The low oil pressure light started coming on at idle tonight on my 02 D2 (160k mi). Parked at home and will get pressure tested and check oil pain etc. Oil changed about 6 weeks ago. My question after reading all the related posts is- does this story ever end well? It seems in post after post that replacing oil pumps rarely fixes the issue, and wholesale parts usually have to be replaced, bearings, etc since tolerances have been worn away. I'm thinking the end is near, drive till it dies, then replace the motor.

Thoughts?
Thanks,
Sam

 

What's your oil level? Make sure it is filled up to the top, if not a bit above: a loose o-ring at the pick-up can cause the oil pump to draw air, what with so much oil topside with the engine running.
Try checking and topping off, and report back, please.

 

Will do. Leaving out of town for the holiday, so will post the oil level on Friday afternoon, then taking to the mechanic Monday to test oil pressure, see if it's something minor.

 

I've been on this death spiral.

First, check the pressure to be sure the sender is not the issue.

A short term fix if the pressure is marginal is to get a huge oil filter and switch to a thicker oil. Wix filter. I can't remember the part number but it is on the forum. I'm pretty sure I posted it. If you aren't going to fix anything else this will at least prolong the life of the motor.

Next, check to be sure the pickup tube is tight. The pickup tube has a small o ring and has to be tightly seated. When checking that, you need to know whether there is anything blocking the pickup tube screen. All of this is done with the oil pan off. Easy check.

If no joy there, move to the oil pump and front cover. If they look good (not broken or scored), take a look at the bypass tubes.

If still no joy it is all bad from there. Bearings. Crank bearings can be changed on the truck but cam bearings are another matter. A "walked" cam bearings or turned crank bearings... all bad. And if the rotating gear is scratched you'll need to take them out and have them turned, or if they are too far gone, get new ones. At that point a used engine starts looking pretty good.

 

What thickness of oil are you using? Most around here use Rotella 15w40 or a 20w50 dino.

 

On almost every vehicle I've ever owned from Jeeps, Mitsubishi's, to Land Rover's the first thing I check is the oil sending unit. I've had an 04 Grand Cherokee with a 4.7L V8 scare me to death with a flashing light, an 07 H3 Hummer, and my 97 Range Rover, and 98 D1.

Out of all of those only the 97 Range Rover actually had a real problem (nut holding the pickup tube support bracket fell off inside the pan & it caused the o-ring to leak air). All the rest were the actual oil sending units either failing electrically, a bad wire, or failing internally and leaking oil out the actual oil sending unit.

On our LR's it's pretty easy to get to and replace. The previous owner of my 98 D1 was told he needed his engine rebuilt due to the light flashing when actually it just needed a new 20.00 sensor.......

Check your oil level, and check the wiring going to the sensor. If it's covered in oil wipe it down, and keep an eye on it to see if it's leaking oil thru the sensor. On my 98 it failed internally and was leaking oil right out onto the electrical connection.

If the wiring and the sensor check out then it's either the o-ring or possibly your oil pump.

 

Thanks everyone for quick tips, I can say without hesitation that out of the three owners forums I belong to (different brands), this group is the best by far. I just rolled back into town, and got the car up to temp, so I can check the oil level after. It's perfect, and still clean color (6 weeks old, no leaks). Re: the oil, I use the Mobil 1 10-40 High Mileage & Mobile 1 filter. That leads me to believe it's def a pressure issue. I'm going to take it to my Indy mechanic Monday, to check oil pressure numbers and the tube's etc. After I get his opinion, I'll decide if I want to purchase a used engine, and rebuild it here at home at my pace.

 

Well, the end is here. The oil sensor was replaced, and the light never came on again. However, my mechanic said there was white sludge under the oil filler cap-he surmised head gasket. Of course the SES light came on tonight, along with idle speed all over the place. Engine sort of sounds like it chugs. I'll prob just drive till it grenades, and start looking for engine donors.

 

If the oil pressure sender took care of the oil light issue...and all he (your mechanic) found was some white moisture on the oil cap...but the oil looks like new (as you stated earlier) and there are no knocking, ticking noises. This amount of moisture is somewhat normal, depending on temperature changes, if you park in a garage or the length of drive time. If you aren't losing coolant...what would make him think this is a blown head gasket? Doesn't sound right to me.

I'd have the codes read, the running issue may be something totally different...and have nothing at all to do with your earlier oil light problem.

Let's not throw in the towel yet. What's the mileage?

Brian.

 

I agree, if the oil light is now out, slap some Rotella 15/40w oil in it, larger M301 filter, and get the codes read. Also clean your throttle body, IAC, check the air filter, and if the codes come back as MAF, 02, or misfires, then diagnose and replace the bad parts.

A little bit of white under the cap is probably from quick start/stop cycles = normal.

Now if it was thick like a melted marshmallow = head gasket issues.