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ab_slack
Well-Known Member
This is a 2002 Explorer with a 4.6L V8.
I just had another oil level surprise. 2 1/2 quarts low. Nothing to give any hint of a problem (dash indicator) which really irks me.
I don't know if this lack of any indication a typical problem or just something unique to this explorer.
Some history...
I purchased this explorer used back in 2007 with 80K miles on it. Within a week of taking delivery, it was running odd. I don't remember what it was I noticed, but there was no indication of any oil problem. I did a basic fluids check and found the oil low. Had it towed back to the dealer and they said the oil was radically low and that the engine was shot. Used car dealer honored their warranty and replaced the engine with a salvage yard engine. That ran fine. I was concerned about lack of low indication, had oil pressure switch checked out with the replacement engine and all was fine. It never crossed my mind I would have to check the oil before the end of my first tank of fuel.
About 70K miles later in 2011 I was making a left turn, no hint of engine problems I heard a distinct tap tap tap (just three). The fake pressure guage hooked with the switch never moved off center. I checked oil at my destination just a mile down the road. The oil level was not showing on the stick. I poured a quart in, still nothing. I put a total of four quarts in and just got an indication on the bottom of the stick.
And too late, while it had not made a single extra tap between that turn and when I stopped, after having gotten oil in it, the tap returned and got worse and worse and required major engine work again. And why was it that low on oil to begin with? Apparently at the last oil change I had done they torqued the oil plug too much and stripped it so it was leaking slowly even when I wasn't driving it. Parked over dirt with other oil marks I didn't pick up on it.
So with this last instance, is there some indicator missing that might signal before it gets so low? Or is the oil pressure switch set at such a low pressure threshold as to provide zero warning before engine damage?
On one of my old BIIs it went thru oil and if it got low, at idle with the engine hot I would see the red idiot light flicker. I once even had an oil filter spring a leak squirt the oil out so fast that just seconds after the first flicker of the light all the valves were tapping away. Far worse than anything I heard out of the 4.6L and putting oil back in, it was fine. I guess the 2.9L just let me be sloppy in a way the 4.6L (or any other car/engine) I've ever had.
I know I am far from good with this stuff, but I know I am better than many. Shouldn't an idiot light (or idiot gauge as in the case of this explorer) provide some useful benefit for an idiot?
On our 99 Ranger we plumbed in a actual gauge to read in parallel with the idiot gauge because it kept not-reading anything at times.
Would doing this be any benefit with the 4.6L? If it was down a couple quarts would that show in an actual gauge? Or is the engine design such that pressure alone is not a good indicator of the lubrication status and it again be possible with this 4.6L to see no abnormalities in pressure and suddenly get tap tap tap?
If there is benefit, we will figure out how to get a real guage in there.
If there should be another warning or maybe the pressure switch is insensitive, that be good to know.
I just had another oil level surprise. 2 1/2 quarts low. Nothing to give any hint of a problem (dash indicator) which really irks me.
I don't know if this lack of any indication a typical problem or just something unique to this explorer.
Some history...
I purchased this explorer used back in 2007 with 80K miles on it. Within a week of taking delivery, it was running odd. I don't remember what it was I noticed, but there was no indication of any oil problem. I did a basic fluids check and found the oil low. Had it towed back to the dealer and they said the oil was radically low and that the engine was shot. Used car dealer honored their warranty and replaced the engine with a salvage yard engine. That ran fine. I was concerned about lack of low indication, had oil pressure switch checked out with the replacement engine and all was fine. It never crossed my mind I would have to check the oil before the end of my first tank of fuel.
About 70K miles later in 2011 I was making a left turn, no hint of engine problems I heard a distinct tap tap tap (just three). The fake pressure guage hooked with the switch never moved off center. I checked oil at my destination just a mile down the road. The oil level was not showing on the stick. I poured a quart in, still nothing. I put a total of four quarts in and just got an indication on the bottom of the stick.
And too late, while it had not made a single extra tap between that turn and when I stopped, after having gotten oil in it, the tap returned and got worse and worse and required major engine work again. And why was it that low on oil to begin with? Apparently at the last oil change I had done they torqued the oil plug too much and stripped it so it was leaking slowly even when I wasn't driving it. Parked over dirt with other oil marks I didn't pick up on it.
So with this last instance, is there some indicator missing that might signal before it gets so low? Or is the oil pressure switch set at such a low pressure threshold as to provide zero warning before engine damage?
On one of my old BIIs it went thru oil and if it got low, at idle with the engine hot I would see the red idiot light flicker. I once even had an oil filter spring a leak squirt the oil out so fast that just seconds after the first flicker of the light all the valves were tapping away. Far worse than anything I heard out of the 4.6L and putting oil back in, it was fine. I guess the 2.9L just let me be sloppy in a way the 4.6L (or any other car/engine) I've ever had.
I know I am far from good with this stuff, but I know I am better than many. Shouldn't an idiot light (or idiot gauge as in the case of this explorer) provide some useful benefit for an idiot?
On our 99 Ranger we plumbed in a actual gauge to read in parallel with the idiot gauge because it kept not-reading anything at times.
Would doing this be any benefit with the 4.6L? If it was down a couple quarts would that show in an actual gauge? Or is the engine design such that pressure alone is not a good indicator of the lubrication status and it again be possible with this 4.6L to see no abnormalities in pressure and suddenly get tap tap tap?
If there is benefit, we will figure out how to get a real guage in there.
If there should be another warning or maybe the pressure switch is insensitive, that be good to know.
