Oil pressure gauge sticks in cold weather. What is wrong?

Question

I have a 1999 Ford Explorer with a 4.0L SOHC V6 4X4. The oil pressure gauge sticks on start up then goes to normal after 60 seconds or so. During the summer I had no problems. It only occurs during colder mornings. I change the oil on a regular basis. The oil level is not low. What can it be? Haven't had time to take it to a repair shop.

Answer 1

The pressure port in the sending unit is very small and is probably plugged up with crud.

I wouldn't worry about it.

If it bugs you, change it.

Answer 2

If it really gets cold like in the 30's or lower and stays like that for months then you should use a lighter oil, 10W30. It acts like a 10 weight cold and thickens after reaching operating temp. Then use a thicker oil in the summer, or the oil pressure sending unit could be failing. Try that first if has never been changed, that could be the problem. What usually causes the sending unit to fail is the little o-ring that seperates the oil from the electronics that send the signal to the gauge. It will leak and then you will have all kinds of readings.

Answer 3

various those solutions are close, or incorporate part of the respond. the finished answer is that it takes time for the oil to be pumped from the backside of the oil pan as much as the oil tension sending unit. The oil pump itself isn't submerged interior the oil, there's a quick tube with a great mouth that has a show screen over it (to maintain larger debris from being sucked into the pump and into the crank, cam bearings, and valve lifters). So whilst the engine starts off turning, the oil pump starts off pumping on an analogous time. The oil pump is sucking air before each and everything, then because of the fact the vacuum builds, the oil starts off that's adventure - first interior the direction of the show screen, up the tube, and into the oil pump. From there, over to the oil clear out. as quickly as the oil clear out is finished, the stress from the oil pump is great adequate to make the oil sending unit start to register. because of the fact the oil fills the block and starts off pushing its way into bearings and pressuring up valve lifters, there is adequate resistance to register on the gauge. yet there's a three-4 2d pause. Like one among the different solutions mentioned, "except your engine is creating various noise, do no longer undertaking approximately it". it quite is general, all autos try this. there is a few lag time between preliminary startup and finished oil tension and presence at each and every place the oil has to pass. And that's a protracted complicated adventure. you do no longer even quite need to properly known the place all it is going. yet you do could desire to alter your oil each and every 3000 miles. you are able to pass longer on guy made oil, because of the fact the gas does not smash down guy made oil the way it does petroleum based oil. in the adventure that your engine is making some heavily loud knocking sounds (and you may desire to have mentioned this) then your engine may well be ruined, or a minimum of in want of mechanical fix that could desire to get costly. Now, there are ingredients which could help your engine stay lubricated, even at startup. (commencing your engine is the worst element you're able to do to it). Lucas makes an extremely reliable oil therapy, and Slick 50 easily chefs a PFTE (teflon) coating onto bearing and magazine surfaces besides as cylinder partitions. this could be a reliable element. The slick 50 is costly, 15 -20 dollars, even with the undeniable fact that that's reliable.