Oil pressure sensor woes - are there different varieties?

[Teeroy78]

Hello my fellow TYFers,

I am trying to replace the oil pressure sensor on my 2009 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SLT 5.3L. Of course, it’s a royal pain in the butt to get to. I have watched some videos, read some stories here, and consulted the service manual, but nothing I’ve found had an actual picture of the electrical connector that needs to be disconnected by feel. I managed to poke my phone back there and get a half decent view of it. I’m not sure how to take the connector off. Working in -20C doesn’t make the job any easier! Running the engine for a bit to warm it up does help a lot, though!

I’m expecting a tab to pull up to release the clip, but I expected the release to be towards the bottom. Looking in the video, it looks like the clip to be released might be from the top. Hard to say. I’m also concerned by the shape of the black housing. I’m concerned I might not have the right part. I got AC Delco part 12673134 from Rockauto. It matches the Rockauto picture, but the black part is round whereas the connector has a large flat side. The flat side may just be part of the guide fins to make sure it only plugs in the right way.

https://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1443013&parttype=13795

Do I need to push in the grey piece and pry back the black tab from the top to release the grey portion of the connector as a first stage to then release the large black connector from the top of the sensor? I’ve never read that anywhere else before. Is there a tab at the bottom that I am not seeing in the video and not feeling due to cold fingers?

It’s not a huge deal, and I may just wait until spring. All signs are pointing to a faulty sensor (needle moves to zero properly with engine off, dances around a bit but is usually pinned until the computer gives up and shuts off the feed from the sensor, returns to zero, and throws codes P0521 and P0523) and not an actual problem with the engine or oil pump, but the CEL is preventing the remote start from working of course. That is a major bummer during a Winnipeg winter lol

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DSN46]

I just did this job. Getting that connector off was the hardest part for me.... that and having to lay across the engine. That black tab in your video slides UP about 1/2 inch. It exposes a small button or detent if you will that you have to press VERY hard while also pulling up on the plug at the same time. I finally got it, but there were some bad words spoken while doing so.

I can't answer your question about the part you have found. I just went to my local dealer and bought it for only a few dollars more. Also, don't forget to replace the little screen underneath the sensor, or at least pull it out and clean it or all of your work may be for nothing.

Good luck!

 

[Teeroy78]

Hey James,

Ahhhh, that little tidbit seems like the missing link. We’ve got a blizzard coming this weekend, so I’ll probably give it a go next weekend. I was definitely not trying to slide that tab up, hence my difficulty.

Thanks James! I’ll let you know how it goes.

 

[CobraKing]

As the truck ages, the oil pickup-line O-ring gets brittle and no longer acts as a seal allowing air to seep in with the oil. I think if you've replaced the oil pressure sensor, the mesh screen behind the sensor and the O-ring then you may actually have to replace the oil pump itself.

 

[bryank97]

As mentioned, Replace the oil pressure sensor "filter" as well
I replaced my sensor, still was having erratic pressure on the gauge, throwing CEL (No remote start then)
Replaced the Filter and all is good
Dealers have them for <$6 bucks
Usually using a pick tool you bust through the screen to remove it

Here is a pic of the screen from rockauto--they call it a oil pressure filter

 

[DSN46]

Hey James,

Ahhhh, that little tidbit seems like the missing link. We’ve got a blizzard coming this weekend, so I’ll probably give it a go next weekend. I was definitely not trying to slide that tab up, hence my difficulty.

Thanks James! I’ll let you know how it goes.

Please tell us how it went!

 

[Teeroy78]

Please tell us how it went!

I certainly will... it just hasn’t happened yet.

 

[puckhead]

Going to be doing this soon, glad I found this thread!

 

[Teeroy78]

An ode to the saga of the oil pressure sensor replacement, sung to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"...

>>>
Now I've heard there was a secret cord
By the firewall, design we abhorred
Now you don't really care for knuckles, do ya?
Well they skinned like this, the fourth, the fifth
Your spirits fall while the plug doesn't lift
The baffled guy wonders how to do it

How to do it, How to do it
How to do it, How to do it

Well your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You watched more YouTube, but the shots were aloof
The cold air and the darkness overthrew ya
TYF forums, you read more there
Try it yet again, *POP* hey what have here??
And from your lips they drew the Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
<<<

After far too long, I did it. I managed to get that plug unclipped. I pushed in the little grey notch inside the black tab (check my video in the first post), then managed to pull up on the grey piece as @DSN46 indicated, but it didn't just stop at 1/2 inch, it came right out. Oops!



Then I was able to press in on the top of the black tab (which is now free to move with the grey piece out of the way, probably a lock of sorts) and wiggle the plug off the sensor. It really was a Hallelujah moment!

This thread by @jrsherfy https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/oil-pressure-sensor-p0521-p0522-p0523.99332/
And this one by @Burb!! https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/p0523-and-0-psi-oil-pressure-fix.90150/
in addition to @DSN46 above and others that I have read over the past weeks while waiting for it to warm up were all very helpful in figuring this out.

I didn't have a new screen, so I tried to remove the existing screen without damaging it (i.e. not punching a hole through the screen it to hook it and pull it out) unsuccessfully. Since my first symptom was high pressure, not low pressure, I'm not concerned that the screen is sludged up and in need of cleaning or replacement. The base of the old oil pressure sensor was very clean, and I was too cold and sore to put much more time into this to be perfectly honest.

After getting the new sensor in and the plug reattached, I did not try to put the grey "lock" piece back in. Two reasons - at this point, I'd have very likely dropped it, and also if this procedure didn't solve the problem, if there was a leak, or something else that would require removal again, I didn't want to have to pull that off again. Call it a trick learned from many years of fixing, upgrading, and building computers. You don't put all the screws on the case back on until you know it works.

All is well now, and I couldn't feel any signs of a leak after a test run (I didn't want to tighten it too much - stripping the threads after all that work would have killed me).

The results:

 

[Burb!!]

An ode to the saga of the oil pressure sensor replacement, sung to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"...

>>>
Now I've heard there was a secret cord
By the firewall, design we abhorred
Now you don't really care for knuckles, do ya?
Well they skinned like this, the fourth, the fifth
Your spirits fall while the plug doesn't lift
The baffled guy wonders how to do it

How to do it, How to do it
How to do it, How to do it

Well your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You watched more YouTube, but the shots were aloof
The cold air and the darkness overthrew ya
TYF forums, you read more there
Try it yet again, *POP* hey what have here??
And from your lips they drew the Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
<<<

After far too long, I did it. I managed to get that plug unclipped. I pushed in the little grey notch inside the black tab (check my video in the first post), then managed to pull up on the grey piece as @DSN46 indicated, but it didn't just stop at 1/2 inch, it came right out. Oops!

View attachment 195468

Then I was able to press in on the top of the black tab (which is now free to move with the grey piece out of the way, probably a lock of sorts) and wiggle the plug off the sensor. It really was a Hallelujah moment!

This thread by @jrsherfy https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/oil-pressure-sensor-p0521-p0522-p0523.99332/
And this one by @Burb!! https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/p0523-and-0-psi-oil-pressure-fix.90150/
in addition to @DSN46 above and others that I have read over the past weeks while waiting for it to warm up were all very helpful in figuring this out.

I didn't have a new screen, so I tried to remove the existing screen without damaging it (i.e. not punching a hole through the screen it to hook it and pull it out) unsuccessfully. Since my first symptom was high pressure, not low pressure, I'm not concerned that the screen is sludged up and in need of cleaning or replacement. The base of the old oil pressure sensor was very clean, and I was too cold and sore to put much more time into this to be perfectly honest.

After getting the new sensor in and the plug reattached, I did not try to put the grey "lock" piece back in. Two reasons - at this point, I'd have very likely dropped it, and also if this procedure didn't solve the problem, if there was a leak, or something else that would require removal again, I didn't want to have to pull that off again. Call it a trick learned from many years of fixing, upgrading, and building computers. You don't put all the screws on the case back on until you know it works.

All is well now, and I couldn't feel any signs of a leak after a test run (I didn't want to tighten it too much - stripping the threads after all that work would have killed me).

The results:

You're welcome, it was too much of a pain in the ass for me not to start a thread and help someone out.


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