Oil Pressure

[Roy C Tyler]

Just purchased the Monterey in July of this year. The dash oil pressure gauge has a maximum pressure of 100 psi.  The pressure on the gauge reads about 75 psi when driving but does fluctuate between 60 psi and 95 psi depending on rpm.  The Aladdin shows the oil pressure at 55 psi all the time.  It never changes.  Is the Aladdin readout working?  It seems that the oil pressure should vary some depending on rpm.  Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Edward Buker]

The oil pressure should be higher when the oil is cold for sure. Check it on the Aladdin before you start, should be zero, after you start should be 55+ (maybe 60 to 75lbs) at RPM, as it reaches normal oil temp it should drop to the 55lbs if all is well. If not it could have a stuck sensor that should be replaced.

Later Ed

[Brad Burgess]

Hello All

Everyone that I know that has/had an 03 Monterey, including me, had the Aladdin oil pressure readout stuck at 55 psi.  This is some kind of glitch in the ecm to Aladdin interface and no one that I know is aware of how to fix it.

Brad Burgess

[Roy C Tyler]

Thank you both.  Knowing that there is a problem with the 03 Monterey readout, I will not worry about it and as long as I have pressure on the gauge, I will continue driving and hope for the best.

[Doug Neal]

I to have a 03 Contessa with a 370 ISL Cummins. The Aladdin always reads 55 psi regardless of RPM. The dash gage varies from appx. 60-75. It has been that way for the 5 years I have owned it.

[Bill Sprague]

When mine was new (10 years ago) I asked about the 55 readout.  It was explained to me that it would make more sense if it said "enough" or "not enough".  It is not broken nor can it be improved upon.   You can set the oil pressure alarm so that the Aladdin will flash at you if it drops too low.  

[Edward Buker]

I was not aware of the "glitch" in the Alladin oil pressure sensing for this application. My assumption was that if it did not change it was likely a bad sensor. Thanks for the correction on this one.

Certainly this is a very odd outcome for a system that is supposed to be monitoring oil pressure. Does the sensor value on the Alladin go to a very low number with the ignition on before you start to crank the engine? If that was so, one could rationalize that the sensor range limit is 55lbs and the engine always runs more than that, which makes it a semi useful pressure monitor. If before you crank it reads 55lbs then you do not have an active sensor and I would use the gauge only. That would be a bit of a hazard given that you would have no low oil pressure automated monitoring.

 Anyone know what happens to the reading before you crank?

Later Ed

[Roy C Tyler]

With the ignition switch on and not cranking, the gauge is zero and the Aladdin is zero.  Cranked it and started it and the Aladdin went to 55# and stayed there.  The gauge went to about 90# cold.  I do not believe my pressure is that high on the gauge but at least it is reading something and it does vary with rpm and when it heats up.  The Aladdin never changes from 55# and never showed any other numbers except zero when the engine is off.

[Edward Buker]

Roy and Chuck,

 That would mean to me that the sensor range is low for the pressure that it would experience so it pegs out at 55lbs. What is good is that the zero is real and if for some reason you lost oil pressure it would de-rate the engine or shut down depending on the algorithm of the programming. This is not an issue with good protection practices, just that it will not modulate with pressure in the normal driving range. just accept that 55lbs is O.K. and that you are running higher pressure than that value per the analog gauge.

Later Ed