Date:         Tue, 23 Jan 2001 05:44:21 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: any guesses on oil light woes
Comments: To: Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@usa.dupont.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Jay, I would have to agree with you there. I've had false alarms on a
couple of my vanagons with the dynamic pressure system. Of course this
is true of many types of alarm systems. Car alarms, home alarms, smoke
alarms, silent alarms at businesses, all have a high false alarm rate
compared to actual alarm. The rate no doubt gets higher over time as the
wiring and circuitry ages and wears. The question becomes one of whether
the dynamic alarm helps or hurts in general over the long run. That I
can't say. I think gauges are great, I can think of a half dozen I would
like to add including oil pressure. I would not disable the warning
lights though because they generate an interrupt to get my attention and
tell me to look at the gauge to see what is really happening. Otherwise
I may be too busy watching what is going on around me to notice all of
the gauges.

Mark

Jay L Snyder wrote:
>
> In my opinion, the dynamic oil pressure system fails more often than
> indicating a real oil pressure problem.  My '86 Vanagon starting buzzing
> after the gaskets were replaced by the dealer under warranty.  They had
> routed the back oil pressure switch too close to the spark plug wires.  It
> would go off whenever.  The system also failed on my '89 Jetta diesel.  I
> have the one switch wire grounded to satisfy the not-so-dynamic oil
> pressure system.  The low pressure light still works and yes, I have gauges
> on all my VW's.  I am glad my '85 Westy doesn't have this nuisance.
>