Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (August 2001, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 10 Aug 2001 18:14:46 GMT
Reply-To:     jwarner@NETWALK.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Warner <jwarner@NETWALK.COM>
Subject:      Still confused, looking for suggestions...

Good afternoon Volks!

You may recall I'm having a Oil High Pressure switch problem. I ignored it for a few weeks while I was on vacation (not in the afflicted Westy). Now I'm back and ready to make sense of it. This is an '86 Westy Weekender automatic with 97000 miles, new Mann filter and Castrol 20w50. Here are the symptoms:

From a cold start: Low pressure switch indicates and functions normally. Drive away while engine is still cold and high pressure switch sets off light and buzzer. Wait at least 3-4 minutes for engine to warm up and no problem.

From a warm start: No problems at all.

While driving after warmed up: No problems at all.

I can not understand how the oil pressure can be lower when the engine is cold. I always have observed with my cars that have oil pressure guages that the pressure is always highest when the engine is not yet up to opperating temperatures. I've researched the archive documents on this subject and still feel no closer to understanding what's wrong. I feel that the switch is probably functioning correctly because it's working consistently. My only thought is that the oil pump is taking a considerably long time to build up pressure. But I think if that were the case I would see drop offs in pressure that would cause either of the switches to send a signal at other times too like while idling in the heat.

My other non-Vanagon VW friends are of the opinion that the high pressure switches in VWs are for indicating a too high pressure condition. This actually makes more sense with my symptoms. The Bentley doesn't help to make this any clearer. It seems that the text and descriptions regarding the high pressure switch could be easily interpreted either way.

At this point I'm inclined to go ahead and replace the switch anyway just to see what happens. What fun!

Thoughts?????

Jeff Warner '86 Wolfsburg Westfalia Weekender "Barry" - Buzzing down the road. '87 GL Weekender "Van" - Leaking down the road. Various other stuff


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.