Sight Gauge

Tapping noise and oil gauge dropping then going back up?

I had a tapping noise as I accelerated then I noticed the oil gauge would drop all the way down for a split second then come back up. The truck is a 1997 ford ranger with 118,000 miles on it.

Public Comments

1. check the oil could be the oil return passages are sludged up
2. Sounds like it is low in oil in the crankcase. When you accelerate, the oil sloshes to the back of the oil pan for a few seconds and starves the oil pump until it sloshes back again.
3. You are likely low on oil. When you accelerate what was left in the pan sloshed away from the suction tube. Check it when it is cold in the morning, if its low then add some. If the level is fine check it hot and see if its a lot lower. If it is a hot problem you may have a lot of sludge in the engine that is keeping the oil from draining back down fast enough.