Help!!!!

[jdurham]

Well, I just got through towing a 3400# race car on an 18' open trailer with my 1990 2wd D350. After a long pull at max speed (approx. 78mph) pulling off the interstate where the truck is at idle, the red oil light comes on. If I accelerate the light goes off. During all times, the gauge reads within proper operating range. Am I about to lose the oil pump/engine, or is this a common problem? Also, is there a seperate sending unit for the light? I just changed the oil about 3 weeks ago, and it is full.



Jim

 

[R.E. Miller]

Benn there done that.

Jim,

I'll bet a lot of money that your OP sender went, I have had two go on me, and they were quite similar. But... . and I say BUT, just don't run out and replace it. I warn of this because I was just towing a similar race car set-up, and nearly the same thing happened, except the gauge quit too :-{} Long story short, that sender was a genuine mopar part and it stopped working. Great, when I went to replace somebody was on my side, the sender not only quit, the internals failed as I pulled into the parts store lot..... OIL EVERYWHERE My point, if that would have happened while I was towing, I would not have known until it was a $6K mistake. So for 60-70 bucks I installed a mechanical gauge and feel a lot better



Hope this helps,

Russell

 

[Nordby]

Mine does this, on hot days, no pulling, just driving. Your idle might be a touch off where the idle gets low enough and the oil is thin enough due to heat that you are not generating enough pressure to keep the light from coming on.



If a very light touch to the accelerater turns the light off, then your idle speed might be the problem, make sure it is within spec.



If so, listen to jdurham, these senders go bad.



later,jon

 

[jdurham]

Thanks for the help, I'll check out the idle and the sender. I guess it scared me because I've heard how many miles you can put on a CTD, and lately mine has started to puff blue smoke when I first start it. I have done a lot of rebuilds on gas engines, but never messed with diesels, so that blue smoke makes me cringe and wait for something bad to happen. Mine has less than 80K. Also, about a month ago, the odometer quit, and the speedo doesn't work until about 40mph, where it jumps up to seemingly the correct position. Any ideas? Are all these problems normal, or is my truck suddenly disintegrating before my eyes? We'll see what this thing will try on me next.



Thanks again!

Jim

 

[AlK]

Jim,

Check the speed/distance sensor electrical connection under the truck. Pull the electrical connection apart and clean it with an electrical contact spray and you may also want to take the speed/distance sensor apart and give a good cleaning. This usually solves the eratic speedometer problems.

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Al