I'm curious to know what others oil gauges are reading when at an idle....cold... warmed up... highway.... The reason i ask is that I changed my oil the other day and have noticed the gauge moves around quite a bit and was tryin to make sure it was'nt moving excessivly....

Just remembered... I have an 07 Hemi...

 

did you change brand of oil and filter,or the same you used last time

 

I did.... Not sure what the factory puts in for brands... I used the same grade....

 

I am guessing that since its an 07, that the motor has MDS. If it does, then its normal for the gauge to fluctuate. It is showing actual pressure. When at dead center, pressure is about 40 psi, and when it drop at warm idle, it is about 25-30 psi. These are normal numbers. You may be wondering the correlation to this and the MDS? Well, if you notice, most, if not all trucks with MDS have these gauges that show actual readings, rather than stay in the middle like non MDS trucks do. The gauges that do not move only show that the motor has pressure, but not how much. The reason for the diiference between the MDS and non MDS setups and oil pressure gauges is that Chrysler's cylinder deactivation actually relies on oil pressure in certain aspects. Proper oil pressure must be maintained for the lifters to collapse properly during the cylinder shutdown process. Too much pressure will not allow them to collapse properly. This is one reason why Chrysler tells us to use 5w20 oil only with MDS models. I guess their research has determined this weight to be the best suited for the MDS's operation, but I can't see how 5w30 would be much different. My hemi Mega Cab does not have MDS like my 06 Quad Cab had. This is the one thing that I miss about the MDS truck. I really like having a "real" oil pressure gauge that shows actual pressure at various running conditions.

In short, no worries unless the needle is below the low mark. I am confident that you are ok. It is normal for a motor to fluctuate somehwhat with oil pressure, its just you have a gauge that actually shows that.

Sorry for the long response. Just wanted to be thorough.....

 

My oil gauge fluctuates depending on if I am at idle or highway driving. Attached is a photo of all the gauges while coming up to highway speed. I just had her first oil change done at the dealership. Red

[IMG]local://upfiles/52573/D7BE24BA50C240168E345A034CAA03E7.jpg[/IMG]

 

Red, thats perfect oil pressure for the engine speed. At warm idle, you should see it approx the same distance from the middle of the gauge on the lower side. Its hard to get used to actually having a gauge that works and shows actual readings. This is for MDS models only. Remember, non MDS trucks have the dummy gauge that constantly registers in the mid of the gauge. You definately have MDS. No worries. Use 5w20 and go out and drive the hell out of the truck.

-Justin

 

I just thought it was odd... before the oil change... it moved slightly... But not much.... now it constantly moves... But i guess if your does it.. mines fine... but what if they are'nt and we screwed and not knowing it? hmm.. probably not the case....

 

Its no biggie. it is perfectly fine..drive the hell out of it.If you want to see an example, but a 07 non MDS Hemi next to a MDS Hemi and look at their gauges at hot idle. You will see the difference between an actual functioning gauge and a gauge that shows that the motor has pressure by sitting in the middle all of the time. I don't know if others have noticed this, but it is due to the need for proper oil pressure for proper MDS function.

 

Wow! I almost got wood looking at your full tank of gas Cactus!! Be still my heart!

 

That is f#$%king funny. I agree. Gas is $2.79 in California and I just shelled out $84 for a full tank, and I still had an 1/8 of a tank left. LOL.