I've fixed more blinking oil lights with the correct oil filters than with higher oil viscosity. Usually it's an issue in the hotter summer months, but if you're using low weight oil I could see it happenning during colder weather as well. There's plenty of information (http://www.vanagain.com/flicker1.htm) out there about why using crappy oil filters like Fram, Purolator, etc. (PLEASE DON'T TAKE OFFENSE) in a Vanagon cause oil pressure problems. That's why this is a good (read cheap) place to start.

The second most common fix I've run into was a bad oil pressure switch.

The last Vanagon I fixed with a flickering oil pressure warning light had completely worn out cam bearings. Thicker oil wasn't going to fix that problem.

Cheers,

Jeff

-----Original Message----- From: Dennis Haynes [mailto:dhaynes@optonline.net] Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2002 3:31 PM To: 'Jeffrey Schwaia'; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: RE: Summer Oil pressure drop + higher temperatures with oil error (Was: Is 20w50 Oil OK in the winter?)

Te 10W-30 is more of a problem than the brand of oil filter. It is common for the oil to get hot and the oil pressure to drop when the engine is operated at high speeds for long time periods. When used in this fashion, 20w-50 or synthetic equivalents are the only way to go. Also, if the water temp is raising excessively during these periods, it is a sigh that the cooling system is not keeping up. Possibly a clogged radiator or the internal separators are cracked allowing some coolant to bypass the radiator core. To help the oil temps, reduce the oil level (between the marks, not full) and occasionally reduce speed to allow the oil cooler to "catch up".

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Schwaia Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 2:58 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Summer Oil pressure drop + higher temperatures with oil error (Was: Is 20w50 Oil OK in the winter?)

Did they put in a Mann or Mahle oil filter?? Any other brand could cause the symptoms you described.

Cheers,

Jeff

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf Of 80 Westy Pokey Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 8:16 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Summer Oil pressure drop + higher temperatures with oil error (Was: Is 20w50 Oil OK in the winter?)

This new learning amazes me.

Here is something interesting. Last summer I brought Pokey in for an oil change (yes I know I should be doing it myself but oil changes are cheap and I find myself too busy sometimes) and they inadvertently used 10w30. All of a sudden I saw a drop in oil pressure (maybe to 20 psi on the highway), and much higher operating themperatures. Hence I went out and bought an auxillary oil cooler (as yet to be installed).

The season was ending, it got colder out and my temperatures fell back into acceptable levels. The pressure did not come back and I was going to look into this over the witer. I was going to get the oil changed again (hence my original question - If you did not read my previous post, I was wondering about using 20w50 in the winter as that is what I normally run.).

Now forgive me, my mechanical incompetance is surely showing... but could the change in oil from 20w50 to 10w30 account for this drop in pressure and higher temperatures?

Thanks, Chris

---- Original message ---- >Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2002 15:20:06 -0500 >From: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@vanagon.org> >Subject: Is 20w50 Oil OK in the winter >To: The_Bug_Pack@yahoogroups.com, vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com, type2@type2.com > >Is 20w5 Oil OK in Winter? I drive my van almost exclusively >in the summer and have always used Castrol GTX 20w50 Oil. >Now it is December, temperature is just below freezing, but >the roads in Toronto are free of snow and salt. I was >thinking of using the van to help in my move. I have to >change the oil nyway so I was wondering what weight I should >use in the winter months. In my Chevy I always use 10w30 in >summer and 5w30 in Winter. > >Thanks, >Chris