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gauge showing no oil pressure

35K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  bjhaege03 
#1 ·
so i went to start my 2005 GMC 2500 HD the other morning and noticed the oil pressure gauge was just sitting a zero. truck started and ran just fine. being the owner of a 2003 GMC i knew there were problems with instrument panel clusters so i thought for sure that was the problem with truck. Boy was i wrong....just got the call from the dealer saying that my ECM the one located under the battery is or has gone out. $1300 is what he told me it would cost to fix it. anyone have a cheaper fix to this problem?
 
#3 ·
i agree with Nginear, a bad ECM doesnt sound like the issue, I would think you would have more issues then your oil pressure gauge if it was toast. Sending unit seems likely, or if it is the ECM maybe its something a re-flash would fix
 
#4 ·
I would definitely hook up a mechanical gage before I would give anybody that kind of money. The stepper motors are known to go bad in the cluster.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app
 
#5 ·
I had the excact same problem and i hooked up a mechanical gage and had oil pressure. installed a new sending unit and works good now. As stated above i wouldnt think a bad ecm would cause that or you would have alot more issues going on.
 
#6 ·
Not an ECM, I had a similar problem and it went away.

I'd say disconnect your batteries and see if that fixes it. I've seen it fix some random glitches.

Does it have an check engine light or codes?
 
#7 ·
Sounds like the dealer is trying to make some $$$. As others have said if the ECM was bad you would probably have a lot more problems then just the oil pressure gauge not working. Hook a mechanical gauge up to it and see if it shows pressure and if so there are a few people that fix the stepper motors and instrument clusters for '03 to '06 trucks on eBay.
 
#9 ·
where would I find the sending unit on my '01?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Well the dealer I took it to said that they tested the sensors and that was not the problem. They told me that the traced the wires and the problem is with the ECM. I to thought that it would be something like the sending unit, sensor, or even the instrument panel cluster. So I have not a clue what the heck to do with this truck! They told me that they hooked it up and it does have oil pressure. Where is the sending unit located on my 05 GMC.
 
#11 ·
I believe the sending unit on a Duramax is located on the drivers side of the block close to the middle level of the engine itself.

After some searching I found these pictures.

These pics are from someone here with an LBZ.






I believe GM uses the same oil sending unit on it's trucks. The sending unit on the duramax in the second picture is identical to the one I replaced on my gas engine last month before I traded it in.


If it was me, I would install a new sending unit. I look at it this way, best case scenario you fixed your own truck for 60 bucks. Worst case, it really was the ECM so now you can put the old sending unit back in and then sell the new one on E-bay or vice-verse.
 
#12 ·
Yeah I think I will do that. If for some reason it doesn't fix my problem I think I will take it some where else and get a second opinion on the problem. If for some reason it is the ECM what are tour thoughts on having my current on rebuilt vs. A new one from the dealer? I know of a local company that rebuilds them and my dealer said they will program it.
 
#14 ·
Well I took my truck to another local chevy dealer that came highly recommend by a co-worker. Turns out all I had was a short in the wire that connects the sensor to the ECM. Final total for repairs $190 not $1300!!! Called the GMC dealer that I took it to first and gave them an ear full!!
 
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