Dodgy oil pressure switch

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Sunfly
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Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by Sunfly » Thu Oct 18, 2018 6:56 am

My oil pressure has always been good, then one day I noticed that when you switched the engine off it took forever to decay! Whats more if you switched to ignition without actually starting the engine you also had a lovely oil pressure!

I changed the pressure sender out today and all is back to normal with no pressure unless the engine is running, but the thought did occur to me that with this particular fault, you could lose oil pressure and consequently wreck the engine but never know about it until it was too late. Something to watch out for ...!

fuerte
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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by fuerte » Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:08 am

Worth saying as came close for me.Mine went on a long journey.had not lost oil pre journey checks.Only noticed as I pulled up and engine was nearly empty.RAC fitted wrong size switch and split oil filter housing which Kit kindly ran round and got it sent to my garage.That was a year ago I was lucky.
I think the time has come that the sensprs are going due to age which is why I changed my water temp sensor senfercand thetmostat.
Probably a mistake as then started losing coolant and now car in garage for rocker gaskets and oil filler cap and belts cos covered in oil.
So question is do you fix what not broken.

Jon G 24V
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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by Jon G 24V » Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:23 am

Is yours a Late Car Bob ?
You are totally correct with this as Late Cars don't have a true Gauge. Its basically on or off and it puts the Gauge about 1/2 Way up.
When James Engine went on his 96 Timberline the Gauge didn't move away from midway even after it packed up.
Only the early Cars have a true Gauge that goes up and down with Engine Revs as the Oil Pressure rises and falls.
You get used to where it sits at idle and where it sits flying on a Motorway and if its not where it should be then i start to worry :lol: :lol:

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by jrh » Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:31 am

For most of us , the old maxim "If it ain't broke don't fix it" is not such a bad idea.
However, it only applies if you really ,really, do all the maintenance as intended and then some !
For instance, Mazda cambelts will last 100,000 miles easily, but you only find that out by getting there slowly.

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by fuerte » Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:38 am

jrh wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:31 am
For most of us , the old maxim "If it ain't broke don't fix it" is not such a bad idea.
However, it only applies if you really ,really, do all the maintenance as intended and then some !
For instance, Mazda cambelts will last 100,000 miles easily, but you only find that out by getting there slowly.
Serious point I know but you made me laugh too.
Going back to oil pressure switch.The oil went everywhere and got in ky alternator so that went aboyt a werk later.Think the switch a few quid.Just dont let the RAC fit it.lol.
t

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by Sunfly » Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:39 am

Jon G 24V wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:23 am
Is yours a Late Car Bob ?
You are totally correct with this as Late Cars don't have a true Gauge. Its basically on or off and it puts the Gauge about 1/2 Way up.
When James Engine went on his 96 Timberline the Gauge didn't move away from midway even after it packed up.
Only the early Cars have a true Gauge that goes up and down with Engine Revs as the Oil Pressure rises and falls.
You get used to where it sits at idle and where it sits flying on a Motorway and if its not where it should be then i start to worry :lol: :lol:
That's interesting Jon! Mines a late (1997) so the later sender, but I always assume with any gauge that's working but slow to respond, that its got a capacitor built in to dampen down the fluctuations that you always used to get on fuel gauges as the fuel slopped about in the tank! Remember those good old days? No neither do I... they were crap where cars were concerned. The only really accurate reading was empty, and during my apprenticeship I saw that plenty of times!

I'll be watching this gauge very carefully to see if it reads anything other than 1/2 gauge!!!

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by fuerte » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:04 am

My water and oil gauge on my late has only ever shown bottom or half.If anyone ever seen them do otherwise would be interested to know.

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by Jon G 24V » Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:30 pm

fuerte wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:04 am
My water and oil gauge on my late has only ever shown bottom or half.If anyone ever seen them do otherwise would be interested to know.
Mine is a 'N' Reg and an early Car.
My Oil Gauge sits between the R and the M on Tickover and just above the N when cruising on the Motorway.
The needle goes up and down between these points as you rev it 8-)

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by Sunfly » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:00 pm

Jon G 24V wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:30 pm
fuerte wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:04 am
My water and oil gauge on my late has only ever shown bottom or half.If anyone ever seen them do otherwise would be interested to know.
Mine is a 'N' Reg and an early Car.
My Oil Gauge sits between the R and the M on Tickover and just above the N when cruising on the Motorway.
The needle goes up and down between these points as you rev it 8-)
Checked mine tonight and it is steady on the "M" under all circumstance. My memory of M939FDF from when I bought it in 1994 was that it always showed a steady pressure too, but I wouldnt swear to that. Is it possible you've got a dodgy pump relief valve Jon?

I've not checked the bible to see if the pump has such a valve, but my experience of big diesels is that most had a pressure regulating valve maintaining a steady oil pressure pressure in all circumstances. Ideally engine oil will be maintained at a steady pressure as you dont want lows or highs, but oil viscosity drops quite a bit as it heats up and would result in a lower pressure if left to its own devices, so to combat that, most oil pumps in my marine experience were slightly oversized and fitted with a regulator to spill excess oil back to sump. If there is such a relief valve on the Probe, I'm wondering if its possible yours is stuck shut?

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Re: Dodgy oil pressure switch

Post by Jon G 24V » Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:20 am

Sunfly wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:00 pm
Jon G 24V wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:30 pm
fuerte wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:04 am
My water and oil gauge on my late has only ever shown bottom or half.If anyone ever seen them do otherwise would be interested to know.
Mine is a 'N' Reg and an early Car.
My Oil Gauge sits between the R and the M on Tickover and just above the N when cruising on the Motorway.
The needle goes up and down between these points as you rev it 8-)
Checked mine tonight and it is steady on the "M" under all circumstance. My memory of M939FDF from when I bought it in 1994 was that it always showed a steady pressure too, but I wouldnt swear to that. Is it possible you've got a dodgy pump relief valve Jon?

I've not checked the bible to see if the pump has such a valve, but my experience of big diesels is that most had a pressure regulating valve maintaining a steady oil pressure pressure in all circumstances. Ideally engine oil will be maintained at a steady pressure as you dont want lows or highs, but oil viscosity drops quite a bit as it heats up and would result in a lower pressure if left to its own devices, so to combat that, most oil pumps in my marine experience were slightly oversized and fitted with a regulator to spill excess oil back to sump. If there is such a relief valve on the Probe, I'm wondering if its possible yours is stuck shut?
Nothing wrong with it Bob. Tt just does what an early Car is supposed to do. Bear in mind that Oil Pressure will vary from Car to Car depending on mileage and the amount of Wear on the Oil Pump, Main Crank Bearings and the Cam Shaft Bearings too.
Mines only done 69K and i assume has not got much wear. The ZE Engine i had in the Teal was also around these levels on the Oil Gauge 8-)

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