Felklaw

G'Day guys and girls,

I have a 96 EL Fairmont Ghia which has had one minor problem since I bought it.

Upon startup, the oil pressure guage rises nicely to approximately half way up the guage and stays there.
Once the engine starts to warm up though, it starts to creep down.
After a trip down the freeway for example (about 45mins drive at 110km/h) the guage will be sitting a little above the warning area.
Once I get off the freeway and stop at a set of lights, the guage dips down to the warning and the buzzer goes off.
If I rev the engine, or drive away from the lights, the pressure goes back up again out of the warning zone.

I have tried this with 10-30W oil, as well as 15-50W oil.
Only real difference is local driving. The thicker oil just takes a bit longer for the warning buzzer to go off, but it eventually still does when idling.

I've been told multiple things from just a bung switch, problem with the pickups, all the way up to stuffed engine.
The fact it only occurs after the oil is warmed leads me to think it may not be a small thing like the switch, but rather the pickups.
I've had the car for 12 months now, and apart for some minor electrical work, this is the only real "problem" I've got.

Has anyone else had the same problem, or know what may be causing this ?

garth04

First thing I would do is plum in a mechanical guage, drive it till the warning goes off then check the mechanical guage reading.

If the mech guage also says low pressure I would check the oil pump first, as you said it takes a while for the prob to occur.

If the mech guage says everything is ok, then you have another electrical problem to fix.

P.S. also check your earth strap to motor

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aussie7mains

Ive had this problem with S series dashes (ford dealership work) stop worrying its most likely the pressure sender "bung" ford sixes have VERY good oiling systems and rarely give trouble.
A7m

bEAn86

my ED gage starts at 1/2 but drops a bit with the air con on, or if i drive on the highway for a while with cruise on, it also drops to about 1/4. A few revs soon brings it up to half or over