I went out at 5 this morning to crank the truck and let it warm up. After about 5-10 seconds of cranking I heard a chime and my check girded light came on and oil pressure gauge dropped. I killed the engine checked the oil and it was low. I ran to Walmart (in wife's car) and bought more oil and added about 6 quarts I got back in cranked the truck and the same thing happened. Knowing there was oil I let it idle a few minutes then shut it off let it sit a couple of minutes and checked the oil again. It was where it was suppose to be on the dipstick.

Any ideas on what could be wrong?? I'm a welder not a mechanic, and I need my truck for work (if it isn't running I'm not making money). Is it ok to drive knowing it has the correct amount of oil in it?

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

I wouldn't without verification of pressure. Probably is just the sender failed, but without a mechanical gauge verification, you could be making a very expensive mistake.

 

My Pulse monitor shows 5psi idling (checked that earlier haven't cranked it sense.) I just got back from talking to a mechanic, and he said 5psi was enough to keep it from burning up at an idle. He thought it could be the sending until too, but couldn't be sure without hooking up a guage.

Is the until hard to replace, and what side of the motor is it on?

 

Mine did the same thing several weeks back but I also have a mechanical guage to read as well and as soon as the chime came on and the guage died I immediately looked at the mechanical one.......85psi. Got home checked the codes and cleared them and the factory guage has worked ever since. That part I couldn't understand. 5psi at idle is VERY low. Cold mine idles at about 70psi....upon acceleration it's up to about 90psi. Warmed up it should be about 25 at idle and 70-75 at speed.

I'd definitely verify pressure before running it at all. Find a mechanical guage that you can tie into the oil filter housing at the top of it.....should have a plug in there you can take out. The sending unit is a bugger to get to. It's on the driver side of the block just past the ECM IIRC.

 

Well I ordered a oil pressure switch and it came in at 1. I just finished up putting it in a little bit ago. Cranked up the truck and Bam! Oil pressure again on my oil gauge! Let it idle for 10-15 min and everything held right where it usually does. Thank y'all for all y'alls help. I really appreciate it.

 

Glad it was an easy fix.....much cheaper than a new engine for sure!!!!!

 

I am too. Again thanks for all the help

 

The cranked err up and Bam! scared me until I finished reading your post.

 

Me too. It started to sound like the beginning of a horror story.
Glad it turned out ok.