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1994 Ford Taurus Oil pressure light

Tiny
RSUKOVICH
  • MEMBER
  • 1994 FORD TAURUS
Engine Mechanical problem
1994 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 160K miles

Re: 3.8 L engine. OIL LIGHT STAYS ON. New Oil (10W 30), New filter, New oil pressure switch. Berore I installed the switch, the adapter that it is screwed in to was cleaned. Also, before I put the new filter on I determined that the pump is working by leaving the filter off and turning the engine over and the oil came gushing out of the filter adapter. I put the new filter on and started the engine and the light came on. I noticed one other thing, as follows; I have always did my own oil changes and noticed that when you first start an engine up there are a few seconds before the oil pressure kicks in and the light could/would be on momentarily until that happens and then the light would go off. With the problem I'm having now, it seems that the light came on after the oil pressure kicked in, like it's reverse of what it should be.L Also, is a short a possibility.
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Saturday, May 1st, 2010 AT 3:47 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Hi rsukovich, Welcome to 2carpros and TY for the donation

What you need to do here is check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge this will tell you what's with the oil pump and pressure relief valve-Do you hear any type of knocking noises such as thudding and thumping-if so could mean engine bearings
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Saturday, May 1st, 2010 AT 5:22 PM
Tiny
RSUKOVICH
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This is a sound engine and even when I run it with the light on, it's solid, no knocks no taps, nothing. I can't believe the problems I ran in to with this car. It all started with a simple water pump replacement which balooned in to a full blow repair because I couldn't get a stubborn stud out and I had to remove the front cover and the oil pan, name it. Before I did this, this car was running like a gem and nothing happened in the interim to cause an engine breakdown and that's why I am baffled.
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Saturday, May 1st, 2010 AT 9:57 PM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Could be an open or short wiring or the gauge itself-you need to test from the siwtch to the gauge to confirm
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Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 AT 2:34 PM
Tiny
RSUKOVICH
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  • 84 POSTS
Hi razmatz. I have to assume that the pressure switch is good, as well as the old new one that I took out. I checked them both with a multimenter and the readings are the same. At this point, I am calling the presure switch "good", I was able to get a wiring diagram and it appears that the circuit goes directly to the instrument cluster, so am I correct in assuming that the problem has to be a break or short between the switch and the cluster. I am sure you experienced that when you get hung up in a problem like this, the more people you get involved the more suggestions you get. (I won't repeat the one I got from my wife). Someone suggested that I disconnect the main computer and then reconnect suggesting that it has to reset itself.?
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Monday, May 3rd, 2010 AT 10:00 PM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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You can try what was suggested don't work test the wire all the way to the cluster wire good, its gonna entail with the cluster-
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 AT 6:07 AM
Tiny
RSUKOVICH
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Hey Razmataz. I have the answer. I called the manufacturer of the switch this morning & they had some interesting information to give me. Although my car is a '94, it probably has a '95 engine, wich uses a different switch in that it is a normally closed rather than normally open. This accounts for the light coming on after the car has started and is pumping oil. Tomorrow I will install the new switch & if they are right, my repair is complete & I can use the car again. You might want to put this info in your archives to use if it comes up with someone else with the same problem. Thanks for your help & I'll let you know how it goes. Bob
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 AT 9:13 PM
Tiny
RSUKOVICH
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  • 84 POSTS
Hi Razmataz. I got the oil light problem ironed out. Like I said earlier, my engine is a '95 instead of a '94 and the oil pressure swithches work in reverse. Now I got it started seemed to be doing good in the driveway, raced it a few times, running even and I decided to take it around the block. I backed out of the driveway and put it in gear an it was very sluggish and by the time I got back to the house, it stalled a couple of times and sounded like it was hitting on 4 cylinders. It's almost like the coil shut down or the ignition wires gave out. The plugs are new as well as a new rotor and cap.
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 6:23 AM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Is this a distributor or DIS?

Check your fuel pressure if its within specs if okay -test the coil/s, ICM, CMH and CPS sensors
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010 AT 5:30 PM
Tiny
RSUKOVICH
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It's a distributor. I'm happy to say, though, that the problem turned out to be a couple of wires and all is corrected and the car is running like a charm again. THANK YOU, RAZMATAZ FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP. BOB
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Sunday, May 9th, 2010 AT 6:26 AM

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