Oil Pressure Gauge shows ok...but warning lamp on..how?

[Comadis]

on my 2l ford SOHC (Pinto) powered Kitcar the oilwarning lamp goes on when driving a curve (even with slow speed). the car has an alloy rs2000 sump. oillevel maximum. interestingwise the "mechanical" oilpressure gauge reeds 3,5-4 ar and doesnt drop down in the same time.

so...should i trust the lamp or the gauge? or do both a proper job but something else is "wrong"?

[rdodger]

Probably not much help, but gauges are damped and often don't react fast enough to show the pressure drop.

I know nothing about pinto engines but is the oil pump / pick up the same on a RS200 as the standard engine? If not it might not be reaching low enough in the sump?

Otherwise it could be a knackered pump or blocked pick up.

[Comadis]

if you use the original pick-up pipe the sump cant be mounted as its shorter.

there is an immediate response of the gauge when reving also drops down immediately when engine falls back to idle-speed.

intersting is that the warning lamp is not so bright that you recognize it in daylight. as the former owners "only" drove it daytimes (for years) and if there would be a real oil-problem the engine wouldnt run anymore, i guess.

[Andy_742]

Mechanical oil pressure gauges are generally the most reliable, i'd suspect the oil pressure switch. I've had a few go faulty over the years. They're not expensive and take 2 mins to change. I'd change that first.

Andy..