Oil light came on after an oil change

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
1,840
Location
.
Okay I tried to find an answer prior to posting with no luck. My 1997 F150 (4.6 Windsor) bought new in March of 1996 now with 240,000 miles on it had an oil light (as well as dummy gauge drop) come on for the first time. Here's a timeline:

11/02/2012-Changed oil with M1 5w30 & FL820S filter. This is the same combo I have mostly used since this vehicle had 36,000 miles. It has always had FL820S filters no exceptions.

11/04/2012-Engine RPM @ 1200 climbing a hill around 30MPH, the oil light comes on, no engine noises. Within 1 second I shut the truck off. I check things out. I restart the truck and it was like nothing happened. I ran it for 2 hours without incident.

11/16/2012-(this truck was used one other time between here and 11/04). I run the truck for a few hours in city driving. I shut it off, then restart it and within the first quarter mile, it sounds like all the lifters are starving for oil, then the oil light comes on. I shut off, then restart, drive it for 60 miles like nothing ever happened.

11/23/2012-There is now 250 miles on this oil change and the same thing happened like it did on 11/16. I pulled into an AutoZone and changed the filter (this time a Bosch) in the parking lot. Since then I have put 30 miles on with no incident. I think it is still to early to tell.

My question is, does anyone think it was the filter or is there still a possibility it could be an oil pump overpressure/check valve? The light will come on regardless whether it is driven easy or hard. It kind of baffles me that the problem disappears when restarting.

Would I see anything if I cut open the filter?

This truck has great compression, burns about 1/2qt of oil in 8500 miles, the engine has zero sludge and when the cylinders were scoped you can still see the honing marks with no ridge. I drive it conservatively with occasional high RPM's when passing on 2 lane highways.

If the light comes on again, I might change the oil pump which I'm not looking forward to pulling the timing chain and related parts off, but if I have to do it, I guess it has to be done.
 
Any chance you have 5w20 instead of 5w30? I would check oil pressure with a good gauge before tearing apart to put a new pump etc in. Maybe the oil pressure sender is bad but, you didn't say whether the light and gauge run off the same sender unit. Ed
 
I've had a bad filter before that caused an oil light. I was mad I didn't try that sooner. As far as cutting it open, some people have on here then sent the filter to the manufacturer for a refund and were rejected for tampering. I would just hold on to it for now in case something bad results.
 
Last edited:
Verify oil pressure with a mechanical gauge. If the pressure is fine, the sender is probably toast.

However, if your issue doesn't recur, then I may be inclined to lean toward a defective filter, which you are already in the process of testing for
thumbsup2.gif
 
Good advise folks. I'll buy a mechanical gauge and run it through the firewall via a rubber plug (provision for clutch) near the column. I''l try not to wreck as I'm staring constantly at the gauge.
smirk.gif
 
"Sounds as though the lifters are starving for oil." This statement alone makes it almost certain that you are not delivering oil through the engine. If the filter change doesn't work, is it possible that the pickup screen for the oil pump has something on it? Did you ever drop anything in the oil fill hole that might be picked up by the screen?
 
I agree with Boomer. Regardless of what the gauges indicate, lifter noise is a definite indication of oil starvation. After messing with the oil filter, there's not much you can do before you start taking the engine apart.

Your problem is intermittent.
 
Responding from Ohio Stadium

Good stuff. I don't think anything fell in there, but I'm not 100% sure. The change was done in my pole barn which is relatively dirt free. Once again, after a zillion oil changes anything is possible. The oil level is good. Oil pan removal is easy enough. I drove it to Ohio Stadium from about 30 miles away without incident which is good. My fellow tailgaters would not have been happy.
 
Good work for shutting the car down quickly after the oil light came on. Likely no damage was done. I would also be leaning towards filter, or something that is being sucked up to cover the pickup and then falling back down into the sump when you shut the motor off. But the filter is the easiest thing to check, so go with that first (as you did).

Even though I don't think damage was done, probably wouldn't hurt to not cut open the filter just in case you need to send it in for a claim. Wait a bit to be sure.
 
Originally Posted By: Michael_P
Responding from Ohio Stadium


Michigan "Go Blue"
 
Last edited:
I'd say it's defiantly not oil but a mechanical issue, either hopefully with the filter or maybe oil pump... As large as the pickup screen is on most engines, I doubt there is anything in the pan that would completely block it... That said I have seen a 428 Super Cobra Jet engine that had about half of a assembly tag in the pan... Had been in there for 75K mi without causing any issues...
 
From your description, it sounds like a defective filter. This rarely happens. It would be very interesting to cut the filter open and have a look. Keep us posted. Excellent idea, installing a mechanical oil pressure gauge.
 
Well. It's been 5 days since I temporarily installed an oil gauge. So far I have seen nothing below 23PSI and the gauge will go as high as 70PSI on the 5w30. So far so good. No lifter noise since the oil filter change which is good. When I first heard those lifters with the old filter, I heard them over a loud playing radio hammering very loudly. I hope never to hear that noise again. Thanks for all the advise and unless something changes, I think I'm good to go.
grin.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top