Oil Light Warm Idle/Pressure Fine - Newbie Help Required!

[SomersetBoy]

Had me Cerbie 4 days now - have done 600 miles

This morning took it down the A38 in Somerset to give the old man a treat. Came to some traffic lights after about 25/30 miles and noticed the oil light flickering at idle. I only had to brush the throttle and the light switched off again. Temperatures were fine (fans cutting in at 95ish) - oil pressure was fine, it's been rock solid in all the miles I've done so far.

From looking at the forums, it sounds like the oil pressure switch. So I've got a few questions if anyone can help!! How urgent is the fix for this? Is the car likely to suffer any damage if I keep on top of oil levels, temps, etc?

[RUSSELLM]

It will almost certainly be your oil pressure relief spring. I'd get it done asap, a lack of oil to the engine, won't do it any favours

[SomersetBoy]

Thanks for the quick reply RusselM - I'll check it tomorrow.

If your still reading (!), how do I find the valve? Had a look at the pictures posted by Julian64, but finding it difficult to locate that in the engine bay.

One other thing - could ti be related to: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Thanks again,
Richard

[RUSSELLM]

Unfortunately, my lack of mechanical knowledge, A garage and time, means that someone else fixes the car for me

Your link above relates to the switch, but in your case, it's more likely to be the relief spring that sits in a valve.

Julian64 has posted some pics up before, but the link isn't working at the moment.

Do a search under "relief spring"

HTH

[mxi933]

When your oil light comes on does the reading on yer oil gauge drop at the same time. My understanding is that there are two possible issues here:
if oil pressure drops it looks like a relief spring issue. Not a difficult job. I had to take the sump guard off on mine to get at it.
If oil pressure doesnt drop it looks like the oil pressure switch needs looking at and your gauge is the one to trust.

Hope this helps

[SomersetBoy]

Thanks again Russell - the "getting someone else to fix it" sounds like a plan to me

I need to book the 36k service anyway, so I'll bring it forward.

[SomersetBoy]

mxi - oil pressure is rock solid so far. At idle 70 cold, 55 warm or 50 hot. The question for me is, should I be driving the car (gently ) if the switch is dodgy?

This forum is brilliant by the way. If I hadn't seen this first and seen all the independant and friendly advise available, I would have been even more tense about the possible reliability issues.

Thanks

[RUSSELLM]

Panic ye not

I had exactly the same thing when arriving at the hotel, the night before the "CREAM" event.

Apparently blipping the throttle forces the oil through & opens the spring up, best to get it sorted sooner, rather than later though

The indie I used also swaps the valve that the spring sits in, as apparently it gunks up, but I haven't heard of anyone else replacing that bit.

[Steve_T]

If the pressure is steady on the gauge, but the oil pressure switch light is flickering, that suggests that the oil pressure relief spring is fine, and you only have a problem with with switch or a dodgy connection to the switch. Check the oil level and make sure you have the maximum in the sump. You can drive your car, but I would only be driving it to your local specialist to get it fixed as soon as poss. It's not worth chancing oil starvation. The oil pressure relief spring is easy to get at, so it would be worth a check of that just while the pressure switch issue is being sorted.

Steve.

Edited by Steve_T on Monday 10th March 10:28

[Gazzab]

Steve_T said:

If the pressure is steady on the gauge, but the oil pressure switch light is flickering, that suggests that the oil pressure relief spring is fine, and you only have a problem with with switch or a dodgy connection to the switch. Check the oil level and make sure you the maximum in the sump. You can drive your car, but I would only be driving it to your local specialist to get it fixed as soon as poss. It's not worth chancing oil starvation. The oil pressure relief spring is easy to get at, so it would be worth a check of that just while the pressure switch issue is being sorted.

Steve.

Edited by Steve_T on Monday 10th March 09:31

Seconded.

[RUSSELLM]

Steve_T said:

If the pressure is steady on the gauge, but the oil pressure switch light is flickering, that suggests that the oil pressure relief spring is fine,

That'll teach me to read threads properly

I agree, on in not being the spring symptoms, the oil pressure normally drops to zero.

[SomersetBoy]

Thanks for the advise gents.

[FUBAR]

Gents? Them? You can tell you havent been round these here parts very long

[Rooster2]

I agree Somerset... seeing a rapid response like this to your problem and the advice I received the other day makes me feel very happy that I won't be alone when the time comes for me to have issues ... as I surely will...

Have now got Rob Ingleby on the case for me as feel a lot happier getting someone who really knows what they are talking about having a look... I figured it will be money well spent... Had a long chat with him this morning..so fingers crossed!!

Good luck Somerset I will be reading with interest to ssee how you get on...

[SomersetBoy]

Well, it's the oil pressure sender unit. Problem now is no-one seems to have any in stock

Part no is E2651. Neil at Dulford Autos has been trying to locate some for a while and getting no luck.

Does anyone here have a secret stash?

[TT Tim]

This gets my goat!

This surely, can't be a bespoke TVR item

Try Think Automotive: http://www.thinkauto.com/earlywarning.htm

let us all know how you get on, if I had more time this week I'd track it down myself.

Good luck

Tim

[ridds]

Nope they were made for TVR.

Racing Green did have some.

If you have a good one and can workout the trigger pressure, then find another with the same trigger pressure and thread you're onto a winner.

Perhaps a job for TT_Tim?

However, it's inlets and coil packs out to get to it. Slightly easier on a 4.5.

[coey 4.2]

Hi, my oil light stays on all the time, the guy at the garage told me when i got the car that it was the oil pressure switch, the oil pressure had been checked and was ok so not to worry to much thus i have been driving it as normal!
Reading this post i think i need to get it to a specialist ASAP.
Does anyone know of a good one near Miton Keynes?
Thanks.

[RUSSELLM]

I've got to admit, that driving around with the oil light constantly illuminated would definately give me cause for concern. Problem or no problem

[SomersetBoy]

Coey42

Funnily enough the TVR specialist I've been talking to has said the same thing - worry about the oil pressure not the oil light. If your pressure is fine, drive on!

As RusselTM said though, it goes seriously against the grain to drive a car like the Cerbera with an oil warning light on