Oil Pressure Switch - 2005 PT Cruiser

Warning light is intermittent. Oil level is OK. < 40K miles on car.
I suspision the sending unit i.e switch. Where is this switch
located. I see it costs $10 at AutoZone. Have heard it is near the
oil filter. Can somebody tell me how to find it. Looks like you may
need a special socket for removal/replace.

TIA for any help.

willhopp@mail (dot) com

 

Probably the same part as on the LH cars which tend to start flickerung
the low pressure light at idle/warm/in gear due to internal (often
accompanied by external) leaking. From a few years of reading posts on
three LH car forums, I would advise getting the OEM part. Yeah they do
eventually fail, but I've read many posts on the LH forums about the
initial calibration on the aftermarket ones being so crappy that they
often have the light-on-at-idle problem right out of the box.

Yeah - I believe the corners of their would-be hex are pretty rounded,
so regular socket doesn't work well. But I would think careful use of
slip joint pliers might do the trick in place of a special tool.

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

 

If it's the same sort of strange-rounded-hex used on older cars, a
socket works fine.

 

In that case, a 6-point would be best.

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

 

Thanks for pointing that out -- yes, gotta be a 6-point. I actually
avoid 12-points in general, especially in larger sizes.

 

Yes it is next to the oil filter. If you already know you are going to
purchase the part do it from a dealer, then you have an idea of what the
switch looks like and what size socket it will take to remove it!!! If the
old sending unit is leaking make sure to pop out the rubber isolator and
clean all the oil out of the connector or the lite will come back on. Leave
the isolator (rubber seal) out of the connector when you reassemble it.

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

Thanks to all for the feedback. I had an idea of what the switch
looks like from the picture on AutoZone website. Hope the switch
solves the problem and not some wiring or computer problems. I did
the "on off on" routine and see a P522 code on the odometer.

Again thanks to you guys!

 

You're welcome. Actually, the bigger (worst-case) concern would be an
actual low oil pressure situation (and potential engine damage). But
based on people's experience with late model Chryslers, it is almost
certain to be the switch itself. Ideally, you would actually have a
mechanical gage put on temporarily to prove that your oil pressure is
not out of spec. But that's your call, your risk to take. Chances are
it's OK.

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

 

Thanks for your input Bill and Glenn
,
I had a professional mechanic replace the sensor today and clear the
P522 code. A "do it yourselfer" might get it done with the car cold,
but I could see this thing is not the easiest to get to. The mechanic
wore a heat proof leggend on of his arms while working around a hot
exhause converter and had a very long extension with universal joint
and special socket to do the job. I asked about checking the pressure
with a mechanical gage but he didn't think it necessary. The original
sensor was leaking and he did as Glenn suggested with the rubber
gasket.

The car only has 31670 miles so I guess this failure so soon was "just
one of those things." It took the mechanic all of 20 minutes to jack
up the car, crawl under it and make the R/R even with the hot
converter.

I am a Chrylser nut! Also have a Dodge Caravan and Dakota pickup

This group has been a big help in keeping up my "junk" economically.

Thanks to all!

willhopp