Low oil pressue 3200
Discussion
Hmm - this is worrying me, the oil pressure gauge on my 3200 is zipping all over the shop at the moment.
With cold engine its hard on 5 and doesn't move.
When temp gauge is at 90 and at idle its at around 3-3.5 but when I engauge first gear and the revs drop slightly the oil pressure needle sweeps round to under 2.5 and the red warning light comes on along with the Oil Error light on the dash. It appears for less than a second and as soon as the revs kick in its back up to 5 bar.
If I build up revs a bit before engauging 1st it doesn't happen but stuff like going slowly over speed bumps makes it do it all the time.
Oil is topped up to full - just had annual service (inc Tubi fitted) and its been doing this for about a week.
Anyone any ideas - I've seen a few posts in archive about faulty sensors but this one sounds more similar - www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=113842&f=63&h=0&hw=oil+pressure+3200
Wondered if anyone else had had this problem and how much the missus is likely to hurt me when it goes in to be fixed!
Thanks,
Jim
With cold engine its hard on 5 and doesn't move.
When temp gauge is at 90 and at idle its at around 3-3.5 but when I engauge first gear and the revs drop slightly the oil pressure needle sweeps round to under 2.5 and the red warning light comes on along with the Oil Error light on the dash. It appears for less than a second and as soon as the revs kick in its back up to 5 bar.
If I build up revs a bit before engauging 1st it doesn't happen but stuff like going slowly over speed bumps makes it do it all the time.
Oil is topped up to full - just had annual service (inc Tubi fitted) and its been doing this for about a week.
Anyone any ideas - I've seen a few posts in archive about faulty sensors but this one sounds more similar - www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=113842&f=63&h=0&hw=oil+pressure+3200
Wondered if anyone else had had this problem and how much the missus is likely to hurt me when it goes in to be fixed!
Thanks,
Jim
Jim I had the same problem on my 3200GT.
The Oil pressure sensor went which costs around £45 + vat depending on where you go.
The financial pain was that it takes around 3 hours to fix as the AirConditioning unit has to come out.
For this my main dealer charged around £95.50 + vat per hour.
Not a cheap repair considering the initial part is low cost.
The Oil pressure sensor went which costs around £45 + vat depending on where you go.
The financial pain was that it takes around 3 hours to fix as the AirConditioning unit has to come out.
For this my main dealer charged around £95.50 + vat per hour.
Not a cheap repair considering the initial part is low cost.
I have done couple of these and it is possible to replace the sender with a/c compressor removal, its just fiddly.
Unfortunately, i would suspect this may not be the problem, I would suggest you get the crankshaft end float checked - its a very simple check but it may be the problem that it shows may not be so cheap. Manual 3200's suffer crankshaft end float problems. get it checked properly by a specialist or main dealer. I would also suggest talking to other dealers but i suspect the problem you have is not sender related.
I would stress get it checked quickly and i hope it is the sensder unit.
Unfortunately, i would suspect this may not be the problem, I would suggest you get the crankshaft end float checked - its a very simple check but it may be the problem that it shows may not be so cheap. Manual 3200's suffer crankshaft end float problems. get it checked properly by a specialist or main dealer. I would also suggest talking to other dealers but i suspect the problem you have is not sender related.
I would stress get it checked quickly and i hope it is the sensder unit.
simpress said:
wow...my oil pressure gauge never drops below 5 ever. Is mine up the spout also or is this where it should be?
Happy Christmas to everyone
Pressi
Yours is Fine Simpress. From what I remember , My gauge never dropped below 5 until the Sensor packed up and then it was jumping around all the time!
Pete
The clue, as they say, could be in the question. Before servicing no apparent probs - After Annual Service, low oil pressure reading at idle when hot but not when cold.
Do you know what oil was used for Servicing? Absolutely MUST be 10/60 fully synthetic and preferably Selenia Racing (in fact highly preferable as this is Maserati's only recommendation - I do not use anything else). No other grade is suitable so check this first and change it immediately if wrong grade was used and retest.
If probs persist even with Selenia, you need to get the actual oil pressure checked in the workshop by using a reliable test guage. This will immediately show if the problem is actually low pressure or simply an unreliable indication of same.
"Indicated" problems in your case (with oil warning light as well as guage) are likely to be either sensor related or wiring defects.
"Actual" low oil pressure needs further and immediate investigation of course but I am having serious difficulty in understanding how crankshaft end-float, as suggested by another poster, can cause any pressure drop at all as worn bearings (crankpins and/or mains) are the usual culprit. For the record, I am unaware that 3200s have any problem with crank end-float but will check this out.
If "Actual" low oil pressure is the case, the car would surely have registered low oil pressure BEFORE servicing with the old and thinned oil. However, again we come back to the grade of oil used so do check this first.
hth
Do you know what oil was used for Servicing? Absolutely MUST be 10/60 fully synthetic and preferably Selenia Racing (in fact highly preferable as this is Maserati's only recommendation - I do not use anything else). No other grade is suitable so check this first and change it immediately if wrong grade was used and retest.
If probs persist even with Selenia, you need to get the actual oil pressure checked in the workshop by using a reliable test guage. This will immediately show if the problem is actually low pressure or simply an unreliable indication of same.
"Indicated" problems in your case (with oil warning light as well as guage) are likely to be either sensor related or wiring defects.
"Actual" low oil pressure needs further and immediate investigation of course but I am having serious difficulty in understanding how crankshaft end-float, as suggested by another poster, can cause any pressure drop at all as worn bearings (crankpins and/or mains) are the usual culprit. For the record, I am unaware that 3200s have any problem with crank end-float but will check this out.
If "Actual" low oil pressure is the case, the car would surely have registered low oil pressure BEFORE servicing with the old and thinned oil. However, again we come back to the grade of oil used so do check this first.
hth
Just checked my manuals and the correct oil pressure with engine hot is stated as >2.5 bar @ 1,000 rpm and 4.5/5.0 bar @ 6,000rpm. Thus a borderline, but still acceptable, reading could flash the warning light as correct idle speed is 900/1,000rpm.
Have checked out the crank end-float issue mentioned above and apparently there have been isolated instances of excess play within the dealership chain. Last one my contact knew of was an automatic AC but in his words, "one swallow does not make a Spring".
hth
Have checked out the crank end-float issue mentioned above and apparently there have been isolated instances of excess play within the dealership chain. Last one my contact knew of was an automatic AC but in his words, "one swallow does not make a Spring".
hth
Thanks for all the feedback - spoke to Karl at Verdis (where it had the service etc) and he said that the way to work out if its the crank end float issue is to get the car up to temp and then at idle if, when you drop the clutch, the oil pressure gauge doesn't move at all you are OK.
The good news is that the gauge doesn't move at all so it looks like a sensor issue which is a massive relief.
Phew...
Anyone heard of this test before?
The good news is that the gauge doesn't move at all so it looks like a sensor issue which is a massive relief.
Phew...
Anyone heard of this test before?
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