possibly. the stock sending unit and and pcm driven dash gauge is prone to fail or read incorrectly. a mechanical gauge will give you an accurate reading.

what you want to know is whether you have an inaccurate gauge that needs fixing (or ignoring), or whether you have a serious engine problem that needs to be fixed or parked.

edit - you cannot attach a different gauge to you stock sending unit. what he meant was to unplug your stock sending unit electrical connector, remove the sending unit. install a mechanical gauge and sending unit and position it in a manner that you can read it, either by temporarily strapping it to the cowl, or routed it inside the cab.

 

thank you for the inputs. again i'm **** on minor things, my gage seems to be fine, the light is my issue ~~~~~~~~~~~ can my situation be one individual item as my problem ???? what causes the light to flicker and the gauge not to fluctuate ???>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ~~~~~ even more so now i changed the thermostat to a higher temp . ~~~~~~~~~~~ i figure with experience if it was the pump or low pressure the motor would have left me a year ago ??? yes ????

 

You will need to unscrew the sending unit and screw in the hose for a mechanical gauge in its location. The mechanical gauge will tell you if you are getting a false reading from your sending unit by giving you a more accurate measurment.
If the mech. gauge tells you that your oil pressure is in the desired operating range, that tells you that your sending unit is no good.
If it is not in the desired range, you know you have been getting accurate warning from your sending unit and you have other issues. Possibly clogged oil passeges or a failing oil pump/clogged sump screen.

Installation of the mechanical gauge is temporary, and if you discover that your sending unit is bad, you screw a new one into the original ones location. If your old one tests good.... Well.... I would screw a new one in anyway.
Go to your favorite parts store and ask if they loan tools. Ask for a pressure gauge that can be used to check oil pressure. (Assuming you dont have one. Sorry if that is a bad assumption)
Most likely, it is going to be a bad sending unit, and as I said before, I consider them disposable. I just looked on Rockauto, and they have it for $24.99. I change mine as part of every tune up. Last thing I want is my sending unit stuck on "good" when my oil pressure isnt.

 

Sending units in these trucks are horrid. They fail without notice. The gauge in the dash is notoriously inaccurate. Installing a mechanical gauge will tell you EXACTLY what your oil pressure is doing, with no interpretation by the cluster, or PCM. If the mech gauge tells you pressure is good, under all conditions, replace the sending unit, and call it good. If the mech gauge tells you that yes indeed, your oil pressure is dropping off to zero on occasion, STOP driving it, and find out why, then fix it. One is a cheap fix, the other.... well... not so much.

 

OK. One more time and I give up. If someone is told something about five different times by four different people, I conclude they do NOT really want help.

"can my situation be one individual item as my problem? what causes the light to flicker and the gauge not to fluctuate?" -

YES - IT COULD ALL BE RELATED TO A BAD PRESSURE SENSOR. iT COULD BE A LOOSE WIRE. - GO BACK TO POST#2 AND START OVER - OR DON'T.

 

It boils down to this; do not trust the gauge or the light. I would forget about it and stick a mechanical pressure gauge on it. That way you will know if it is the pressure sensor or you actually have low oil pressure and your engine is going to start eating itself in short order. This is the only route for you to take at this point.

 

do you have a oil pressure gauge in the dash? and is the oil pressure dropping to zero. just replace the sending unit and see if it fixes it. rigging up a "T" for a mechanical pressure gauge is a good bit of work. its a lot easier to just replace the sender and see if it will fix the problem.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...it-switch.html

 

I think he's saying the gauge doesn't drop to zero, but he gets the red warning light, as if the gauge had dropped to zero. Still would follow advice and get mechanical gauge to know for sure what oil pressure really is...maybe your dash gauge is lying.

 

dhvaughn and read ram have narrowed it best .. tho ALL ARE MISSING THAT THIS started 2 years ago ~~~~~~~~~~ and went away when i switched to synthetic oil and a lower temp thermostat .. and came back when i just change to a higher thermostat ,,,,, and YES BOTH A GAUGE AND AN OIL LIGHT ~~~~~~~~~~~AND THE GAUGE DOED NOT MOVE ~~~~~~~ONLY THE LIGHT FLICKERS ~~~~~~AND GOES OUT IF PLACED IN NEUTRAL , PARK , OR SLIGHTEST PRESSURE ON GAS PEDAL ????????????

 

You obviously have oil pressure if it's been going on for 2years, which you didn't say, and engine is not knocking. I see no relationship between thermostat/synthetic oil, besides coincidence. Everyone has repeatedly said the same suggestions. There is a special socket, about 10.00 bucks, to remove/replace sending unit yourself, or a shop would have mechanical gauge to get accurate reading before just replacing unit. Or it could be as
gdstock said in post #15, a bad sending unit or loose wire.