I found out today that the oil pressure gage in a 2003 and up is not a real gage. according to what I have learned (from a chrys diesel tech) is that the oil sender is just like a light sender. once pressure is over a certain level , mabe 7 lbs or so, the computer makes a reading on the meter showing what it thinks it should be. Not a "real" reading. I was told you unplug the sender and start the engine and look at your gage! It will read normal. If pressure drops off to zero, it takes the computer 30 seconds to show that on the gage. My brother blew up his engine because of this. So he phoned me and informed me. wow!

 

yup. install a real gauge if you want to know actual. don't know how accurate it is but the new ones, i can scroll thru the info screen and it gives me a psi reading. going to install a real gauge and see how close they match

 

Unfortunately, all the technology is gone this way. Engine light on? gauges at zero? means nothing or everything, let the electronics decide,.

 

I guess I am too much old school for this new stuff. I don't like the fact of being deceived by this crap. At least my Cummins M37 will have "actual" gages.

 

I hear you loud and clear, it sucks and is good at the same time. Bad news for the back yard guy that's for sure.

 

Where is the oil pressure sender located on a Cummins 2003 dodge

Frank

 

It's crazy isn't it!

They didn't even get the fake gauge to read correctly, my oil psi gauge and my dash gauge only match at 1200 rpms with a warm block!

The oil pressure switch (as there is no sender) is just up and right from the ECM.

 

Slap a mechanical Autometer oil pressure gauge off the tap on top of the filter housing and call it a day! The 3rd Gen gauge is nothing more than a light with an arm!

 

I was told many years ago that fords were like this because they got tired of customers complaining about low oil pressure!
i found out the hard way when an employee forgot to put oil in a ranger, we started it after he said it was ready, and the motor didn't sound right and turned it off. The gauge showed pressure!!

 

I heard that Dodge did this on the diesels becuase the oil pressure on a diesel changes a lot for very few rpms. 20 at idle and 50 by 1500, and people thought something was wrong.

 

If this is true why does my oil pressure change ? It will move up and down with RPM change ?

 

Because there is an algorythim in the ECM to move the oil psi gauge, but it really doesn't move much and is only accurate at 1200-1300 rpms when warm.

If you have an older ECM flash they moved more, as each flash progressed the swing decreased until where mine only reads 35-55.

Look at the diagram I posted, its a pressure switch. Pressure switches only open/close, transducers or senders send the pressure.

 

I thought these things were sorta rough -- "low" when it ought to be low, and "high" when it ought to be high, but lacking accuracy -- but what you all have written makes me disgusted.

Years ago a friend and I were talking about his 1953 Packard. Fit and finish were very nice. But the [real] dash gauges also had ring terminations on the wires for a brass stud/nuts to hold.

And a grease zerk-type fitting under the steering column for the speedometer cable.

.

 

Well the OEM is rough, as long as you consider rough ±40 psi.

 

Has anyone tried adding a direct gauge to the oil port on the filter mounting location instead of adding a gauge inside the cab?