My 01' diesel seems to have lost oil pressure. I have about 90,000 miles on it. Going down the road the oil pressure will drop to zero and the warning lights will come on. Pull over and the pressure will come back up. Continue driving and a couple of min. later same thing happens. My oil level is fine(just changed oil 1,500 miles ago). Oil pump, pressure sending unit? I am out of the country deployed with the military, so this is second hand info from my wife.

 

Mine did the same thing. It is the sending unit, 98% chance. Dealer will charge an arm and leg for a new one, especially installed. Maybe a member close by can help. Cheapest way to know you have pressure is to install a mech gauge, they cost about $15.

 

What oil filter are you using?
I had a FRAM act just like that on my old 1990 318 gasser.
It sounds like it's either low on oil, a bad filter or a bad sending unit.

 

You would think that would be a warrenty item.

 

If its the sending unit it is covered under 5/100. Had mine changed last year it was doing the same as you described. There is a tsb that reprograms the pcm for certain s/n 2001 trucks. Do not get this done or your oil pressure guage is no longer any good. Makes guage read 40 psi with just the battery on.

 

i agree with shovelhead filter problem happened to me it was a purolator filter changed it and pressure came back up thats a sheap way to troubleshoot just change filter not oil .

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I had a napa filter on. My brother put a purolator back on. After the change out, he said that with the key on the guage read 40 psi. After start the guage went all the way up and after approx 30 seconds it dropped to zero and stayed there. The check guages light came on. He said that this all happened in park at idle.

 

Sounds like the sending unit is bad. That was the problem with my truck and it did the same as you describe. These are a high failure item. I believe cummins has updated to a differant sending unit.

 

From what I have read on this board over the years, the only reason dodge puts a oil pressure gauge in these trucks, is to tell us when the oil pressure sensor goes out.

You will more than likely loose your sending unit 100 times than you will loose pressure.

I want to put a mechanical gauge in, becuase mine is acting up too. If I can just disabel the stock gauge & check gauges light, then ill be good to go.