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Oil Pressure too high ??

This is a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, V-8, 150,000 miles.

Up until this week, the oil pressure would go up to about 50 lbs when cold, then would settle down to around 40 lbs, and about 35 lbs at idle.

All of a sudden, the oil pressure gauge shows 70 lbs of pressure at full speed, and down to about 50 lbs at idle. But at driving speeds, it stays up at 70 lbs, even after it is warm.

Thus, I have an increase of 20-30 lbs of overall oil pressure.

I have checked my oil level, and it is normal.

What caused this? Is it bad to have too high oil pressure? Can the sending unit be bad ? I had thought not, as these readings are stable, and not erratic.

Any ideas or advice ? (don't laugh.... I guess the advice will be to be glad to have good oil pressure on an engine with 150k miles... ha ha)

Thanks !!

James

Reply to
James
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Hi James, I would start by cleaning the connection at the oil pressure switch. If it's on the oil pump side of the filter like the six, a clog filter could do it. So go ahead change them. And, of course many times it's the switch that fails, maybe leaking oil on the other side of it's diaphragm. That's why Real Jeeps have aftermarket oil and temperature gauges by a major manufacture, like Stewart Warner, or Auto Meter. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

Bad sending unit.

If it was just pegged at 70 I'd say the wire to the sensor was loose, but creeping high pressure is a sign of a sender going bad.

Reply to
DougW

My first thought would be a bad sending unit or a bad gauge. I installed a mech gauge on my Jeep (that's another story) so I know the pressure reading is accurate. High oil pressure is not generally a concern, but if this is a new develoment, there may be a problem with the pressure relief valve. Also, if you recently switched to a higher-viscosity oil this will also show higher readings. I'm not sure that you have a problem. That's my $.02

John

Reply to
John

Thanks Bill !!

James

Reply to
James

With the caution that I do not know how much it costs on your particular Grand, the failure on the pressure sensor is usually internal, where replacing it is reasonably cheap and quite simple. The sensors on the Grands are notoriously flaky and unreliable.

Reply to
Lon Stowell

As most of you advised, it was the oil pressure sending unit that was defective. With the installation of a new one, the oil pressure readings are in the normal range for this car/ 40/60 lbs from idle to full speed.

thanks for the help !!

James

Reply to
James

Glad to know that was the problem.

Seems in about 99% of the cases (the other

1% being where the engine goes paff) it's the pressure sender.
Reply to
DougW

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