Oil Pressure Guage Reading 0


dandaman

GT Owner
Apr 8, 2007
113
Tyler, Tx
I helped a friend buy a Ford GT this month that had 38 miles on it. He has driven it about 30 miles and the oil pressure guage will not read any pressure. It is at 0. I have read some of the post and most of the the time the problem lies with the sending unit. Any thought on how to determine that it is not the oil pump and that engine does have oil pressure? How would you check?
Thanks
Dan
 

Fubar

Totally ****** Up
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Aug 2, 2006
3,979
Dallas, TX
I am sure it needed to be primed after sitting around for 5 years. However, if you drove it for 30 miles and nothing happened, I would say it the sending unit or the motor is totally shot. Start by replacing the sending unit.

On a side note, I suspect you can see oil moving in the reservoir tank if the pump is… well pumping.
 

Kayvan

GT Owner
Jul 13, 2006
4,782
Check dip stick as well
 

dandaman

GT Owner
Apr 8, 2007
113
Tyler, Tx
The guage was working for a short period of time then stopped. The dealer that the car had the oil changed before the car was shipped. I checked the dip stick when the car was deleverd and it was full of oil. During the pre-inspection of the GT before money changed hands, there were three other guages that did not work and the dealer fixed them before shipping. I think the dealer should make good on this as well. He has only had the car for about 2 weeks and has driven the car 30-50 miles.
 

tmcphail

GT Owner/Vendor
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 24, 2006
4,102
St Augustine, Florida
I can get the replacement gauge or sending unit if needed.
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,177
I am 100% positive that this is a gauge failure. The engine is absolutely fine. We have just done TWO GT's with this exact same symptom. On each, we tested the sending unit. Don't even bother - just replace the gauge.

We have the fast track to get the gauge if you elect not to buy one locally. List price is $814.70
 

Howard

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 26, 2007
1,135
Florida/North Jersey
$800 for an oil pressure gauge! My gauges are fine, for now, but one bad actor and I'm straight to Speed Hut.

Howard
 

RPM217

2005 white/blue stripe
Jun 18, 2010
1,658
Rye Brook, New York
$800 for an oil pressure gauge! My gauges are fine, for now, but one bad actor and I'm straight to Speed Hut.

Howard
+1
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California

$800 for an oil pressure gauge! My gauges are fine, for now, but one bad actor and I'm straight to Speed Hut.

Howard

+1000! Speedhut is the way to do!
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
$800 for an oil pressure gauge! My gauges are fine, for now, but one bad actor and I'm straight to Speed Hut.

Howard

I'm considering a preemptive move to them now (well, during the next winter downtime). That way I'll have originals all in good working order and can always swap back.
 

Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,361
Washington State
"List price is $814.70."

...for a simple oil gauge. :frown

I'd sure like to know what makes the various FGT gauges worth their weight in gold. WHAT is so radically different about them vs. anyone else's? (For $800, one could probably replace all the gauges in a Superf. GT40 and have money left over to dump a little gas into its fuel tanks as well...even at today's prices.)

'Too darn deep for me...
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
"List price is $814.70."

...for a simple oil gauge. :frown

I'd sure like to know what makes the various FGT gauges worth their weight in gold. WHAT is so radically different about them vs. anyone else's? (For $800, one could probably replace all the gauges in a Superf. GT40 and have money left over to dump a little gas into its fuel tanks as well...even at today's prices.)

'Too darn deep for me...

Ford is using Ferrari's playbook book when it comes to pricing replacement parts unique to the FGT.
 
Last edited:

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
I predict that the day will come that FGTs for sale will tout having SH gauges.

Kinda like Panteras that had all the A/C and heating issues worked out. It is a positive selling point.
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,177
Just did a fuel gauge too. List price $820.
 

JAYGT

GT Owner
Nov 20, 2010
175
MIAMI
With the history of gauge failures your friends car has already had, it would be a no brainer to get the Speedhut gauges.
 

paul b

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2006
810
Not to be an alarmist, but aren't low mileage cars that sat for 3 years supposed to have the oil pump belt changed? Better safe than sorry.
 

Fubar

Totally ****** Up
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Aug 2, 2006
3,979
Dallas, TX
The sensor is cheap and easy to replace. I'd start there, then go for the gauges (but that's just my approach). Make sure to double check the ground cable off the battery, especially the place where is connects to the chassis.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
The sensor is cheap and easy to replace. I'd start there, then go for the gauges (but that's just my approach). Make sure to double check the ground cable off the battery, especially the place where is connects to the chassis.

There is sound logic in this assertion. It is almost assuredly a failed component but the sensor is a cheap first try.
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,177
A lot of mis-information here. A ground cable is NOT going to cause the persistent failure of a single gauge. In VERY rare cases, a bad ground may cause poor or inconsistent gauge initiation problems. This is RARE and the symptom would be 1 or more random gauges not initializing. If there has been 3-4 start cycle attempts and the oil pressure gauge is the only gauge not working - then you are wasting time looking at ground issues.

While it is true that the oil pressure sending unit is less expensive than the gauge - it may or may not be an inexpensive "might as well try" solution. First, the odds (based on our first hand experience) are overwhelmingly pointing to a gauge failure. We are about 6 for 6 in this department. If a shop takes the time and puts your car on a lift and removes both pans (required) to get to the sending unit, replaces the sending unit, replaces the ~3/4 quart of oil that will be lost, and then puts the pans on and buttons everything up - this is going to cost $60 for the sensor and about an hour of shop labor. An $800 gauge now becomes a $1000 gauge + the labor to replace the gauge.

Unlike the frail, piece of crap gauges that Ford/Autometer stuck us with (and who have been subsequently locked in a schoolyard finger pointing contest), oil pressure sensors have been around for years and are a few more orders of magnitude more reliable.

It's the gauge, sorry.
 

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
My sensor did go out, but the gauge fluttered for lack of a better term. One second it was at 60 lbs, then 30, then back up to 60 etc. The gauge never went totally dead FWIW.