help was told oil pump is bad.

[Ishin]

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Default Help maybe oil pump gone bad
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05 300c 5.7liter engine, 153k miles
my wifes check engine light came on, we didnt immediately take it to the shop, but after a week i took it to autozone and had them check for the code, the code was p0521. then the oil light came on also and started dinging.
We dont really have a trusted mechanic, so following the advice from a guy my wife works with, we took it to the pep boys place to have the oil sensor replaced. 200$ and 4 hours later, I left. hoping all was good, no check engine light, no dinging. 5 minutes down the road, oil light comes on and starts dinging. turn around go back to the garage. the guy told me that when he cranks its up, it has good oil pressure, but then after a few minutes it loses oil pressure.
I left the car over night and got a call today saying its the oil pump and it would b 2500$ to replace it.

so question 1, if the idiot light comes on, why didnt it say oil pump code instead of a sensor?
question 2 does that sound like the oil pump is bad?
and question 3 is 2500$ normal price for this job?
thanks for any help

[MADDOG]

The most common cause of this code is the pressure sensor which it registers as a low oil pressure signal to the PCM. There is no signal that goes directly from the oil pump to the PCM. The pump needs a sensor operating to be monitored. So, the system will not differentiate between the two.

It's either the sensor or it is actually reading low pressure outside of operating limits, which indicates the pump is going bad. What I didn't see in your description is how the mechanic measured the oil pressure. Was he just relying on the trouble lights or was he actually measuring the pressure with an independent gauge? The price for the work seems high. I'd call a dealer for a quote to R&R the oil pump and compare the two.

Have the mechanic advise on how he measured the pressure. Also, the sensor wiring harness may be damaged so have him check for that. If the sensor (which is actually a transducer) is new, it may still be faulty. Stuff like that happens. Have him test it or swap in another one.

[Ishin]

MADDOG,
thanks for responding, After talking with the guy this is what he told me.
they hooked a gauge up to the oil and turned the key on, the pressure was in the low 40's, then after a few minutes it dropped to around 22. he said they then put it in gear and drove it back and forward into the bay and that the pressure dropped to 1 or 2.

My wife called a chrysler dealership and they said that they charge 800$ to replace the oil pump. Bu that they will check it out first before they do any work. So we are going to have it towed there and let the dealership do it.

[MADDOG]

Yeah, if he's getting that reading with a direct pressure measurement, it could be the pump.

[silver06hemic]

$2500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG... take it for a second opinion pal... that price is a bit steep... like $1500 too steep! Ouch..

On another note as Maddog says, if the readings are that low with a gauge working directly then it sounds like a dead pump...

[stevesrt8]

There's no reason for the pump to work and then not work just because you moved the car!

Faulty diagnosis almost assuredly. Oil pumps are extremely reliable, rarely fail, and they are NOT intermittent in a failure.

Also, the pcm will pull the spark if the oil pressure drops too low, like 4-6 psi or so.

[Montreal300]

It will be interesting to hear what the dealer says.

[silver06hemic]

Originally Posted by stevesrt8

There's no reason for the pump to work and then not work just because you moved the car!

Faulty diagnosis almost assuredly. Oil pumps are extremely reliable, rarely fail, and they are NOT intermittent in a failure.

Also, the pcm will pull the spark if the oil pressure drops too low, like 4-6 psi or so.

^ Agree completely... over 20 cars owned... dozens more worked on... only ever saw one failed pump! Oh... and that was actually not a bad pump but actually a blocked pickup combined with a pump gasket that had shifted and blocked off part of the intake hole! Genius... lol.

Now... if it was checked with a mechanical gauge and had no pressure then I'd say it's dead... if they are trusting your gauge... well that sounds iffy... from what I understand it was checked with their own tool. Steve do you have any other ideas? Always trust your thoughts pal... hopefully the OP does! Surely if the pump did fail and it lost pressure then it wouldn't have last more than a few seconds before suffering some internal damage...

Now if it is the pump I stand beside my 'Holy crap $2500 is ridiculous!' post!

[Hairyhauler]

$2500 is @%&king retarded. Same thing happened to me, sensor was $40 at autozone, and that fixed the issue. I also priced the oil pump and pickup as well just in case, believe it or not the 5.7 pump and pick up are more expensive than the 6.1 is from the dealer, if I remember correctly the 6.1 pump and pickup was like $75-$80. hope this helps, good luck.

[vettdvr]

Replace the oil filter,,,,,,,,,,,change the oil to the proper oil to eliminate this as a possible question.

The oil pump is a positive displacement pump gear pump and it will have to be really bad to drop pressure 40 to 1 psi. I doubt it is the pump.

I would check the items I listed above though. Perhaps you have a plugged oil filter and / or incorrect oil.

Also make sure the oil is not diluted somehow.

Defective bearing cam or crank might cause this problem but it would if that is the case I would install a new crate engine not work on the old one.