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Can a dirty oil pan screen cause flickering oil light at idle only when warm? DOHC

9K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  Lgbpop 
#1 · (Edited)
Trying to figure out a flickering oil light problem with my 2000 Ford Taurus SEL V6 DOHC (Duratec) w/150k miles after long trips.

It only happens after 20+ miles of driving and only flickers when the car is stopped in P or D and idling. It doesn't happen if I let the car warm up and idle at operating temp with hot air blowing through the inside vents in the driveway.

I figure if the screen was dirty, it would also happen before the engine warmed up. Maybe even more when it is cold since the oil would be thicker and more difficult to pass through the screen.

My question is: Can a dirty oil pickup screen cause a flickering oil light only when the engine is warm at idle?

Heard taking the oil pan off is a pain on this car and might consider having a professional diagnose and do the repairs if so.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Do you mean your pickup screen? What has your oil looked like when you've changed it does it come out in lumps? (sorry) When and what viscosity of oil did you use on your last change. Oil pressure senders can also break down giving false readings. If its not the sender I would do an oil press check just in case its something more serious causing potential damage. Because if you start hearing different sounds from engine during operation its too late.
 
#4 · (Edited)
About to change the oil and filter as a last resort before I have to take it to a pro. I don't think it is the oil pressure sending unit because it seems to me that the oil light would come on during a warm idle in my driveway as well. The oil was changed with a napa gold (wix?) filter less than a couple months ago with no lumps in the oil. I used 5w-30 at the oil change since 5w-20 was unavailable and heard that heavier oil might help on older engines so I used the 5w-30.
 
#6 ·
If your car is rusty the pan is difficult. If not, pan is simple. But it could just as easily be the sending unit.


I've have the same problem, had a leak with the valve gaskets (?) and I thought that was causing it. The light stopped coming on for a while but its back on now every day ... Anyways I'm ordering the Bluetooth diagnostic thing with android, it monitors the oil pressure. If the sending unit is bad, I take it it'll send false readings to the device that its sending to? Local auto tech says if the oil light was supposed to be on it'd be spilling oil everywhere so he recommended changing it but.. I don't want to waste the 70$

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#9 ·
Good first thing to check. Sounds as if your current oil is old and has lost viscosity. Thin it out a bit with the ATF, run it then change it for fresh oil. Make sure you use the recommended viscosity for your model year and engine!
 
#13 ·
An oil pump is a positive displacement gear pump. The oil flow is directly related to the rpms and is not affected by the inlet pressure. If there is enough flow at highway speed it has enough flow at idle. The pressure is created by the bearing clearances and oil viscosity and the flow of the pump. The flickering light is either caused by excessive bearing clearances or worn oil pump and not by restricted inlet screen. If the screen was so plugged the screen would collapse from the suction. Since the outlet flow is produced by the space between two gear teeth meshing together it never sees the inlet pressures.
 
#15 ·
Trying to figure out a flickering oil light problem with my 2000 Ford Taurus SEL V6 DOHC (Duratec) w/150k miles after long trips.

It only happens after 20+ miles of driving and only flickers when the car is stopped in P or D and idling. It doesn't happen if I let the car warm up and idle at operating temp with hot air blowing through the inside vents in the driveway.

I figure if the screen was dirty, it would also happen before the engine warmed up. Maybe even more when it is cold since the oil would be thicker and more difficult to pass through the screen.

My question is: Can a dirty oil pickup screen cause a flickering oil light only when the engine is warm at idle?

Heard taking the oil pan off is a pain on this car and might consider having a professional diagnose and do the repairs if so.
I have had many cars, maybe near 30 over 56 years. I have had one with a plugged oil screen. It was '55 ford V-8. It was fine at idle but lost pressure according to the gage as the rpm went up. I tore the engine down and it was worn bad. Old school, I put gasoline on the screen and burned it out. Could not scrub it wout with kerosene and a brush. But that is old school. The pump is positive displacement and pumps more volume with higher rpm and the excess is returned through a relief valve. The engine uses more oil flow with higher rpm. With the screen mostly plugged it got enough flow for idle but not enough for high rpm. It is positive dist on outlet but not inlet. Suction on the oil causes bubbles/foam and loss of volume to the pump.

So my take, likely bad sender unit or just worn engine. In any case, I have seen many engines run with the oil light on at idle and run years just fine. If it does not make noise, keep on keeping on.

Best of luck.

-chart-
 
#18 ·
It describes exactly as excessive bearing clearances. De-Sludging the engine might be a stake in the heart. Just change the oil and see what happens first. You can always go back and step up the attack, but if you go too far on the first round, you'll kill the motor.

Baby steps.

Go to 10w30 oil.

You could TRY to change the oil sending unit, but if it is turning on and off it is probably just fine. They BREAK when they break, not change tolerances and keep working.
 
#22 ·
Do the ATF trick. Seafoam may be too harsh and it has to come out. ATF can stay in the whole oil change if need be. I've replaced 1/2 qt of ATF in a full oil change in MANY cars and never had an oil related failure. Including my 01 Duratec Wagon. Old school trick.
 
#23 ·
So what oil should I use when I change it? weight/brand/formula?

Have one person saying 5W20 and others saying heavier oil since the engine is old.

Does the ATF trick thin the oil? Won't that make the problem worse (considering it is most likely worn bearings)? And should I add the ATF after the oil change as well?
 
#25 ·
MARVEL MYSTERY DID THE JOB EVERY TIME FOR ME!

Remove the oil cap and look at the condition of the engine. If you see that the motor is coated with a brownish red layer of crude you need to clean that stuff off without having it break loose and destroy the motor. And, the only safe way I know to do this is the slow reliable way by adding a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil at every oil change. If this isn't fast enough for you, use a full synthetic oil with the quart of MMO to speed up the dissolving of the dino oil junk build up in the motor. I've also heard of the ATF thing, but I am not brave enough to try it when MMO has worked for 50 years without an engine failure of any kind.

My 05 Sable Duratec when I got it was using a quart every 1,500 to 2,000 miles and after four or five 3,000 mile oil changes, she would go the full distance using less than a quart. Then increased the change interval to 5,000 miles and now at 100,000 miles on the odometer, I am considering extending the change to 10,000 miles. Whether this will fix the intermittent oil light or not is still up for grabs.
 
#26 ·
Engines also do not wear the way they did a generation or more ago. 150K miles these days is just broken in. Really - why not start out with the simplest cure first, with a bit of ATF in an immediate oil change followed by a fresh change in 1000 miles or so with factory-recommended 5W20 and see what happens?

FWIW, I do oil changes at recommended intervals after all these years with the 5W30 recommended by Ford at the time in my 1990 factory service manual. I was leery the first few years, what with the car being in Florida heat and all, but I still don't burn a drop of oil and I've never had any lifter clatter either. It sounds as good with 182,000 miles on it as it did when I bought it with 74,000 miles on the clock in late 1997.

I'm not easy on the car, either - I'm a leadfoot and wringing what little acceleration I can out of a Vulcan involves a lot of 4500rpm shift points from first to second gear.
 
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