Oil level sensor?

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gnarlytoes

gnarlytoes

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Nov 11, 2010
Threads
47
Messages
383
Location
Beech Bluff, Tennessee
The low oil light on my wife's '97 fzj80 has coming on intermittently for about the past three weeks. The gauge shows good pressure and oil level is not low. I figure it is probably the sensor, but I don't know where it is. Anybody got a pic or something? Thanks.
 
its a square little thing on the side of the oil pan with 4 bolts on it. doesnt look like much from outside the engine.
 
It's on the drivers side, about 2/3 of the way back on the side of the block. Right at the oil pan joint. It is a common leak point.
 
Drain oil pull it with socket not Phillips screw driver, clean it check the wires and plug, clean the hole it goes into, reinstall you can put little fipg around the flange area where it mates if you think it's gonna leak
 
@gnarlytoes

any resolution? I'm having exactly the same problem with my '94; just started this weekend. Good oil pressure, full pan, check oil light on dash illuminated.
 
I have a similar issue. Seems to come on only after the truck is warm, I turn it off - say go in to a store or something, come back and start it up, and then when I exit the driveway of a store or hit a turn the light then comes on and goes off in a minute or two. Based on my research a few years back the consensus is that the sensor is either dirty or beginning to fail/intermittent. The part is fairly pricey so cleaning it and reinstalling it is reasonable. My light began to act up at Coco's Corner in BCS. Coco had plenty of Pacifico and apple juice for the kiddos but no FIPG and replacement sensor. My oil has been spot on for the last two years along with my oil pressure. I keep telling myself to clean it and R/R it during the next oil change but I never do. I have switched from the Toyota OEM 5W-30 oil to Castrol Blend 5W-30 and had similar frequency of light coming on. Since I switched to Mobil 1 Super the issue has been less.
 
Malleus said:
@gnarlytoes

any resolution? I'm having exactly the same problem with my '94; just started this weekend. Good oil pressure, full pan, check oil light on dash illuminated.
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Between work, kids, and the fact my wife will not stop driving it, I've not had a chance to check it out. Robertaleon described the problem perfectly. It only comes on with engine warm after driving a bit and comes and goes.
 
Part Number: 89491-60010 ( a scant $300.00 or so).

Mine does this on occasion as well. Oil pan is full, pressure is good. I find that if I jerk the steering wheel one direction while driving...the light goes out. Don't know if that sloshes oil up onto it or what, but it turns the light off every time.

Guess I'll get down and clean the unit and connections.
 
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I had a rock or stick flip up and break the connector while wheeling. I get similar symptoms with it completely disconnected. I'm just waiting for decent weather to change it out. I read somewhere that you don't actually need to drain the oil to change this. The oil level sits below the opening. True or false?
 
That would be false.
 
MDarius said:
I had a rock or stick flip up and break the connector while wheeling. I get similar symptoms with it completely disconnected. I'm just waiting for decent weather to change it out. I read somewhere that you don't actually need to drain the oil to change this. The oil level sits below the opening. True or false?
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That would be counterintuitive, if it's really a level indicator, no?
 
Well, a dipstick is a level indicator also. So, while it might be counter intuitive it's also possible. Thanks though! I'll wait until the next oil change.
 
robertaleon said:
I have a similar issue. Seems to come on only after the truck is warm, I turn it off - say go in to a store or something, come back and start it up, and then when I exit the driveway of a store or hit a turn the light then comes on and goes off in a minute or two. Based on my research a few years back the consensus is that the sensor is either dirty or beginning to fail/intermittent. The part is fairly pricey so cleaning it and reinstalling it is reasonable. My light began to act up at Coco's Corner in BCS. Coco had plenty of Pacifico and apple juice for the kiddos but no FIPG and replacement sensor. My oil has been spot on for the last two years along with my oil pressure. I keep telling myself to clean it and R/R it during the next oil change but I never do. I have switched from the Toyota OEM 5W-30 oil to Castrol Blend 5W-30 and had similar frequency of light coming on. Since I switched to Mobil 1 Super the issue has been less.
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Yeah, don't worry about it at all assuming the dipstick shows the level is fine. The washboard around CoCo's is likely what exacerbated an electrical connection. I had my battery terminals jump off right about there too!
 
flintknapper said:
The level indicator has an arm on it that is bent at about a 30° angle and goes down into the oil pan a distance.
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And the plastic "float" that slides up and down to gauge the oil level is at the bottom of the arm, below the level of the opening where the sensor bolts in.

Stranger things have happened, but I'd just be really surprised if a bunch of oil pours out if you remove that sensor without drain in the oil first.
 
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I'll let you know this week!
 
Also having same issue as of last week ('97 LX450, 193k), intermittent on/off of the dash indicator. I did remove/clean the sensor in 2015, no need to drain oil. Easy-ish access, no big deal. Following the clean, the factory level indicator seemed to read lower than before (lowwww third at warm idle, just below 2/3 at start up) but dipstick level is good.
 
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