Oil Pressure Warning at idle

[Shadow351]

I bought my 2010 SHO on the 1st of September and it has been my daily driver since. I changed the oil a couple weeks ago because the dealer I bought it from had used a non Motorcraft filter when they changed the oil, and I thought that might be what was causing a rattle on startup, but changing the oil with new Valvoline Full Syn 5W-20 and a Motorcraft filter didn't help.

Today on my drive to work I was stopped at a traffic light and I got a chime and the oil pressure warning indicator illuminated in the message center for a couple seconds then went back to showing the odometer for a couple seconds , then chimed again and showed the warning again. I shut the engine off until the light changed then turned around and it happened again at another light before I dropped the car off at home and took my truck to work.

Does the Oil Pressure warning only illuminate intermittently even if the oil pressure is constantly low? or was my oil pressure fluctuating right on the threshold causing the warning to come and go like that?

I've read a couple posts about similar issues, but they don't seem to have conclusions, i.e. https://shoforum.com/index.php?thre...ing-oil-can-light-at-idle-or-cold-air.131151/

My local dealer has the pressure switch (SW-6357) in stock for $6.10, so I'm gonna start with that but I've read posts that it could be caused by anything from a switch, to the oil pump, to a spun bearing. Any thoughts on the most likely candidate? Should I be running 5W-30 in it instead? The car has just shy of 180k miles on it.

Thanks
-Brad

 

[Majestic]

Sounds like the dreaded timing chain issue.

 

[SHOdded]

First thing: check for codes, no need to flail in the dark . But yeah with 180k on it, gotta ask the maintenance history. All fluids are well past due for a change.

A short 1-2 second rattle on startup is fairly common, might be timimg chains. But extended rattles are definitely timimg chains. May even **** the coolant pump, so check the oil and coolant to make sure the mixing hasn't happened already.

Could indeed just be the engine oil pressure switch, so I am rootin' for that

 

[sperold]

It is possible the seller loaded the engine up with thicker, more viscous oil to hide this oil light annoyance. So it is possible you have some wide tolerances, for whatever reason. And it is possible the engine has enjoyed heavier than normal oil already.

If you still have the oil that came out of it, do an amateur viscosity indication by dropping a marble in a tube of the old oil and then in the same level of your new oil, while recording the time it takes to bottom out.

With that in mind, I would experiment with more viscous oils. To keep the cost down, I would use dino oil until you find something suitable. I would raise the summer number first to say 30 from 20. Although there will be howls of protest, I would even go to 40 if nothing improved. Very open tolerances require more viscosity to get the same protection.

I might even try going up to 10 or 15 on the winter side of the number if the other experiment did not get great results. even though it is counter intuitive.

If you have a decent oil filter with a silicone back-drain valve, leave it alone during this experiment.

It does not seem to be a spun bearing, but it would be nice if it were the sender unit for your oil light.

You may be able to get a pressure reading from something like Driveblue, or whatever, that attaches to your OBDII port and sends out a bluetooth signal to your smart phone or tablet, but I have no experience doing that.

 

[SHOdded]

There is no oil pressure reading built into the OBD system, it is still a simple Yes/No type switch. You would have to install an external OP gauge to get that number. Sucks doesn't it? But yeah, and a missing turbo boost gauge are common complaints. At least you can get the boost pressures via OBD!

Oil Pressure Test

1. Disconnect and remove the oil pressure switch from the engine.

1. Connect the engine Oil Pressure Gauge to the oil pressure switch oil galley port.

1. Run the engine until normal operating temperature is reached.

1. Run the engine at the specified rpm and record the gauge reading.

1. The oil pressure should be within specifications; refer to the specification chart in the appropriate engine section.

1. If the pressure is not within specification, check the following possible sources:
   • Insufficient oil
   • Oil leakage
   • Worn or damaged oil pump
   • Oil pump screen cover and tube
   • Excessive main bearing clearance
   • Excessive connecting rod bearing clearance
   • Chain tensioner leak
   • Piston squirter stuck open
   • Oil pump relief valve stuck open
   • Improper oil grade

Oil pressure Minimum 30 psi @ 1,500 rpm with engine at normal operating temperature

 

[Shadow351]

Unfortunately, I have already dropped the old oil off to be recycled.

I just so happen to have recently picked up an oil pressure gauge to put on my 04 F150, so I will throw that on it before I install the replacement switch. I know the Modular motors have oil pump issues, do the cyclones/ecoboosts also have high oil pump failure rates? It seems to be of similar design. Also, is there a pressure spec for idle (~650-700 RPM)?

Thanks

 

[SHOdded]

No spec for idle, sorry.

Oil pump issues are rare and far between especially at stock power levels. Not even at the "high" end of the usual mod combo. BUT Livernois will likely know more, I believe they do offer an oil pump upgrade. I would call and talk with them. They might know the "normal" idle psi value as well.

 

[Shadow351]

I used an oil filter sandwich adapter to put a oil pressure test gauge on it without removing the factory oil pressure switch. I started it up and ran it at different rpm's, idled both in/out of gear, and with the A/C on and off.


At cold Idle: 32 psi


after running for approx 30 min, hot idle pressure was down to 16psi, still didn't get a low pressure warning, so the warning threshold must be way down there.


pressure @ 1500 rpm is around 30psi, but i cant get an accurate reading from the drivers seat. I think I will try running a thicker oil, like a 5w-30 and see if that helps, but I will figure on replacing the oil pump. I got a estimate for timing chain guides/tensioners/and the primary chain from the dealer when I was there and it was around $250, so I will also grab an oil pump and water pump as well when I do the timing chain. Do I need to worry about changing the phasers, secondary chains, and secondary chain tensioners?

thanks

 

[Shadow351]

New pump is in, I replaced the all the timing chains, guides, and tensioners (including the updated RH primary guide, which requires new bolts btw). I hope this takes care of the oil pressure issue, I think I will also switch to 5W-30, still waiting on feedback from a Ford Technician on weather I should. Ford changed the spec in 2011, I wonder if heat from the turbos was an issue and caused the oil to thin too much.

Anyway, I managed to twist off one of the engine mount bolts (the one that goes into the shock tower luckily) so now I have to deal with that. Being a Grade 12.9 bolt, it dulls titanium drill bits in seconds, so drilling isn't going to work. Goody, I like a challenge...most of the time.

 

[SHOdded]

Did you replace the VCT solenoids? Then you would truly have a new & reliable timing set.

 

[OgreSmash]

how much of a pain is it to change the water pumps in these cars?

 

[SHOdded]

Typically 16-20 hours for more experienced mechanics.

 

[Jeff2017]

Thus the $2000 charge to replace the water pump. Dumb design on Ford's part.

 

[OgreSmash]

ya it was a really stupid design

 

[Laser411]

How did this end up, having low oil pressure myself.

 

[Shadow351]

I've put several hundred miles on the car since the pump was replaced, and haven't gotten a low oil pressure warning since. I have also switched to 5W-30 (2010 spec is 5W-20 but Ford upped the spec to 5W-30 in 2011). I have not rerun the pressure gauge on it though.

I'd suggest you run an oil pressure gauge on it and see what oil pressure actually is, you might get lucky and only need to replace the oil pressure switch.

 

[Laser411]

How hard was it to replace the oil pump? Did you use a guide? You pull off the timing cover I am assuming?

 

[Shadow351]

It's a fairly major undertaking, it requires removing the engine front cover (timing cover) and removing the timing set. This requires removing the all the intake and turbo plumbing, on some models the intake manifold, the cam covers (valve covers), and the passenger's side engine mount (as well as the alternator/a.c. compressor belt and tensioner).

While you have it apart, it may not be a bad idea to replace the coolant pump and timing chains/tensioners/guides, depending on the vehicle's mileage.

When you are reinstalling the timing chains, you must set the timing correctly or you could potentially destroy the engine.

I purchased a set of Ford repair manuals for my specific car from a Ford dealer that was selling them on ebay, it is 2 huge (500+ page) books.

 

[Shadow351]

Note: If you plan to do this job, Replace the Phasers, I did not and my startup rattle has returned after ~18 months & 30k miles. The Low Oil pressure alarm OTOH has not returned, I don't know if this is because of the oil pump or the thicker oil.

 

[SM105K]

Thank you for the follow up.