2000 Cherokee Sport 4x4 4L I6. Driving to work today (below freezing temp.) and the Check Gauge light comes on. The Oil gauge initially was at 50, then went to 0 on the highway and then went back to between 15 and 20. When I slow down and stop, the gauge rests at 0 and the Check Gauge light comes on and when I give it gas, it goes to between 15 and 20 and the Check Gauge light goes off. The normal is around 50.

I have about 1500 miles before I replace the oil - Castrol Edge. I know the oil leaks a bit and I need to replace the head gasket cover. I also need to replace the spark plugs. Jeep has 184,600 miles on it.

Any clue if this could be due to the oil leak or if it is a connection that's gone bad?

Thanks.

 

check to make sure the plug is not loose to the switch ,

 

Could be:

Bad oil pressure sensor
Bad oil pump
Really low oil level
Bad connection at the sensor

 

Thanks freegdr and FrankZ. I found this also in the forum. So it could be a bad oil pump or any of the one mentioned above. I'll check the oil level too. https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/4-0-oil-pressure-8802/

 

best way to check if its the pum install a manual gauge and watch pressure ,condeming the oil pump would be my last choice here

 

Thanks. A friend has a OBD codes reader. That should come handy too.

 

I also have a bad gauge, however mine just reads the highest the needle can go, not even realistic. I switched out the oil pressure sensor and had still nothing. Are there any fuses or something like that I can check? or maybe connections?

 

disconnect the sensor see if the gauge reads the same

 

Same issue....although mine seems to settle at around 80 when engine is off, then jumps to the 3:00 position when engine is on. It spiked a few weeks ago.

Did this.....no change to what the guage does. Think the guage is fried maybe?? Any idea where to get another gauge?

 

j/y

 

Not knowing the wiring, etc of this specific gauge, but my first guess would be a short to ground. Check your sensor wiring insulation under the hood and dash, and using a DVOM run a continuity test on the wiring to ground. A wiring diagram would help. I'm assuming low resistance = high pressure.

 

Thanks.

Anyone have info to support this? I'd check it, but then why would the gauge spike even with the sensor unplugged?

 

I'm pretty sure the gauge test will work in the 2000 XJ but don't know if it works in a 1996 XJ. Press and hold the trip odometer button while turning the key "ON" then release the trip odometer button. Sit back and watch the show as the idiot lights blink on/off, the gauges "walk" through a series of steps and the odometer digits "march" up the scale. It's a trippy way to identify a bad gauge or cluster.

 

Because the sensor is basically a variable resistor. High resistance is probably shown as a low pressure reading, low resistance (grounding the lead) would then be shown as a high pressure reading.

I'm just guessing, but this is a common problem with fuel gauges.

 

^^^ exact same issue! is there any chance this is the oil pump? if i do have a bad oil pump what would some of the symptoms be? it seems to run fine..I'm thinking its a short because i also have trouble with the horn sounding when i make sharp turns, lol..gotta be short or something, right?