Our driveway slopes downward a little and every time I park the truck by backing in (nose downward) I feel like oil pressure builds quicker when I start it the next morning. Has anyone else noticed this?

 

No I haven't. But the oil pressure gauge is driven by the computer. It's not a real gauge.

John

 

On a 12 valve?

 

on a 98 12 valve, yes, on his 96, no. when they came out with the new interior in 1998 the gauges became nothing more than fancy idiot lights

 

it's also easier on the lift pump to face downward

 

Kind of...

The analog signal from the pressure sensor is sent to the ECM, where it is monitored. There is an output from the ECM to the dashboard circuits (just like the tach, coolant temperature, and voltage), to make the needle move.

Most trucks with original ECM programming have the guage movement like it should. Dodge put out a new flash (ECM program), primaraly due to owners not know what the normal readings should be and complaining to Dodge, that effectively turned the sensor into a pressure switch. The ECM still reads the output of the sensor normally, but the ECM output to the guage stays in one spot. Unless the pressure drops below a certain level, at which point the ECM drops the guage to 0 and sets the check guages light and a warning chime.

My 01 has a normally functioning oil pressure guage. it reads 40 PSI at warm idle, and increases in proportion to engine RPM, like normal.


I have never noticed my oil pressure build faster after parking downhill, but have never really paid attention to that either. I just makes sure it has pressure before putting it in gear.

 

On my '99 24 valve, does it send direct to the dash gauge?

 

Nope. All sensors are fed to the ECM/PCM and the appropriate signals are sent to the dashboard guages and indicators.

 

With all due respect cruzer-- what you feel doesn't have any bearing on what is actually happening in the engine. I think I know what you are saying, though. Just like how I "feel" one product might be better than another, but have no proof to that end.

Anyway, don't sweat the oil pressure--- if you have enough, you have enough.

JMO, anyway.

The actual oil pressure (not what appears on the guage)

 

I've heard the best solution is to put magnets on the oil pickup tube. Does something with the ions. Makes them smaller somehow so they can get into the passages quicker.

 

I hope you are joking.

 

Maybe, maybe not. Seems these day if you use the words magnets and ions, people will pay big $$$ for it.

OK, maybe I am joking. But for sure, if you fill your bed with concrete, you don't haver to park on a hill to make the oil lean to the back of the pan to get to the pickkup tube deeper, so it will definitely be safer and work better.