[Guest]

G'day all.

On a trip down to the Great Ocean Road over Christmas, I noticed that on some of the longer highway stretches towards the Vic border, the oil pressure would climb into the red for a while. It seemed that if I loaded the engine a bit, it would drop a little. If I gave it a few bursts of acceleration, it would drop back down to what I consider "normal" - one notch below red. Apart from this, everything seemed to be working fine.

I thought this was odd because :
* it hasn't done this before in similiar conditions
* it had a service around 500km before the trip
* I'm using the same type of oil as ever

The only thing that has changed was a new oil filter with the service. Apart from that, it's got me beat. Has anyone experienced this kind of thing? It's not really a major concern as I'm back to regular conditions (traffic, stop-start, etc), but it's got me thinking.. /:-|

 

[jaffa]

Hi Mike
You have identified the most probable culprit - the oil filter. A few months ago I was comparing oil filters in BigW. I normally buy Ryco but there was a special on Valvoline VO-1 equivalent so checked them out. Some were made by Ryco (identical manufacturing) and others were made in Korea. The Korean version had much smaller holes perforation around the paper element and not all the holes punched cleanly. I avoided these.
If the oil flow is restricted through the paper element (oil pressure increases) till bypass valve opens (then oil pressure decreases). Could this be happening in your case? Just a thought.
Regards

 

[Matts XR8]

HI Mike

I have the same thing going on with my ELII XR8 after 2000k service from ford in Newcastle so I took the car to a local bloke at Salamander Bay to look at and they told me they rang ford to ask them about this which ford told them that it was normal to do this I'm not to convinced at what I was told. So now I live in Port Macquarie I will look for a good mechanic If any one knows one?

Plus my 3 year warranty will be up next month any suggestions about what I should get done? As I have never had a warranty on a car before any help would be gratefully appreciative.

Thanks Matt

 

[Guest]

Mike,

I have had the same problem in my EF XR6. I have done several (4) filter and oil changes over the last twelve months, same problem continues. Have had oil pressure (supposedly) tested (OK). Still not convinced.

Having had enough I changed the oil sender at last service thinking maybe something there ... No. So still happens though no longer up into the red zone. Usually wanders between middle and top bar before red.

I have found out something after since talking with a well known Canberra taxi mechanic (most Canberra cabs are trusty six cylinder Falcons). There was apparently a minor problem with pressure gauges and oil sender units in the EF series. Gauges either incorrectly reading (high or low), gauges failing or sender units failing (usually light leak, carry over from EA's).

The only other thing that is a maybe is in the oil pickup from the sump.

The taxi mech message was better to read high than low and keep monitoring it. That's as far as I have gotten with it.

 

[Guest]

Mike,

Have had same on my EF XR6. Off the clock and continuing after several oil and filter changes. Have had oil pressure tested - OK, but I have no faith in the guy who did it after some problems with a clutch pedal mount and air/con.

Last Ford service I went to the extreme of changing sender unit after it finally drove me nutso, thinking that it's getting through from the sump but getting slowed somewhere else. So far so good, still reads into the top bar though usually middles out but no longer into the red zone.

A taxi mech in Canberra told me that there was a minor problem with the in dash pressure gauges in the EF (reading high or low or not at all) and a carry over from the EA's is sender unit failures, slight leaking at first. His thoughts were better high than low, just keep watching it.

I agree with the filter comments as I noticed that different filters 'held' off the problem for a while with new oil.

That's about as far as I have got since getting into it. Sender was only done in November so haven't got miles done to see what happens as the oil gets churned.

 

[paulmc]

G-Day Mike and others:

One other thing you might likr to look at - Ford is nortorious for overfilling the sump at service time. Might wan't to check that... Sometimes too high an oil pressure can be just as bad as a low one.

 

[XLR8]

Gday Mike...
I have the exact same problem. Im due for an oil change, so i will let you know the result post oil filter change!!

Rob

 

[Guest]

Beauty! All these responses! And I thought it'd be an isolated problem... ;-)

Thanks for all the comments guys.. and let us know what happens Rob!

Paul - I'll definitely check that out too. However, the service wasn't done at a dealer, just a local mech (with a lovely little discount card - only paid for parts!)

Cheers
Mike

 

[gl351xd]

get your self a manual pressure gauge and hook it up even if only tempory and go for a drive that way you will know if it's the gauge or not .
better to much than not enough

 

[BOON250]

G-Day Mike and others:

One other thing you might likr to look at - Ford is nortorious for overfilling the sump at service time. Might wan't to check that... Sometimes too high an oil pressure can be just as bad as a low one.

Thing is though the reason Ford overfill or any other dealer for that matter is because they use auto filling guns just like a gas pump. say a six cyl is supposed to hold 5.5 litres according to the specs thats exactly what they pump in. But how many times do you actually squeeze in 5.5 if you stand there dribbling oil in while checking on the dipstick till its on the fill mark. Last oil change I managed to get 5 in and thats only ater I let it drip out for a whole day.