Date:         Sun, 4 Apr 2004 20:35:55 +0100
Reply-To:     Richard Stevens <resteven@BTOPENWORLD.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Stevens <resteven@BTOPENWORLD.COM>
Subject:      Re: Random Oil Buzzer
In-Reply-To:  <000001c41a68$87286930$6d02a8c0@home>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

 This random low oil pressure buzzer malady seems to be very prevalent on
these boxer engines. I've suffered this for several years on my 2.1 WBX,
each time changing the higher pressure switch, only for it to return
intermittently some time later. It has now driven me totally insane in that
an engine that has only covered 80,000 miles is being replaced at this
moment in time (along with the transaxle but that's another story). I've
been giving it some thought as to possibilities to why this alarm sounds
intermittently and to the driving situations when the alarm appears and to
me it is usually when gentle acceleration is applied on a slight bend say in
the case of negotiating a round about or bend in the road which, and I could
be wildly wrong, to me could possibly indicate that the thrust washers on
the crankshaft are out of spec in that the slight movement could give rise
to a catastrophic drop in oil pressure for a brief period of time only to be
"reset" on backing off of the accelerator. My original engine covered some
120000 miles before the dreaded water leak from the left hand side head put
paid to it but in all those miles the oil pressure alarm never sounded its
only on the new replacement , VW supplied, engine that the oil pressure
problem has occurred.

Just a thought.

Richard

90 Tintent

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Eric Unrau
Sent: 04 April 2004 18:16
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Random Oil Buzzer

Yesterday was dry and sunny and the oil buzzer sounded a few times during a
45 minute drive so my "damp wire" theory was way off base.
Thanks for pointing that out Dennis and that the buzzer stays on even below
2000 once it starts.

I'll be picking up a new sensor tomorrow - hope that solves the problem.
Thanks for the instructions John.

Eric
'89 Vanagon
Vancouver, BC

-----Original Message-----
From: John Rodgers [mailto:jh_rodgers@bellsouth.net] ...I changed it out in
my driveway. You do not have to remove anything but a belt or two to get to

the sensor. It can be changed simply by loosening it and unscrewing it from
the case, and a new one screwed in and tightened. Care not to over
- torque the thing. Remember what I said about Phinazee's Rule ---- if you
don't know the torque value then tighten finger tight and 1/4 turn.
This is especially true on small things like that sensor.

Good luck.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Dennis Haynes ...so I doubt dampness is a problem here. If the buzzer is
actually sounding much below 2K rpm, then there may be a problem with the
board for it or it is getting an erratic tach signal from the ECU or
distributor pick up coil. Once the buzzer does sound at
>2k, it will continue to sound until the switch circuit is completed,
even if the engine rpm goes below 2k.

Dennis