The oil pressure gauge in my 1996 F150 will flip back and forth rapidly when I come to a stop after driving about twenty miles. If I put the tranny in either neutral or park it goes back to where it is supposed to be and it does the same as soon as the truck starts moving again. If the engine is turned off for a few minures it will indicate normally again while ilding but will start flipping again at a stop after a few miles. The oil sending unit has been replaced twice and there are no weird noises coming from the engine. The oil level is normal and there is no froth or contaminants in the oil. I did notice that the holes around the outer edge of the old filter were quite a bit bigger than on the new one I put on today when the oil was changed. Is the oil pump getting ready to go south on me or is there something else I should look at?? Any ideas out there?

 

There is the thought of a dirty pickup screen at the pump.

 

if the oil sending unit for a 96 is like a 90 then i wouldnt worry about it. there really not a sending unit, more of a idiot light sender. sometimes my gauge will read high and other times it will read low, been doing that for 70,000 miles. ive read that there is a sending unit, think its off a mustang, that will actually make the gauge read right. but like i said the sending unit is a small idiot light sender.