2003 chevy 1500 5.3L Oil Pressure Problem

[LD1]

Another UPDATE:

I called 2 dealers this morning, both about the same distance away. The first one told me that they are warrentied to 100,000miles. I have 99,113 now. He said he could get me in today to diagnose it. If it is the guage, No charge and I'd have to schedule an appt. to get it fixed. (he said he is booked today but would get me in for the diag before I go over on miles). If it is NOT the guages, I'll still have to go back for further diagnosis, and would be charged $82 for the diag fee. That is why I am hesitant. I want to be absolutly sure it is the cluster, because for that kind of money, I can get the propper fittings and hook up a mech. guage.

The second dealer was of no help. Said it is only covered 100% to 70000mi or 7years, and between 70k-80k miles, that only parts are covered but not labor. I guess I'm not going there.

I may call one other dealer that is also about the same distance. I just had to get on the computer to look their # up so I thought I'd give an update.

 

[firefighter jim]

I would go buy a cheap mechanical gauge an install it with a T where the sending unit goes.

That being said my friend is a GM guy and had the same issue with his truck about the same era and miles. His ended up being a cam bearing and a new motor cost what the truck was worth. He sold the truck with a bad motor to a high school kid who had a wrecked truck with a good motor.

My guess is its a cam bearing like his. The main reason is his mechanic told him they were usually the culprit.

Chris

Never heard of a cam bearing going bad. That's a first.........(unless of course the oil hole wasn't properly lined up when installed)..............

 

[Soundguy]

My guess is its metric. All the mechanical OP gauges I have bought came with 4 or 5 different fittings and I always found one to fit. Did yours not come with multiple fittings?

Chris

ditto that. I know sunpro makes adapter packs for their gauges.. have used them in tractors.. etc.. I think az carries them.

soundguy

 

[LD1]

I really dont think its anything mechanical. Oil is always clean when changed, runs good, etc. And just to point out that most newer blocks, it doesn't matter which way the hole is pointing because there is a radial groove around the journal. Just as long as the hole is over the groove and not in too far/not enough.

But as an Update to everything, the 3rd dealer also said 80k miles is all that is warrented. I called the one back that said 100k and he did some more looking into it and said it is only 80k. All dealers agreed that it is probabally just a guage malfunction as that is pretty common.

So, I didn't take it in to the dealer, but I had some other errands to run. Was out and about for about 3 hours today and at least 1hr straight with the truck running, and the guage is working flawlessly:confused2:

Maybe taking the sending unit out, fiddling around trying to install the mech guage, and then giving up and just re-installing the sending unit has wiggled something just right as to not be giving me the problem anymore. But for the last 6 months it hasn't worked correctly not even once.

As this isn't my daily driver, I guess I won't worry about it anymore. It's no big deal to me.

 

[Soundguy]

does that model have the 'low oil level' lamp?

soundguy

 

[timswi]

does that model have the 'low oil level' lamp?

soundguy

On my '04 it comes up on the message center...At least it's supposed to do.Never had this problem. My '01 Tahoe had the same thing. The Hummer also has this. That would explain the guage being bad and not the sensor or the message sensor would signal an alarm.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. my 00 yukon has it in the message center. And since the POS uses enough oil in between changes to actually have to top off.. I know it works ( did it from new... dealer said it was normal.. )



soundguy

 

[carpenter383]

You can narrow it down a bit, sending units work on a variable ground.
Unhook the wire from the sending unit and it should peg the guage, ground the wire to the block and the guage should read 0.
If the guage goes through a full travel your prob. most likley is in the wiring or computer. That's just my .02, don't use it as gospel, good luck!

 

[LD1]

You can narrow it down a bit, sending units work on a variable ground.
Unhook the wire from the sending unit and it should peg the guage, ground the wire to the block and the guage should read 0.
If the guage goes through a full travel your prob. most likley is in the wiring or computer. That's just my .02, don't use it as gospel, good luck!

I was actually going to do that, but It seems my chilton wiring schematic excludes the OP sending unit. AND it is NOT a 1 wire unit. It has 3 wires. I am not entirely sure what the 3 go to but If I recall correctally, on other 3 wire sensors, one is the 5v feed fron the computer, one sends the signal back to the computer to be then forwarded to the guage, and the third goes directly to the guage??? If anyone can find a schematic on it, I would appreciate it. I am not at home to verify but I think they are black, white and green wires.

But even if the guage is bad, it is an intermitten problem, so this may not be able to tell me anything except that the guage is working at THAT moment, 30 minutes later, who knows??

As far as the low oil level lamp, I'm not sure. The schematic does show a oil level sending unit, but I didn't even look at that. Oil is in the correct range on the dipstick and no lights in the dash are on other than the MIL with a code P0449.

I am not certain wether it has a warning light for OP or not. If it does it hasn't came on. I will try to find out later. But I would think it has a little round amber light, like the one that comes on when fuel level guage is on E. I have no way to verify, because when the key is first cycled on, I don't think these lights come on.

 

[Soundguy]

does yours have a message center?

soundguy