urgent help with oil pressure!!!!???

[banana man]

went to start the tvr yesterday and had left the interior light on for a couple of days so the battery was dead. Disconnected and recharged the battery, put it back on and started the car back up and oil pressure gauge when up to 90psi and stayed there all the time i was out driving????? i did.nt go to far as affraid the engiune may blow up!!! oil pressure gauge was ok before flat battery? use to be at 30-35psi can any help with this problem please???!!!!how does the oil pressure gauge test the oil pressure? hope someone can help me and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

[jellison]

Has to be the gauge or sender (more likely gauge with these symptoms) - engine will be fine - just get to a good garage - doesn't need to be TVR.

[banana man]

thanks for that,would it be worth me disconnecting the battery and connecting it up again?

[old64er]

banana man said:

thanks for that,would it be worth me disconnecting the battery and connecting it up again?

only if you want to waste time

[Ozstyle]

Hi,
a lot of threads seam to indicate that if the oil pressure gauge goes of the scale it may be a loose/dirty connection to the oil pressure sender unit causing the fault. Maybe worth checking this first.

Ozstyle

[Ozstyle]

Hi,
a lot of threads seam to indicate that if the oil pressure gauge goes of the scale it may be a loose/dirty connection to the oil pressure sender unit causing the fault. Maybe worth checking this first.

Ozstyle

[petros]

Just had this problem with my Chimaera. Changed the Oil Sender Switch and all is back to normal.

[b19 rus]

Hi Petros and all u other PHers. (sorry this is an epic post)
I am a pretty concerned. My pre serp Griff 500 has always had oil pressure of 60+lb at cold start and then typically 30-35 lb during normal operating conditions. (not sure if relevant) Recently I have had to change the battery and during an outing over Crimble I noticed that the oil pressure was dipping to 15 ish lb although the car was registering its water temperature at a reasonable 85 degs. On the move this went up to 30lb again but I am sure most of you would be bothered a bit by this.
Next day I restarted and had 60lb and drove it steadily, once again it went down to 15lbish at normal temp. Next day I did same again but let it run while stationary - 60 ps at start then sat at 35 when it reached temperature. I then drove it and it dropped to 15lb at idle when warm and 30-35 when between 3-5000 rpm, If i really rev car when hot it goes go up to 60lb and falls again slowly to
30 ish ps.

* It has mobil 1 0/40 in it at the mo from the last owner. (See jobs as I realise this it p*ss thin)
* Its got a good service history and has covered 30,000 miles.
* The Level of the oil is spot on.
* There is a tiny leak (4 pea sized spots in 4 months)
* I have Silkolene 10/50 fully synth (opie oils), original LR filter & S Heath magnetic plug to fit.
* car idles at about 950-1000 rpm.

HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Anyone got any ideas about what I can do first? I know that TVR guages and possibly the switches are below par but what shall I do first??

Sender?, oil change, ????????

I really hate OIL PRESSURE GAUGES, they make me realy nervous!!!!!!!!!

[tom7]

Russ,
Rover OP senders are sh1te, always have been. The OP gauge might also be excesively damped so that by the time the low OP registers, the event has already happened.
A new one might be a temp fix, but for a permanent fix you would need to consider SPA sender & gauge or light preset at the danger point.
A lot of the Cat chaps use SPA and report no issues with them.

[b19 rus]

Hi T

I will call u 2moro but for the benefit of the thread can u explain the SPA sender thingy??

PS As u new my Lotus sunbeam u know I get all intense about OP

[bluebottle]

Hi b19 rus, my old pre serp 500 used to do this regularly after a long run (200miles)once the oil had done more than 3k miles. The oil would go like ps water especially stock mobil one stuff, until i changed it to the thicker Mobil race stuff.
I would get the oil change done and then see what the guage reads before trying to find a sender fault that may not be there. I would also check the wire connection to the sender unit on the oil pump housing as mine was pretty corroded when i first got the car.

[kevinday]

I second BLuebottle's recommendation. The Rover engines do not like such thin oil as Mobil 1, suggest you change the oil to a thicker one. In all the RV8 engines I have had (6 so far) I have always changed the oil at 3,000 miles, and had no oil-related problems at all.

[tom7]

Russ,
here... Not cheap, but the dogs danglies apparently.

Tom