Well, I started my car today to find the code P0520 coming up with my check engine light, so, I looked on here and discovered it was the oil pressure switch that was causing the aforementioned code.
There was no real how-to on this, so I might as well make it.
Part Number 05149062AA at the local stealership will run you about 56 bucks. I dunno where else to find it, and I like using Mopar parts.
So, the sensor is located behind the alternator....which means you have to drop the alt if you want to get at it, which is a kinda big pain in the ass, but not too hard.
You'll need your basic tools, as well as a breaker bar, in order to loosen the tension on the drive belt.
-Disconnect your battery, we'll be dealing with the altenator here....
-Start off by jacking up your front end, and place your jackstands appropriately, you're going to be under the car for quite a while.
-Remove the oil pan cover, and then take off the front most plastic cover under the car for ease of access to the alt and oil pressure switch.
-Prop your hood with your custom PVC irrigation prop rod if your gas struts are shot like mine are
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From this point you really cant even see the dang switch we're replacing, but trust me, it's in there.
-Take the belt off the alternator by placing a 3/8ths inch breaker bar into the square hole in the bottom of the belt tensioner, and turning it clockwise. Reach over and slide the belt off the alt. I don't have a little breaker bar so i just used my socket wrench with a hunk of pipe on it for torque.
-I pulled off my intake tube and airbox cover to access the belt better.
-Take the bolts out of the alternator, there are 3, all 15mm.I removed the bottom 2 bolts on the alt first, to keep it from falling on my face while I was under there. Then remove the top bolt, and slide that heavy sucker out of the way. (i have no idea who designs this crap, i could see no way to pull the alternator out of the engine bay without removing the radiator hose or something equally stupid.)
![Image]()
-disconnect the plug and wire from the back of the altenator I would double check to make sure you disconnected the battery at this point...there's nothing like a big scary arc of electricity to make this fun experience into a dangerous one!
-Now you can see the stupid switch, from the bottom only though. It's the white thing with the plug hanging next to it. Remoig the plug was a pain, you need to slide the little red tab out to be able to pull it off.
![Image]()
-Once you have it unplugged, its time to get creative with extensions and wrench adapters, haha. You'll need a fat socket to get this thing off. its a 1 and 1/16" bolt, and it'll need to be a deep socket. I use harbor freight deep impact sockets because i know i wont break em by hand, and I have no impact wrenches.
![Image]()
-Turn the wrench for what seems like an eternity, then turn some more, eventually it''ll come out. Old compared to new. You can see the old one was weeping a bit.
![Image]()
-After that, put the new sensor into the little hole, and again, tighten it for what seems like an eternity, evntually it'll be all snug.
-Once you got that in, plug her back in! I broke the clip while doing this...hope that isnt too big of a problem....so be careful.
- all plugged in! You can see the alt just propped up above where I was working.
![Image]()
Now, reverse your procedure!
-Replace the plug and wire on the back of the alt
-Screw the alt into place (i started with the top bolt)
-Replace the belt onto the alt by using the same procedure as above
-Replace your airbox, intake tube, and IAT sensor
-Replace all the stupid plastic covers under the car, blah blah blah.
-Remove jack stands
-Smile
I think thats about it. I accidently started the car without the IAT sensor so it threw a P0113 code at me, but I reconnected it.
My car no longer has the P0520 code, and all seems to be well...
Except that my bellhousing seems to be leaking...oh jeeze.
![Image]()
If I missed anything, I'll add it in later. I hope you all find this helpful, i wish i had a good step by step guide to doing this, it would have taken half the time.
I took about 2 hours to get this done.
There was no real how-to on this, so I might as well make it.
Part Number 05149062AA at the local stealership will run you about 56 bucks. I dunno where else to find it, and I like using Mopar parts.
So, the sensor is located behind the alternator....which means you have to drop the alt if you want to get at it, which is a kinda big pain in the ass, but not too hard.
You'll need your basic tools, as well as a breaker bar, in order to loosen the tension on the drive belt.
-Disconnect your battery, we'll be dealing with the altenator here....
-Start off by jacking up your front end, and place your jackstands appropriately, you're going to be under the car for quite a while.
-Remove the oil pan cover, and then take off the front most plastic cover under the car for ease of access to the alt and oil pressure switch.
-Prop your hood with your custom PVC irrigation prop rod if your gas struts are shot like mine are
From this point you really cant even see the dang switch we're replacing, but trust me, it's in there.
-Take the belt off the alternator by placing a 3/8ths inch breaker bar into the square hole in the bottom of the belt tensioner, and turning it clockwise. Reach over and slide the belt off the alt. I don't have a little breaker bar so i just used my socket wrench with a hunk of pipe on it for torque.
-I pulled off my intake tube and airbox cover to access the belt better.
-Take the bolts out of the alternator, there are 3, all 15mm.I removed the bottom 2 bolts on the alt first, to keep it from falling on my face while I was under there. Then remove the top bolt, and slide that heavy sucker out of the way. (i have no idea who designs this crap, i could see no way to pull the alternator out of the engine bay without removing the radiator hose or something equally stupid.)
-disconnect the plug and wire from the back of the altenator I would double check to make sure you disconnected the battery at this point...there's nothing like a big scary arc of electricity to make this fun experience into a dangerous one!
-Now you can see the stupid switch, from the bottom only though. It's the white thing with the plug hanging next to it. Remoig the plug was a pain, you need to slide the little red tab out to be able to pull it off.
-Once you have it unplugged, its time to get creative with extensions and wrench adapters, haha. You'll need a fat socket to get this thing off. its a 1 and 1/16" bolt, and it'll need to be a deep socket. I use harbor freight deep impact sockets because i know i wont break em by hand, and I have no impact wrenches.
-Turn the wrench for what seems like an eternity, then turn some more, eventually it''ll come out. Old compared to new. You can see the old one was weeping a bit.
-After that, put the new sensor into the little hole, and again, tighten it for what seems like an eternity, evntually it'll be all snug.
-Once you got that in, plug her back in! I broke the clip while doing this...hope that isnt too big of a problem....so be careful.
- all plugged in! You can see the alt just propped up above where I was working.
Now, reverse your procedure!
-Replace the plug and wire on the back of the alt
-Screw the alt into place (i started with the top bolt)
-Replace the belt onto the alt by using the same procedure as above
-Replace your airbox, intake tube, and IAT sensor
-Replace all the stupid plastic covers under the car, blah blah blah.
-Remove jack stands
-Smile
I think thats about it. I accidently started the car without the IAT sensor so it threw a P0113 code at me, but I reconnected it.
My car no longer has the P0520 code, and all seems to be well...
Except that my bellhousing seems to be leaking...oh jeeze.
If I missed anything, I'll add it in later. I hope you all find this helpful, i wish i had a good step by step guide to doing this, it would have taken half the time.
I took about 2 hours to get this done.
mfg: stopped by autozone had the light checked and i got 2 codes p0250 which was for oil pressure sensor and p1521 for incorrect engine oil type, viscosity or contamination the last oil change was 2000 miles ago i called the shop to see what the put in last and he said 10w 30 advised that my car takes 5w 30 so i stopped by after work they re-did the oil change and hopefully this resolves the prob autozone said this was like a combo prob. the shop also reset the light. does anyone know how long it takes for the engine light to reset itself so i'll know if this check engine light is resolved or not... he was also telling me about 0w30 and basically saying that its great. any thoughts
