I just bought this 97 Ram with the 5.9 Magnum. 128k. On my drive home, the oil pressure sending unit went bad. So I replaced that and did a desperately needed oil change. Drove about 50 miles and my oil light comes on. Thinking I burnt that much oil, I start looking at the plenum. But I checked the oil and ive burned none. Do these trucks have an oil level sensor? I have an oil pressure gauge so I bought the sending unit for the one with the gauge. But I also checked O'Reilly's website and they have one for the gauge AND Light.


http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...997&make=Dodge


I bought the $24.99 one. Anyone else run in to this issue?

 

Nope. No oil level sensor. That would be in the oil pan. The light comes on when pressure drops below about 7psi. Usually, it's the sensor that is giving false readings..... if you have a new sensor, and the light is still coming on, it's time to screw a mechanical gauge into it, and see what is really happening. If the pressure is indeed hitting zero, time to stop driving it, and find out why.

 

Hooked up a mechanical gauge before I put in a new sensor just to be sure. Holds about 15psi at idle at operating temp

 

Probably just another bad sensor then. What is pressure doing (according to the gauge) when the lite comes on?

 

Gauge doesnt move. Just stays at 15psi until I accelerate then goes up.

 

It shouldn't be whining about that....

Does the gauge drop to zero when you turn the ignition off? Or does it stay at 15?

 

As of now, I unhooked the mechanical and have everything re-assembled. The gauge in my dash drops to zero when I shut it off. I believe the mechanical one did as well.

 

Hhhmmm......

According to theory, anything above 7 PSI at idle, is supposedly *acceptable*..... and then like 10 PSI/1000rpm.. If you aren't getting that, maybe a high volume oil pump would be a good idea?

 

It has good oil pressure. Just that light comes on that baffles me. It steady rises. I have about 30 psi holding 2,000-2,300 rpm

 

I think the light is a function controlled by the cluster itself....... What logic it uses though, that, I don't have a clue.