Date:         Sat, 8 Mar 2003 12:05:44 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: red  oil light?
Comments: To: Ty Takashima <TYTAKASHIMA@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <AA-79B008D242416D1D90032F73BE411EAD-ZZ@www4.prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 01:51 PM 3/7/2003, Ty Takashima wrote:
>the oil light stay on. Could it be that the oil light
>is malfunctiong? or should I just drive it and see if
>goes out?  thanks Ty

Um...If you run your engine without oil pressure it will destroy
itself.  Are you asking if it's a good idea to bet $2000 or so plus your
labor that the light is wrong?  I don't wish to be brutal, but I find
myself somewhat in the position of Charles Babbage  when he wrote "On two
occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament!], `Pray, Mr.
Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers
come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of
ideas that could provoke such a question."

david
ps -- <sigh> Ty, you're not alone -- since I've been on the list this
question has been asked in various ways what seems like hundreds of times,
which probably means a dozen or so...because actually measuring the
pressure is a nuisance if you're not already set up for it.  But the plain
fact is you're betting against the light, the stakes being your present
convenience if you win and the cost of replacing the engine if you lose.  I
think it's a sucker bet, myself.

--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"