Oil Pressure Light On + Engine Stall = ???

[wired1000]

All, long time no see!

My M1009 has been running just fine lately with no problems. It's winter in Chicago and I haven't taken it out much.... the last time I drove it was during a snowstorm for the 4x4.

Due to some car trouble with my gf's car, I was needed to use the CUCV to get to work, so I plugged in the block heater for an hour (it was 1 deg F) then went out to start it. Started the truck, but the Engine Oil Pressure light stayed on. I thought maybe it just needed a minute because it had been sitting for a while, went out to brush the snow off... then the engine stalled.

Started it up again, thinking that maybe it was just cold and couldn't maintain idle (not uncommon when very cold/ been sitting a while) but this time it only ran for a few seconds before stalling again.

At this point I'm thinking that somehow between now and the last time I drove it, the Oil Pump or something related got messed up. Maybe frozen due to the cold? Any ideas?

My next steps are:
1) Check oil level
2) Anything y'all recommend...

Not sure what to do after that besides take it somewhere... I don't have a garage space and no way am I messing around with this lying in a foot of snow outside in 1 deg F...

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yup, check oil level first!


I know some have had good luck with a torpedo heater to "pre-heat" the motor.

 

[DriverSideImpact1008]

If the oil level is ok, what weight oil are you using? Also, if there is condensation/water in the oil, it could freeze in the oil pick-up.

 

[MtnSnow]

Stalling out in cold weather can be fuel gelling.... You can pour hot water over the fuel filter and add some Diesel-kleen 911 to the fuel to help in getting the fuel flowing again

 

[camoyj7]

Check oil pressure with a guage. On my 1991 Chevy with a 6.2 diesel the oil pump drive shaft broke causing the oil pressure guage to read 0. I put another one and it broke again within 2 min of running. It ended up being a bad oil pump. I wouldn't drive it till you figure it out.

 

[wired1000]

Thank all for replies. I basically left the thing all winter... too cold and miserable to work on it out in the street. I'm thinking that the oil pump isn't that expensive... just going to replace it. Anything else I should be looking at when I start digging into this? Obviously replacing the light with a gauge is on the list...