Oil pressure - High and random readings
Discussion
Driving home earlier today after visiting people after the BBWF yesterday I noticed that my oil pressure gauge was behaving a bit strange. As I was going down the motorway at around 70-75, the reading would be off the scale. If I slowed down to anywhere between 50-60, the pressure dropped to the usual position of around 3.5. On accelerating, the needle would jump all over the place, and would also do this at times when going faster.
When idling, it sits around 1.5 (where t normally is), but when moving off, it again jumps about loads, and even at 30 varied between where it usually is, going mad and going above 5 on the scale.
Its a 280i, with a VDO gauge. Oil and filter was all done recently, and there appears to have been no loss of oil, or anything like that, and it still seemed to be running fine.
My initial thoughts are that its something like the sender or interference from something, but what is there I can do to check its nothing more sinister than that?
Cheers!
When idling, it sits around 1.5 (where t normally is), but when moving off, it again jumps about loads, and even at 30 varied between where it usually is, going mad and going above 5 on the scale.
Its a 280i, with a VDO gauge. Oil and filter was all done recently, and there appears to have been no loss of oil, or anything like that, and it still seemed to be running fine.
My initial thoughts are that its something like the sender or interference from something, but what is there I can do to check its nothing more sinister than that?
Cheers!
Ho Jon, trust you got back ok then??
Providing that you are not having any oil light flickering then I would just give the oil pressure sender connections a good clean. Check you have got your normal level of oil in the car as you may have used some on a longer trip in very warm weather etc? check the engine block main earth connections are all good and tight.
Otherwise source a new oil pressure sender and replace as a matter of course as they are not expensive, I am sure Zig and other 280 guru's will be along in a bit with the part number! As mentioned your V6 sounded good when on song on the motorway fella!
Cheers
Chris
Providing that you are not having any oil light flickering then I would just give the oil pressure sender connections a good clean. Check you have got your normal level of oil in the car as you may have used some on a longer trip in very warm weather etc? check the engine block main earth connections are all good and tight.
Otherwise source a new oil pressure sender and replace as a matter of course as they are not expensive, I am sure Zig and other 280 guru's will be along in a bit with the part number! As mentioned your V6 sounded good when on song on the motorway fella!
Cheers
Chris
as far as I know, the sender is a variable resistor (like a temp sender) and so ...
If gauge jumps to full scale, it might be that the sender wire is rubbing on the block/chassis or something earthed, and has finally eaten away the insulation enough to short....
or it could be a faulty sender.
As above check connections, but I would also recommend checking for wear on the wire itself too.
If gauge jumps to full scale, it might be that the sender wire is rubbing on the block/chassis or something earthed, and has finally eaten away the insulation enough to short....
or it could be a faulty sender.
As above check connections, but I would also recommend checking for wear on the wire itself too.
Yeah, I made it back OK, just took it a bit easy just in case.
Will check the oil levels etc and the wiring from the sender. Silly question time - where is the sender? I can't find a diagram anywhere showing where it is? Is it somewhere obvious (not had a look for it yet so it may be!)
Will check the oil levels etc and the wiring from the sender. Silly question time - where is the sender? I can't find a diagram anywhere showing where it is? Is it somewhere obvious (not had a look for it yet so it may be!)
Hi Jon
I am not an Cologne expert but they are usually close to the oil filter screwwed into the block with a single wire in. Remember there are usually 2 oil sensors one for the oil light and one for the pressure gauge so check and clean both. I am sure a V6 expert will be along shortly!
Chris
I am not an Cologne expert but they are usually close to the oil filter screwwed into the block with a single wire in. Remember there are usually 2 oil sensors one for the oil light and one for the pressure gauge so check and clean both. I am sure a V6 expert will be along shortly!
Chris
On my 280 the gauge was mechanical with an oil pressure pipe to the gauge (smiths) , which split on my first run out. Oil all over the engine bay. Luckily I saw the lack of pressure early no damage done to the engine. The take off is on the nearside side of the engine block low down towards the front. 
Rockettvr said:
The take off is on the nearside side of the engine block low down towards the front.
Just had a spare 10 mins where I could take a look, and indeed it is, thanks! Mine is an electronic (VDO) gauge, so has a sender located there.Oil level is same as it was last weekend, so no major loss of oil, though the small area on my garage floor where there is oil is located directly under the sender, and the whole lot is caked in oil/crud. I have cleaned the contact on it, and the wiring looks sound, unfortunately, not got any time for a drive today, or time for further investigation. Hoping I can get it sorted by the weekend, as I'm due to move the car down to Dorset on Sunday and would much rather drive it there than have it get there on the back of a recovery truck!
Bit of an update. I have sourced a new pressure sensor from eBay and planned to fit it this evening and checking the wiring and cleaning the contacts did not seem to do much.
Took the old one off this evening, to find that it has the same thread as the new one, bu then an added thread adaptor so it fits the engine. Nothing seemed to be able to persuade the two to part, so there was no way to fit the new one. So I cleaned up the old one and managed to drain out a bunch of old thick black oil from the thread adaptor and put it back on, and from a short test drive it now appears to be behaving itself
Took the old one off this evening, to find that it has the same thread as the new one, bu then an added thread adaptor so it fits the engine. Nothing seemed to be able to persuade the two to part, so there was no way to fit the new one. So I cleaned up the old one and managed to drain out a bunch of old thick black oil from the thread adaptor and put it back on, and from a short test drive it now appears to be behaving itself
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