[/URL][/IMG] Ive just done an oil change as the oil pressure was really low at idle, about half way between 0 and 2. now at idle (pic) it sits at 2. while running its on about 4 at temp. I'm running penrite 5-40 and done just under 5000kms Was thinking that: ive either got a dodgy sensor, the oil was buggered or oil pump is a bit flogged (changing at 100k service anyway) i now that the turbos kill the oil quicker as well, and also the gearbox (change oil in that too last month)was causing a bucket load of strain on the motor so im hoping its just my mind f$%king me over. suppose i can wait and see what i get on this oil change to tell the difference any thoughts ??????
yeah, I'd check the send unit... clean the connector on it and see if that makes any difference.. you could also get another one... they are a common failure. Also 5W-40 is a little thin for an old engine... I would stick to 10 or 15W40
thanks Medallion Man....i got to find the Bl%#dy thing first...lol it must be on the passenger side cause it aint near the oil pump, so i have a look tomorrow and got a new one on order anyway. she got 168000k on the clock and i will go for a 10w40 next
on the passenger side (LHS) near the engine mount. there is a hard pipe coming from under the ac compressor to the fitting then it carries on to the turbo. also a wire (to the pressure gauge) that dives back toward the chassis rail.
There is no problem At idle, the gauge should sit on 2 when at operating temp, and on 4 while driving around at operating temp. It's working fine.
well there you go... no problem... I guess i see mine a bit higher due to the rebuilt engine... but I did replace my old one on my other engine as it would often read Zero..
According to the FSM (workshop manual) the oil pressure switch is above the oil filter (page LC5). Is this the correct unit that feeds the dash gauge? In the Electrical System section of the FSM page EL126, Engine bay harness the Oil Sending Unit connector E4 is on the Passenger side towards the back.
Left hand drive cars Mr G On the right hand drive cars it's on the left hand side of the engine about half way along the block on the tube that feeds the turbo for TT cars (just has the sender on the end of the tube on NA cars)
Thanks Mungzy, I need to find mine and give it a slight adjustment with a sledge hammer. Gauge reads 0 most of the time, yet I have not killed my motor through lack of oil.
Temp and oil pressure guages on these cars are never to be trusted or relied on. They do nothing useful other than indicate that there is heat in the coolant or pressure in the oil. There are legions of posts thruout the forum detailing temp guages that rise up to, and then never moving from middle scale regardless of water temps and oil pressure guages that mysteriously go up and down. At one time, my oil pressure guage reads higher at idle then drops off when revving..... Ive had 2 different dash clusters and 3 different oil pressure senders, over time as well. My temp guage indicates more or less the same mid-scalereading despite water temps on the aftermarket meter changing between 60 and 100+ degrees C in traffic. Strange really as the fuel guages usually seem display a good and consistent representation of the fuel level in the tank.... Dont hear too many complaints about them. If you want to know how much heat or pressure is actually going on, then you must fit an aftermarket guage for each application. Way it is. E
OK I didn't see that in your opening post. That still isn't considered a problem in my book as long as its moving up to around 3.6-4.6 at 3000 RPM. (0.8 is considered the minimum per the manual at idle.) This gauge is not meant to be a precision instrument, this is why in the manual servicing is completed with a more accurate workshop gauge. With experience it can be quiet useful in knowing when oil is up to temperature buy knowing what it reads at normal running temperatures, also when oil is running hot as it will drop slightly at idle. It can also show a slight drop when your oil/filter is tired. Also in cars with crap cooling systems with hot oil, tired oil etc, yes it will read low at idle. (Probably the real basis for the "dodgy gauge") The gauge is not there to tell you your oil pump just failed as some seem to think, because if your oil pump fails catastrophically the gauge will not save you, in 10+ years on this forum I think I could count on one hand oil pump failures. EDIT: And I think most of the oil pump problems were out of the box new parts, the oil pump can very easily be reused in a build with a few checks but most replace due to price and ease when apart, but as I mentioned new pumps have probably caused as much if not more then used pumps. (I am not saying don't fit a new pump to a build.) What also needs to be taken into account is "gauges and measurements 101", basic gauges tend to read more accurately in the middle of the range and less accurately a the extremes of the range. IE they are less accurate at the very top and bottom. So if you read low at idle don't be too worried as long as it picks up to around 3.6-4.6 at a sustained 3000 RPM.
A mod on my car to the stock oil sender was to add an earth wire to the plug instead of relying on the threads of the sender to earth, which usually have some sort of sealer/gasket glue on them. Works a treat in conjunction with unblocking the hole. I have also heard of people enlarging the hole with a very small drill bit, however haven't tried this myself. at the end of the day the sender is crap. however mine is pretty responsive still. 2-4 range sometimes drops a little lower at idle in traffic
thanks for heads up guys......got a new after market one so will be putting it in when i do the 100k service
Nah not at all. System is pressurised to 13 odd psi. Boiling point of water @13psi is IIRC somewhere around 120 and a few degrees higher with coolant added. No problem whatsoever. E
