1997 Jeep TJ dropping oil pressure

MKJBLEWIS

MEMBER
1997 JEEP WRANGLER TJ
6 CYL
4WD
MANUAL
82,000 MILES

I have around 80K on my Jeep TJ. Recently the oil pressure has been dropping. It has always read around 40psi. After driving and the engine warms up (20 miles) or so. The oil pressure starts dropping. If I rev the engine it will send it back to normal but drops as soon as I stop reving the engine. It has once dropped all the way down to where the engine shut off on its own but only once. I don't drive the Jeep very often but on a trail ride a few years ago, about 20K miles ago, as I started up steeper inclines the pressure would drop like that but only on steep sections. It never did it while regularly driving so I never thought much about it.

2 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge, if normal replace the oil pressure switch could also be the gauge/wiring problem. If abnormal could mean oil pump and engine bearing.

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Saturday, August 28th, 2010 AT 6:40 PM

JONYQUEST

MEMBER
10 POSTS

Jeeps with 4.0 liter engines are famous for that problem. Since the oil pressure rises when u give it gas its highly unlikely that its an electrical problem. I used to own a Cherokee that did the same thing. I put in an oil pump and replaced the main and rod bearing on the crankshaft. That helped a little but did not bring up to spec. Asking some engine techs at a jeep dealer they said you have to replace the cam shaft bearings. Which in turn require either pulling the engine or using special tools to pull the camshaft bearings out. So in other words. Lots of time and or money