Chrysler Repair: oil light coming on while idling., conventional oils, oil light

Question
I have a 2003 Intrepid 2.7L with 60,000 miles. The oil has been changed every 3000 miles since new. Could it be the oil light switch wire, or the switch itself.

Answer
Hi Tom
The light "on" is a not usually a concern, with the engine idling. The minimum requirements for idle pressure are usually in the range of 4 psi, but the warning light sender may be set to close at a psi higher than that, and what pressure your sender is actually alarming at is an unknown unless you substitute a reliable gauge for the sender to check the idle pressure yourself. My experience is that as long as the light goes out upon increasing the rpm it has been acceptable and not resulted in harm. A thin oil weight also exacerbates the warning light problem. My inclination would be to use a one grade higher weight of oil when the engine mileage gets high, and maybe not use a synthetic oil because they tend to run thinner at higher operating temps than conventional oils. I believe you can drive it without repair until you get a warning light 'on' at rpms greater than idle. That is the time to stop the engine and investigate the reason immediately. Of course the sender switch could be replaced, rather than paying someone to test it with a calibrated gauge in place of the sensor, depending on the cost of a new sensor unit. You can probably do that yourself. I doubt it is the wiring that is causing this phenomenon.
Roland