Ford dummy oil pressure guage

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
682
Location
il usa
Does the oil pressure gauge ever register "H" if warranted or is it just simple you have some threshold or you don't.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As long as you have at least ~6 lbs of pressure, it will always read exactly the same. If you drop below the threshold, it will read zero (or L or whatever is all the way at the bottom).
 
What wud be the desired oil pressure at hot idle for this engine and if not 6 i wonder if that is the correct threshold for dummy display.
 
Generally speaking, the 3v modulars need 25psi at hot idle for the phasers to work correctly. Less than that will cause issues.

They set the gauge threshold at 6psi so they NEVER have someone coming in to complain about low oil pressure.
 
6 to 25 thats a lot of margin ford put in.

Especially given that its a lower bound kinda number.
Cold or hot start op >> hot idle op
Driving hot or cold op >> hot idle op
 
Originally Posted By: merconvvv
What wud be the desired oil pressure at hot idle for this engine and if not 6 i wonder if that is the correct threshold for dummy display.
In general, you should have about 25 lbs at idle, but that will vary based on oil grade used, how old the oil is, temperature, idle RPM, etc. I think 15 is about the minimum you should have with a good motor.

Not sure what you mean about the "correct" threshold for the dummy display. I told you how the gauge works in my first reply. meborder summed it up nicely: "They set the gauge threshold at 6psi so they NEVER have someone coming in to complain about low oil pressure."
 
Last edited:
NEVER was the keyword i shud have focused on
smile.gif

Thanks
 
Realistically, few people, other than those who haunt BITOG, have any idea how a car works, and especially have no idea how oil pressure is supposed to behave. For this reason, Ford chose to make a gauge that always says "Everything's fine. Nothing to see here. Go about your business, citizen." This hopefully keeps at least some of the ignorant and uninformed from clogging up their service bays with non-existent problems during warranty. After that, Ford could care less.
 
Humm wonder if you can get a different sensor (plug n play) that comes on at about 15 instead of 6. Not a true op guage but better than 6.
 
So it's nothing but a disguised equivalent of an idiot light, except without the glow to wake you up in case of loss of pressure? Boy, is that dumb!
 
Originally Posted By: merconvvv
Humm wonder if you can get a different sensor (plug n play) that comes on at about 15 instead of 6. Not a true op guage but better than 6.


Sure. Napa sells them in many pressure settings.
Just have to find the right thread, and will have to change the electrical connection.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I have actually never, ever, ever heard of a 4.6 suffering from "low oil pressure" problems.
a few early 90's modulars had oil pump drive ears break off,the crank receiver that drove the oil pump, other than that they are a rock solid engine overall,getting better as the years rolled on. ie: 2003 and up. as far as the 6 lb threshold for a warning: auto makers have been using that number many years, since late 1950s,60s,70s and up. And no, a low oil pressure problem will NOT put you in a limp home mode, although some cars will just shut down.
 
Originally Posted By: merconvvv
Does the ford go into limp mode if it detects low oil pressure or is it business as usual
smile.gif



Oil pressure sender cuts the fuel pump if pressure drops to or near zero. No limp home mode, dead in the street. LOL
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: merconvvv
Does the ford go into limp mode if it detects low oil pressure or is it business as usual
smile.gif



Oil pressure sender cuts the fuel pump if pressure drops to or near zero. No limp home mode, dead in the street. LOL


I cant tell if you are joking or not !
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top