing the filter and rubber seal? or is this something more serious?
I just had my oil changed by grease monkey just over 1000 miles ago. I usually do it myself.
Any thoughts?

 

Sounds like a loose filter to me. Was it loose when you checked it? I have no idea on a 4.7 but on my 3.9 there is a threaded hollow fitting that one end screws to the block through the middle of the filter mounting boss and the filter threads on to the other end. One time when I removed my old filter during an oil change that fitting came out with it. Ever since then I always use a socket and 1/2" ratchet to check that fitting to be sure it is tight.

Jimmy

 

It may also be a bad filter, leaking on the seam.

The oil pressure sender may also be the problem, it's located just above the filter. If it fails it can leak oil too.

Clean the area up good and give it a good look.

 

I went out this morning to try to see if I could tighten the filter, and i then realized that the filter was way thinner than the tool I had used for all of my previous filter changes.. It was threaded tight enough that with a vigorous shake it didn't budge. It did seem that a bit of oil was leaking from the seam though.

Well, I drove it over to my friends house to change the oil, on the way I bought the correct size filter and parts I needed.
When I went to remove the filter, which was covered in oil, it was pretty tight but with a lot of effort I was able to unscrew it by hand!

Well I drove around town after changing the oil and I have not seen the pressure drop since. But I will be keeping my eye on it the next few days. Cause, like mentioned previously, it could be the sensor right above the filter.

Thanks for the help. I was (and still am) hoping it wasn't a more serious problem than just replacing the filter.

 

Might have been the wrong filter.

Did you find a part number on it? You could cross reference it.

 

Evan a small crack in the filter seam can be enough to cause a drop in pressure and it can sure enough spray oil all over the place when the engine is under a load. Did the filter have a visible crack in it anywhere? I am just curious, what brand of filter was it? It could also be that the filter was not tightened enough. Some techs just hand tighten and stop after the gasket contacts the block, or maybe turn the filter by hand an inch or two past that point and let it go like that. Seems if it was a loose filter you might have had the problem sooner though..

Jimmy

 

It was a MotorCraft filter. What the guys at the parts store told me was that the shop I went to is infamous for only having one filter size, but modifying them to fit multiple applications. I didnt catch the exact model number, but i kinda wish i did. There were no cracks that I could see, but the diameter of the filter was just big enough to cover the seam. but JUST.
Im never going back to that shop again! This is why I always do my own oil.
Well, I guess the plus side do this is that now I don't have to change my oil again for a while!

 

Glad to know it's fixed and wasn't anything serious.

Jimmy

 

I drove to colorado and back today. Everything seemed great the entire way, up until I got back into town and was in low rev range.. When I was back on my street the pressure gauge dropped and the light came on again. Same darn problem. Only now that I got the engine plenty warm, it only seemed worse (it took more revs to get the pressure back up)
@#$%!!!!
Oil level is fine. No apparent leaks. When I parked at home and pressure dropped, I let it idle while I opened the hood and listened to the engine for a few mins. Sounded normal, steady.

I will try to replace the switch above the filter and I pray that does the job. That sensor/switch looks really hard to get to and will be a pain to get off and back on.
Any other suggestions of things for me to try? I really want to avoid the shop!

 

I don't know much about a 4.7 but you might unplug the oil pressure sending unit, see that the connector plug on the sending unit is clean and the wire harness connector is clean and making a good connection.

The best thing to do here is check the OEM pressure sending unit. You can remove the sending unit and install a mechanical gauge with a dial on it to check to see if the OEM sending unit is giving the right info or not. You could also duct tape the mechanical gauge to the windshield and go for a test drive to test the pressure and compare the pressure readings from the OEM sending unit to the test gauge. You need to rule out the possibility that you have a bad sending unit.

If you don't want to go through the testing process you can always just shotgun it and replace the sending unit, see if that solves the problem. I don't know abouit a 4.7 but on my 3.9 you need a special socket to remove the sending unit. If there is a Harbor Freight store where you live, they will probably have the best price on both the socket and the oil pressure test gauge kit. Parts stores will probably have it too but it may cost more. A parts store might have the socket and test gauge kit on a free loan a tool service too.

Dakota's are kind of known to have problems with erratic oil pressure readings. You may just have a bad sending unit but it also doesn't help matters much that the oil change shop used the wrong filter. I don't understand why someone would put a Ford filter on a Dodge, but I guess that is how they did it.

Check the real oil pressure with a mechanical gauge. That is how you can tell if the OEM sending unit is really giving the correct oil pressure readings.

Jimmy