please help ! caint afford expensive repairs

I , have a 2002 intrepid the oil light blinks after awhile of
driving , it has 122,000 miles on it, when i stop it stays on then it
goes away when i drive, a friend suggest that i use 10-40 can you help?

 

has nothing to do with the oil your using..how long has it been sence
oil change?? i think your what we call idiot light problem...

 

I'm afraid you aren't going to like any of the answers you're going to
get. The car needs a new engine (or a rebuild, sorry) -- you're
looking at money. Thicker oil or a product like "Motor Honey" will
help you stave off the inevitable for a little while, but that's the
best you'll get....

 

Have you changed the oil consistently? This is especially important if
you have the 2.7, (if they were still using it for 2002)

I could just be an oil sender switch.

-KM

 

What a Maroon. New engine? Maybe not. Have the oil pressure checked with a
mechanical gauge to see what your pressure "actually" is. If it checks O.K.,
you will need a new pressure switch. My '99 Intrepid, 2.7L had that problem.
I was advised to do what I just told you by the most knowledgeable here, Mr.
Putney, Mr. Beasley. My pressure checked O.K., new switch and problem gone.
I've got 110,000 on mine.

Larry
Behold Beware Believe

 

Oil pressure sending units are notorious for failing in this way, giving
a false oil warning light at low RPM. Have the oil pressure checked with
a reliable mechanical oil pressure gauge. If the mechanical gauge shows
low pressures, you have an internal engine problem.

 

Agreed to everything you said

Glenn

 

The right answer is that you need to replace the oil pressure switch.
This has been discussed numerous times on this newsgroup. Bottom line
is that the pressure switch is known to fail in the exact manner you
describe - basically an internal leak develops in the switch and that
upsets the calibration (the trip point at which it closes and turns the
light on). You might even find that the switch is externally leaking
oil a little - that can go hand in hand with the internal leak problem,
but won't necessarily be the case.

Replace the oil pressure switch (also mis-called the sender). Just to
make sure, you could temporarily install a real pressure gage to
convince yourself that the pressure is in fact good under all
conditions, but it is highly unlikely that low oil pressure is the real
problem on this vehicle.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Finally! Someone is paying attention!

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Bill I was paying attention.... can you give me a pat on my back?

 

has anyone checked the quantity of oil in this engine?

 

Well, I sure hope you guys are right. I haven't seen one fail like
this, but I have seen this symptoms from an engine with excessive
clearance in the bearings.

 

If there was a mention of internal noise I may have agreed with you, but no
mention of it so an oil pressure test/oil pressure switch would be the next
step. The problem is if the switch is leaking oil into the connector and a
new switch is installed without cleaning out the connector the lite may
still illuminate.

Glenn

 

have you checked the oil level???

 

Will fax one to you.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

I've seen both cases... even without abnormal engine noise. I used to
have a F*rd straight-6 that couldn't hold more than 1-2 PSI of oil
pressure at hot idle, and maybe 10-15 psi at highway speed (verified by
mechanical gauge). The engine never made a single abnormal sound, and
ran fine that way for several years. Of course I never trusted it to get
more than 30 miles from home, either. ;-) Then there was my father's 92
Dakota that had the exact same symptoms, and it turned out to be the
sending unit.

 

One thing to realize, Steve, is that the particular pressure sensor used
on late model Chrysler vehicles are very prone to this problem - almost
predictable after so many miles of driving. 95+% of the time, these
symptoms indicate a bad (leaky) sensor (though I and others are usually
careful to cover our butts by suggesting that the OP do a pressure check
with a real gage for peace of mind.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Reset the light by turning the vehical to the on position NOT STARTED
press gas pedal 5 times, then start it. it will be reset!

 

I’d try replacing the sending unit for <$10. There is NO reset for the
oil pressure "gauge", since it's driven only by an on-off snap switch.
If a new snap switch doesn’t make the light go out, it’s time for new
main bearings/crankshaft and/or oil pump.