Oil pressure (searched)

First off, why is it whenever i type in words in the search box "Oil pressure" it brings me back posts that have nothing to do w/ that? Anyways, i found a post about it but no solution so i was just wondering, my g/f is driving her 1998 cherokee classic w/ around 85k miles on it. Whenever she's in traffic she says the oil pressure gauge reads at the notch right above zero. And gets progressivly worse the longer she sits in traffic. She's at school now and is nervous about the drive back home this evening so can i tell her its ok for now till she gets home? Second the other post i found said it could be the oil pressure sending unit. I called the stealership b/c auto zone didnt carry it and they need the vin number for some retarded reason so i obviously couldnt get a price for one, anyone know if thats the cheap part to troubleshoot first? Or should i start w/ an oil filter? Finally Can it be something worse like the actually oil pump inside the oil pan? How difficult is that to replace? Thanks for any info.

P.S we run 10-30 if it makes a difference.

Most run 10-30 oil,Its recomended,Unless very high milage.
Yes the sending unit is the place to start first .A 98 SHOULD have only one type available,unlike earlier years that had either guages or lights.
When was the last oil change,if over 3000 miles,change it and the filter NOT with a Fram.
Unless the engine is knocking or no oil pressure above idle it should be able to get her home.
What were the other guages doing,a loose electrical connection could give a false reading.The wire connectors are known to come loose on the cluster in these model years.
Wayne

The other guages she said were normal ranges not jumping around or anything either. As for the last oil change, i maintain it routinely and it is at 2300 right now so its not due for another 700 miles, but i can do it now, no big deal. I know about fram so thats not a problem. Thanks for the response. Napa has the sending unit for 40 bux so i'll start there, is it tough to replace? Any right ups or anything? Thanks

JeepXJ93 said:

The other guages she said were normal ranges not jumping around or anything either. As for the last oil change, i maintain it routinely and it is at 2300 right now so its not due for another 700 miles, but i can do it now, no big deal. I know about fram so thats not a problem. Thanks for the response. Napa has the sending unit for 40 bux so i'll start there, is it tough to replace? Any right ups or anything? Thanks

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The sender is very easy to replace. It's screwed into the block just behind the filter adapter. You'll see it with its wire connector right next to the filter. Standard 1/8 NPT threads, just screw it in well.

Guy at napa asked me if its the gauge kind or warning light kind....anyone have any ideas? I havent looked at it yet so i'm in the dark as to what exactly it looks like or is for that matter. Thanks again guys.

Wayne Sihler said:

...When was the last oil change,if over 3000 miles,change it and the filter NOT with a Fram...

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JeepXJ93 said:

...I know about fram so thats not a problem...

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What's wrong with using Fram? I bought a '00 XJ a month ago, needs an oil-change within the next couple hundred miles. On my 5.2 Ram I used to own, I always used a Fram oil filter(not Tough Guard etc.), I noticed no problems... The 4.0's don't like it or something? I'd like to keep my XJ goin for a long time, I don't mess things up... What do ya'll recommend? Napa? Mopar?

JeepXJ93 said:

Guy at napa asked me if its the gauge kind or warning light kind....anyone have any ideas? I havent looked at it yet so i'm in the dark as to what exactly it looks like or is for that matter. Thanks again guys.

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If your XJ has an oil pressure gauge, it's the gauge kind. The warning light kind is only a "on-off" type switch, whereas the gauge sending unit is a variable resistor that changes it's resistance based on oil pressure, and the resistance of it determines where the oil pressure gauge points. Hope this helps!

Bowzer said:

What's wrong with using Fram? I bought a '00 XJ a month ago, needs an oil-change within the next couple hundred miles. On my 5.2 Ram I used to own, I always used a Fram oil filter(not Tough Guard etc.), I noticed no problems... The 4.0's don't like it or something? I'd like to keep my XJ goin for a long time, I don't mess things up... What do ya'll recommend? Napa? Mopar?

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Do a search on Fram filters,I will only say that I had the filter media come out of the small holes in a PH-8 filter on my 440 truck motor.Stopped using Fram then.I now use Purolator or Wix(napa).
Wayne

MightyXJ said:

If your XJ has an oil pressure gauge, it's the gauge kind.

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That deffinatly gives me the idea. Your saying on the instrument panel, if its a gauge thats that or otherwise its the light or do i need to get under the hood to actually see if there is a guage under there too? Thanks

There is NO gauge under the hood. He is refering to the instrument panel inside the XJ. Also, you already answered the q' of a gauge- reread your thread. You said that your g/f said the needle was at the mark just above "zero", right? Then you have a gauge.

cool thankyou.

Bowzer said:

What's wrong with using Fram? I bought a '00 XJ a month ago, needs an oil-change within the next couple hundred miles. On my 5.2 Ram I used to own, I always used a Fram oil filter(not Tough Guard etc.), I noticed no problems... The 4.0's don't like it or something? I'd like to keep my XJ goin for a long time, I don't mess things up... What do ya'll recommend? Napa? Mopar?

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At around 5,000mi I went from factory mopars on my 98 to mobil-1 oil and filters, occasional mopar filter as I had bought a case of them as well as mopar air filters the day I picked up the jeep in dec 97. I also use K&N when I'm out of mobil-1 filters as all the stores around here stock them.
I've had two fram cans literally blow off their bases on my 2.8L S10 and my trooper II. Tried Purolator but on cold starts it took like 30 seconds for oil pressure to build which is an anti-drainback issue that I have not run into with Mobil-1 or K&N. I did have a few issuses with K&N a couple of years ago, they seemed to come loose, might have been the O ring material they were using but the last few times I've used them the problem has not returned.
When I install a filter I use one of those sockets that goes on the end of a 3/8 ratchet, this works on the Mobil-1 filters but the K&N uses a 1" nut on the bottom of the can so after I get it hand tight I tighten it about 3/4 of a turn or until it 'feels' right with a BF 1" box wrench, soon as remember to look and I find a 1" ractchet box wrench I'll buy and use that. Reminds me, need to get down to the parts store and pickup the case of Mobil-1 filters I ordered monday. We have 3 jeeps, xj and 2 tj's, and they all take the same filter...

JeepXJ93 said:

That deffinatly gives me the idea. Your saying on the instrument panel, if its a gauge thats that or otherwise its the light or do i need to get under the hood to actually see if there is a guage under there too? Thanks

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Guage As is guage on the dash board.

ren said:

You said that your g/f said the needle was at the mark just above "zero", right? Then you have a gauge.

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verify it yourself....most women cant read anything other than COSMO.

LOL she has a pile of those mags. in her room too, yea i told her i'd be taking her jeep over the weekend to make sure.

My '98s doing the same thing (93k)... once the oil warms up, the needle hovers around that first mark on the gauge (10 psi). Normal driving is at 40 psi.

The motor runs great and doesn't leave me any reason to believe there are bearing issues. The next time I change the oil (~2500 miles) I'll switch to my typical regimen of Mobil Delvac 15W-40 and AC Delco filters. Then I might try a new sending unit, just for kicks.

A friend of mine has an '88 F-150 with a pesky oil pressure sending unit. Combined with a poor oil pan design, it got so bad that the engine would cut out when he made sharp turns, since there's a "no oil pressure" kill switch.