# 1987 Dodge Dakota - Oil Pressure Light Comes On **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 7, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216 "2019-08-07T18:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doug50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Doug50](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Doug50)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/1 "2019-08-07T18:54:53Z")
Oil pressure drops. idiot light comes on then off then on again ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/2 "2019-08-07T19:04:20Z")
It’s only an idiot light if the operator of the vehicle doesn’t stop, shut the engine off, and verify whether they have enough oil in the crankcase (adding more if it’s low!). And if the operator doesn’t stop their vehicle and add oil if it’s low, it’s sure not the vehicle or the light that’s the idiot… ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/4 "2019-08-07T19:44:21Z")
Hmm, didn’t tell us any of that information in the original post. The idiot light is telling you your engine is worn out, or the oil pump is worn out, or the idiot light switch is worn out. See how much good information you get if you share information with us. See how you get censored if you act poorly and swear at us. ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/5 "2019-08-07T20:05:30Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > See how much good information you get if you share information with us. It truly is remarkable…it’s like people getting mad at their doctor for missing minor heart attacks before a major one when they don’t bother to tell said doctor that they’ve been having chest pain, arm pain, and shortness of breath for months before the Big One. And I think it’s no small coincidence, too, that running your engine without oil is quite equivalent to letting your blood hemoglobin drop too far ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/6 "2019-08-07T20:32:10Z")
You can’t have it both ways. Original post “oil pressure drops” in reply “pressure is fine”. Which is it? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/7 "2019-08-08T01:45:04Z")
Maybe the idiot light has nothing to do with the oil pressure. Hmmm, what else could an idiot light have detected? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/8 "2019-08-08T02:13:42Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > what else could an idiot light have detected? Alternator and battery problem ? But I doubt the OP will return. ---
**Author:** ![CapitalTruck](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capitaltruck/32/16592_2.png) [@CapitalTruck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapitalTruck)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 3:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/9 "2019-08-08T03:24:12Z")
The question is if there is actually an oil pressure problem or if the pressure sending unit is toast. You probably would be best served to just spend the small amount of $$ and put a new oil pressure sensor/sending unit in and see if the problem is solved. If it keeps coming on then you know you have an actual oil pressure issue and will have to hook up a mechanical gauge and see what’s going on. Could be anything from a bad pump to a toast engine. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 5:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1987-dodge-dakota-oil-pressure-light-comes-on/146216/10 "2019-08-08T05:04:37Z")
I was trying to be subtle , bui given the OPs rant, I was thinking the idiot light was detecting…an idiot.