Low Oil Pressure at Idle

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cadamwiggins

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2016
Posts
1
Reaction score
0
Ram Year
2005 ram 1500
Engine
4.7
Long time lurker, first time poster. If this topic is already being discussed elsewhere please move it to the appropriate thread. I have a 2005 ram 1500 with the 4.7l engine. Recently I have developed an issue with a low oil pressure warning. Only when the engine has warmed to operating temperature and only when coming to a stop. As soon as I stop my RPM's drop almost as if it is going to stall at the same time the warning for low oil pressure starts to go off if i press on the gas pedal the warning stops. I replaced the oil pressure sending unit but the problem hasn't been resolved. Someone told me it could be that the screen on the pickup tube could be clogged. I was also told there was an issue with the pickup tube not being wide enough and that it clogs quite easily and that replacements tubes have been made to remedy that.
So my questions are:
1. What are the most likely culprits for this issue?
2. Would it be best to start by pulling the pan and inspecting the tube and screen or is this issue more serious? If the screen is clogged is it easy to clean or should it be replaced
3. Is there any truth to there being an issue with the width of the pickup tube?
 

JAMMAN

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Posts
349
Reaction score
75
Ram Year
2002
Engine
4.7
Welcome to the forum first of all!

Well you have a common issue :)

How many miles are on it?

There are several things you will have to do to chase the problem away for a few thousand more miles.
You should start at the top, take valve covers off, remove all the sludge you can get to, and clean the oil return passages near the rear of the heads as best you can. New gaskets, replace covers.
Pull the oil pan, this will be a task. Clean pan as well as you can. Remove the pickup tube and clean sludge off screen and flush tube. The tube is just fine that isn't what is causing the sludge it is just a victim.
Re assemble, put clean oil in and start it up.

HOWEVER what I would do next is put a "T" fitting where you replaced the oil sending unit and attach one of those cheap oil gauges you can get at any auto parts store for under 20 bucks. This is the only way you can tell what the oil pressure really is and where it starts dipping. I don't know about your 05 but my oil gauge on the dash isn't a real gauge. It shows over half when the pressure is high enough to turn the light off and the minute the pressure dropped it went to zero.

If the pressure is still dropping at idle then you need to replace the pump which is another task as you have to go through the front of the motor under the timing chains.

If your motor has over 160,000 I would just plan on it being down for a while and replace everything you can!

You can substantially extend the life of these motors by repairing the oil problem before some major engine component gets starved for oil.
 
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