11 replies to this topic

[RacingGreen]

After looking at oil pressure gauges for my car last night, i noticed that the oil pressure light would not come on when i would turn the ignition on. The no charge light would come on but the oil one will not.

Is this anything that needs to be rectified? I had a look at the pressure switch on the engine, there was a brown and white wire going onto the switch but the switch looked like it was no done up the full was as i could see alot of thread left.

Any suggestions on what i can do to solve the problem?

Thanks
Mike

[Guess-Works.com]

Right, the switch has whats called a taper thread on it, basically, it's tapered so that it tightens up to for a oil tight seal ( remeber it has to withstand over 50psi! ), so would not worry about that, but what has happen to me recently is I've had a couple go a bit wobbly on me so may be worth trying an alternate sender..

The wire is the right one, and maybe worth running a continuity check on it ( ie it's actually intact ! ) this is connected to one side of the light and out of the other should be a green wire connected to the voltage regulator, which are also notoriously unreliable... as a side line do your TEMP and FUEL guage work correctly as if the voltage regulator is playing up, these will also have a tendancy to missread.

[Jackman]

Could be an idea to clean the contacts too to see if its just that, i did that with mine and it worked fine.

[RacingGreen]

yes, the temp and fuel gauge work fine, its just the oil light that doesn't, i checked everything else when i noticed it.

[funkygibbon]

Don't trust it! go and buy an oil pressure gauge with a capillary tube and T-piece. much, much more reliable.

[dklawson]

Take the wire off the sending unit. Connect the bare connector the the chassis or engine block to ground it (make sure you have a good, clean connection). Switch on the ignition and look at the dash, the oil light should be on... which would indicate you have a faulty sender. If the light is NOT on, check the light bulb itself. If a new light bulb doesn't fix the problem, you have a problem with the wire.

[RacingGreen]

thats actually what i was looking at buying when i noticed that the light didnt work.

Are the tim gauges any good?

[Guess-Works.com]

Tim are the budget end of the market, but do work...

[dklawson]

The mechanical oil pressure gauges typically aren't referred to as "capillary tube" gauges... even though they do connect to the block with tubing. This term is more commonly reserved for the temperature gauges that work by measuring the pressure/expansion of a gas in the expansion bulb (methylene chloride?). Just call it a mechanical pressure gauge when you go to the parts store and they'll know what you want.

Most mechanical pressure gauges are good. Some are more accurate than others. I'm a big advocate of VDO instruments but I'm sure you'll find other, equally good instruments at your local parts store.

I'd still fix the warning light even if you decide to add a gauge.

[RacingGreen]

I had a look behind the clocks and i found a wire brown and white wire going into the large plug that plugs into the ciruit board. So the wire is there. Have also been looking at some of the gauges, the vdo one look good.

Is the any way for me to check to see if it is the bulb thats faulty?

Thanks for all the help

Mike

[dklawson]

Re-read my first post on how to check the bulb/wire.

[RacingGreen]

sorry about that, have now earth the wire and the light came on, so i will go and get a new sensor tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help guys. Much appreciated.