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OT- Oil Pressure 09 Ford Fusion

T

ThadS

Member
I have an 09 Ford Fusion with the 3.0L V6. Almost 180k miles. The oil pressure light turns on at low idle <700 RPM and warm engine ~30 minutes of driving. It will turn off if I give it just a little accelerator to get the RPMs up. What should be my next steps? Oil pressure switch is only $25 so easy change but is it worth messing with? Running 5W-20 synthetic blend. Should I use a heavier weight to prolong the inevitable or is it just time to send it down the road? I don't want to mess with an overhaul or changing the oil pump.

It is my parts and fluids getter for the tractor, so kind of related. ;)

Thanks in advance.
Thad
 
Wayne's advice is the best place to start. Keep in mind that a brand new gauge is not necessarily an accurate gauge. A lot
of off-shore gauges are accurate or even working to start with from the factory. What he was really saying was to use a gauge
that you know for sure is working and accurate.
 
If it turns out to have lost pressure with the known good gauge, drain the oil in a clean container, cut the filter open with snips (not a saw), see what's in there.

Not good if you find shavings. If clean it could be the oil pump, relief valve.

Heavier oil will help some, maybe...
 
i would put some real oil in it 15-40 at 180000 miles you have a lot of bearing ware and the oil is to thin . have a 318 dodge with 325000 oil light would flicker started at 275000 went to straight wt. 40 no more light and runs fine
 
5w-20 ???? No wonder you have low oil pressure. 10w30 is the most popular winter blend. If I used 5w-20 in my truck it wouldn't move the gauge ! Put a can of STP in it and the pressure will come up. Next oil change get some real oil for winter driving.
 
Thanks for the advice.

I am going to roll the dice with HF oil pressure tester and see what I get. It is almost due for an oil change anyways, so I'll try a heavier weight.
 

Heavy oil is not gonna be the fix I doubt it will help a low oil pressure issue in fact it may compound matters... This is not your dads 60 Buick its a totally different animal..
 
Most Fords since about 2002 or so use 5W 20 engine oil. I would stick with the 5W but maybe go up to 5W30 now that it has that many miles on it. I would also switch to 3000 mile oil changes (or less). The 2009 3.0 has variable timing and uses oil pressure to activate it - I would definitely not switch to 10W40 or 15W40 in a variable valve timing vehicle.

It if truly has low oil pressure you are going to want to correct that issue as the oil pressure is used for the cam phazers and the chain tensioners. A loose timing chain flopping around inside the timing chain cover can get real serious real fast.
 
I would not deviate much on the oil viscosity, the thin oil is there for proper lubrication and operation of things like the cam advance.

Maybe go 10-30
 
I was not planning on going any higher than a 10W-30. I was comparing the viscosity numbers of Penzoil and Mobil1 high mileage oils to the Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic that I normally use and it looks like a normal 5W-30 or Penzoil high mileage 5W-20 is an improvement. I guess I am on borrowed time anyways and will start saving for a replacement.
 
I would agree, you are probably on borrowed time.

Do check with mechanical gauge before spending money.
 
something to check or think about before you junk it.

1, is everything else working properly and in good shape? If so it's probably worth the mileage as a beater car. more miles probably won't depreciate the cares it out any more than it already is. i usually have 1 beater car to save the miles off our good cars.

2, 10W-30 probably won't help much because when warm both 5W30 and 10W30 behave like 30 weight.

3, some sensors and switches just go bad with time. some are bad to begin with. I'd either put in another Ford oil sensor or get a good one like an Elchin from napa $25 is WAY cheaper than a new car or even 1 payment.

4, is the car running right? if the idle is a bit lower than normal the RPMs may not be enough on the high mileage car. I have a car that sometimes (not all the time) when idleing at a stop sign/light will make the oil light flicker. if i put it in neutral the light immediately goes off with just that slight increase in engine RPMs.

5, again is the car running right? is it running rich and you're getting fuel in the oil and the oil may be diluted? that could cause low oil pressure too.

a couple things to think about.

good luck.
 
If the light stays out when running down the road the bearings, and the rest of the parts are getting oil. Changing to a little heaver oil may help some. I think the motor is telling you it needs help. If it were mine, I would just run it. Stan
 
I have had good luck with Lucas oil additive. Use the proper amount and it will last. I used it in my cummins 500 went 30,000 miles
and pulled out a piston oiler it was still coated with lucas.
 
Bet the oil sump has sludge in it. Seen it
a few times on its big brother the 3.5. If
you pull the pan and clean it now, it'll be
fine.
 

How long have you been running synthetic?
If sine new, I doubt your problem is sludge or wear.
Even if you went to 10k miles between oil changes.
Well, unless you use the cheapest oil filters on the shelf.

Spend $10 and replace the oil pressure sender/switch.
 
You are idling too low. Might be throttle
body needs cleaned. Idle solenoid bad or
throttle position sensor. Mine started
doing that and I had to replace the
throttle position sensor. It brought the
idle up to between 8 & 9 and the light went
out and stayed out. Mines at 270,000 now.
 
I think the factory oil pressure switch trips open at 7psi (approx) which is pretty low. The switch on the 3.0/3.5 is just above and left of the oil filter. Plan on removing to oil filter to make it easier to access. Those switches were known for problems but they don't usually fail as you are describing, I would put a mechanical test gauge on it like already rec'd
 
The tolerances are so tight in engines today, the pump may not be able to push enough of a heavier oil everywhere it's needed. Many newer cars have viscosity sensors. The 5.7 hemi will trip the engine light if you run too heavy an oil.
 
Should not clean the throttle bodies on Fords. Ever. They are designed to not need cleaning. They are sealed around the edges with a special sealer that reseals every time the throttle is closed. Air for idle is provided by a calibrated orifice near the center of the throttle plate. The system is designed this way to be able to tolerate buildups of deposits in the airstream. Disturbing it by cleaning usually results in permanently damaging the throttle body. Poor idling, racing unpredictably, and surging are the usual results of cleaning those throttle bodies.

This was all explained to me by Ford employees at the Ford training school in Mt. Laurel, NJ years ago when that system was introduced.
 
A few words about oil, oil pressure, and some common misconceptions.

First thing. Oil in modern engines with overhead cams, variable valve timing, and other features is more critical than ever. Timing belts have largely been replaced by chains. These chains are long, and use automatic tensioners to keep them properly tensioned. The tensioners are designed to work properly with specific grades and weights of oils. Deviating from this is risking a catastrophic chain failure that will most likely ruin the engine or at least render it more expensive to repair than to replace. The mechanisms that are used with variable valve timing are likewise designed to work with specific weights and grades of oil. Again, deviating from this can lead to failure of these components. Not as catastrophic as a chain failure, but will generally cause DTCs to appear that will be expensive to resolve.

Oil pressure is another issue. There can be many causes. To diagnose, you need to look at the circuit that the oil takes from the sump all the way to the cams and rockers. Engine oil travels from the oil pan through the pump to the filter. From there it is routed to the main bearings through passages in the block. Passages in the crankshaft provide oil to the connecting rods, piston pins, and piston skirts. Partly by pressure, partly by splash. Oil from the pressure passages that feed the main bearings also feed the cylinder heads and the overhead cams, followers, and lash adjusters if so equipped. It is possible to have a pressure loss at the camshafts from wearing into the cylinder heads. Most are just cam against aluminum rather than having a shell or Babbitt bearing like the crankshaft bearings. Pressure can be lost at any one of these points.

One thing that I will say is that on most modern automobile engines, the old farmer fixes will only usually make things worse. After all, this isn't your grandma's Rambler or your dad's Oldsmobile. These engines are a whole different animal.
 
Yes, you are correct. Sticker on the throttle body say's don't do it. They want to sell you a new one for several benjamins. BUT you can buy rebuilt ones that have been cleaned and I have seen the mechanic's at our Ford dealership doing it. Mine works fine.
 
Yup, the ideas from 35 years ago no longer apply. Back in '83 you could still dump heavier oil in a pressure-challenged engine and nurse it along a little while longer, but no more.

Very odd that it's having oil pressure issues with such low miles. Yes low miles. Again 100,000+ miles being "high mileage" is another 35 year old notion that no longer applies. 138,000 is barely broken in. Call me back when you hit the quarter-million-mile mark.
 
The whole thing with the non-cleanable throttle bodies came out of continual problems with the older EFI and SEFI units. The opening between the throttle plate and the throttle body was calibrated to the engine. Sludge or crud buildup would compromise that. The throttle bodies were redesigned starting around 1992 to be non cleanable. The plan was to seal around the edges of the throttle plate with a long lasting material and use a calibrated hole near the middle of the throttle plate to allow the air bleed for idle.
I attended several training schools for resolving drivability complaints at the training facility in Mt. Laurel, NJ. The general consensus according to Ford engineering was to leave the throttle bodies alone. They were intended to be good for the life of the engine. Cleaning them at the time did void warranty coverage on them. Of course, once you hit 50,000 miles, warranty was no longer an issue.

Some do get away with cleaning them, but it is not recommended. I have personal experience with two vehicles that went completely bad after having had throttle bodies cleaned. One was a 1993 Taurus that I had. Previous owner had apparently cleaned the throttle body. Engine would race up to 3000 rpm while driving in traffic for no apparent reason. Replaced ISC motor, no help. Replaced throttle body, problem solved. There were other symptoms that went along with the engine racing. There was surging at cruising speeds, erratic idling, and frequent stalling. Replacing the throttle body solved all of the problems. Another was an F150 owned by a friend. They got all gung-ho one day, changed the plugs, wires, and filters and cleaned the throttle body. That truck never again ran right until the throttle body was replaced.

You can do as you like with your own vehicle. No skin off my nose. I'm just passing along what I learned over the years. I would never advise anybody to clean a throttle body on a Ford. I would feel as if I were doing a great disservice to them.
 
But if the timing chain tensioner failed there would be a LOT of timing chain noise in the front of the engine.
 
The 3.0 Duratech engine has been around since 1996 or so. It was part of Ford's earliest attempts at a 4 valve per piston V6 in the states. While it was state of the art in 1996 it's really showing its age
and 180,000 miles is a lot of miles on one of those engines. They are also very notorious for leaking oil everywhere once they get over 30 or 40 thousand miles.

They are also a "throw away engine" when they are worn out or suffer a major breakdown. The cost of overhauling one or even digging into one is extremely high. Pulling the heads is in the $2000+ range
($3000+ at a dealer) of a repair - and that's with only putting in a set of head gaskets. A few years back my mom's Taurus with the Vulcan 3.0 engine (2 Valve engine) had the water pump fail and replacing the
water pump, pulling the heads and having them milled only ran in the $800 range by a small independent shop. They said had her car had the Duratech engine they would have told her it was totalled due to the
cost of the doing the same repairs.
 
(quoted from post at 10:31:45 11/21/18) T
and 180,000 miles is a lot of miles on one of those engines. They are also very notorious for leaking oil everywhere once they get over 30 or 40 thousand miles.

They are also a "throw away engine" when they are worn out or suffer a major breakdown. The cost of overhauling one or even digging into one is extremely high. Pulling the heads is in the $2000+ range
($3000+ at a dealer) of a repair - and that's with only putting in a set of head gaskets.
Click to expand...

Yes a Vulcan is easier and cheaper to work on, but not as much fun to drive.

Not sure on the leaking at 30-40K, My last car I ran one to 150K before the body fell apart Never used/leaked a drop of oil.

That said, from my reading, when I was shopping for one, and it mattered to me... They were considered a 200K engine. That 200K could be 150 or 250 depending on use(highway/city, maintenance, statistical failures on a bell shaped curve).

In any case she is on borrowed time. If mine, I would bump up to one of the thicker "high mileage" oils or 10W30. Run her till she makes a loud bang with a puddle in the road.

If body and rest of car is excellent, shopping craigslist for an engine is an option. Should be able to buy a low mile rusted out Taurus with a Duratech cheaper than any serious repairs to that engine.
 
The Duratech changed a lot from when they dropped it on the Taurus and the 2009 model Fusion he has - no swapping it out unless you know how to reprogram the computer. 200K is pretty much what I've heard about with them to - just like 20 years earlier most engines were shot at 100K. With 180,000 miles on the clock there's not a lot of life left in the old girl to justify spending the kind of dollars it normally takes to fix a major issue and an overhaul is out of the question.

Finding a wrecked 2009 with low miles probably wouldn't be that hard - finding a wrecked 2000 or 1996 with low miles is a lot harder.
 
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