Ford - Ranger :: 1996 - Oil Pressure Indicator Started Flopping Around Like A Fish On Dry Land

1996 2WD Ranger that I've had since 1998 and has been a good truck. I like having my vehicle paid off. That's basically the cost of manufacturing a license tag and not much more. I need a truck occasionally to haul my dogs, but not most of the time, so a small truck is a good compromise.

A couple of weeks ago, the oil pressure indicator started flopping around like a fish on dry land. I took it to my mechanic, whom I trust since he has occasionally directed me to people who can do work cheaper than he can. He put a mechanical gauge on it and determined that the oil pressure is actually fluctuating, it isn't just a bad sensor. So far, no lifter noises though. He says there's a leak somewhere and to find it will require pulling the engine to get the oil pan loose since most of the stuff that might leak is inside there. Since the engine has 200,000 miles on it, he says I might as well get a new engine.

So I've been trying to decide whether to replace the engine or just get a new truck. Toyota and Nissan have incentives right now that make new vehicles competitive with recent used ones. But I'd really like to get a few more years out of this one. I'll be applying for tenure and promotion next year, and a raise comes along with that, which makes a new one more achievable. Of course, the incentives will go away by then.

The transmission has had a slow leak for the last ~80,000 miles. The transmission guy told me I'd be better off living with it and just topping up the fluid, which I've had to do about every 6 months for the last 7 or 8 years. It seems to be stable . . . but it IS a leak, and the transmission does also have 200,000 miles on it too.