Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 10:27:55 -0400
Reply-To: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: Oil Pressure Light
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Good day Tim, my English suck so i will try to be as clear as possible.
Unless you have an electrical short!!! (It can happen, believe me!!!!!!!)
the oil lights as no relation at all with the alternator.
The oil light problem is common to all Water cooled Vanagon, for sure the
86 and up (2.1 litter).
If you are absolutely sure that the headlights get brighter when the light
comes on you have a very strange electrical problem. But have no worry for
now, my Van as probably one of the worse electrical problem history of all
you guys. The worse and scarier one was a left door fire cause by the
electric mirror switch and mirror!!!!! The other one was a loose single
wire in the left front side black connection box that was giving me a
similar symptom as the Vanagon syndrome… (but a lot worse) took me 3 days
to find the problem, the fix took 30sec (after buying the VW fix harness!!!
I still had the probelm).
Ok, first thing first:
MAKE SURE that the 2 wires that goes to the TWO senders are not cut, loose
or partially shorted to the engine. This is a simple check, look at my site
and carefully look at all the picture to find the location of the 2 sender
& wires, the one in the back (the high pressure one - over 2000 RPM) is
subject to have is wire cut by the water pump belt.
Link: http://www3.sympatico.ca/huotx/oil_pressure_sender.htm
I did this page carefully and with plenty of picture just because I
couldn't find the rear sender myself.
Secondly, is the oil light coming on over 2000 RPM? That could tell us more
as to which sender / wire to check deeply. (Look my page for more info on
which does what)
If both wire have been double check and are fine it will be one less
problem to worry about.
If all ok, you will have to double-check all your "ground" (wire that are
attach to the body) especially the one on the left side of the engine
compartment.
Check the alternator, voltage? Charging capacity? Intermittent charging
problem?
If the oil pressure was carefully verify at low and especially high RPM
that will eliminate the worry of a real low-pressure problem.
I am online all day.
Regards, Ben (Frenchy)
I could give you a list of all my electrical problem but that would scared
the list member, and myself!!!!
Note: you quote: I also thought I smelled something funny
Don't want to scare you but be careful!!! Fire hazard.
