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Date:         Tue, 4 Apr 2006 18:18:15 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject:      Re: disabling the damn oil buzzer
Comments: To: Tim Leek <tleek@ll.mit.edu>
In-Reply-To:  <52E0F727-2302-4348-81A3-4E2DC1A56162@ll.mit.edu>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Again, Check the color of the sensor. Grey is good, white is the wrong one, (1.8 bar). Oil should be 20w-50 but 10w-40 should be an immediate problem. Make sure it is not overfilled. The top mark is not the full mark. It is the maximum do not ever exceed no matter what mark! This has been discussed many times. When changing oil and filter, 4.5 quarts is more than enough. Better low than high. I can not emphasize this enough.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Tim Leek [mailto:tleek@ll.mit.edu] Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 4:55 PM To: dhaynes@optonline.net Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: disabling the damn oil buzzer

I did have oil changed at something like jiffy-lube in January. I suspect they put 10w-40 in. But I don't know for sure. Also, I imagine they installed a (shudder) Fram filter or suchlike. I can check tonight. But could this really be causing the problem?

Pretty sure both sensors are correct. No idea about details of the test they did. I think they took out a spark plug and screwed a gauge in there (is that how its done?) and then ran it at idle and maybe had someone hit the gas. Also suspect L-board is okay since shorting out the .9 bar sensor quiets the buzzing. Wiring is another story since there's evidence Mickey Mouse once worked on it.

I think I'll get an oil and filter change. And if that doesn't solve it, I'll short out the sensor (or maybe bend that pin back).

Tim Leek Technical Staff MIT Lincoln Laboratory Lexington, MA, 02144 tleek@ll.mit.edu

On Apr 4, 2006, at 3:42 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:

> What oil are you using. The fact that you are going 15 minutes > before the noise begins tells me the board and woring are fine. > Something is amiss. You either have the wrong .9 bar sensor, (is it > gray?) or you truly have an oil pressure problem. .9 bar is ~12.7 > psi. If the engine can't maintain that pressure at 2,000 rpm, you > have a problem. Keep in mind that this sensor is located at the > pump outlet, before the the oil filter. If the filter drops 2-3psi, > there isn't much left for the bearings. What oil pressure did Click > and Clack measuer, at what RPM, snd was the engine driven during > the test? A healthy engine should be able to maintain ~10 psi/1,000 > rpm. > > Try changing the oil to 20w-50 and make sure you do not overfill > it. If you are using something like 5w-30, that is a problem. > Also, make sure you are getting coolant flow to the oil cooler. > > Dennis > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Tim Leek <tleek@LL.MIT.EDU> > Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2006 12:23 pm > Subject: disabling the damn oil buzzer > >> Vanagon people, >> >> I have an 87 Vanagon that likes to buzz at me and flash the oil light >> after 15 minutes. Super annoying. Wife wants me to sell the piece >> of $*&#$. Oil pressure is fine (according to click and clack). Yes, >> I've replaced both oil pressure senders. No, I don't have time or >> money to diagnose the wiring harness or that dynamic oil pressure >> L- >> board behind the speedo. >> >> So ... I'm looking to disable the buzzer somehow. Here are the >> options as I see them. >> >> 1. Short the 0.9 bar sensor where it comes into the L-board to >> ground. This works, i.e. if I pull over whilst the buzzing is >> happening and do this, the buzzing stops. But is this a bad idea >> somehow? >> >> 2. Remove that stupid L-board, since (after staring at the wiring >> diagrams) doesn't it just serve to warn you when the oil pressure is >> not in spec? I can't see how it actually "controls" anything. >> Unfortunately, I've tried this and it means I can no longer start the >> car. Perhaps I can't just take it out without jumping some magic >> wires together? >> >> 3. Find the buzzer and kill it dead. Okay, so where the hell is it? >> Is it the wee electro-mechanical looking device on one end of the >> aforementioned L-board? Is this bad idea since that buzzer wherever >> it lives buzzes when other bad things happen that I may want to know >> about like engine getting too hot. >> >> I'm leaning toward 1. >> >> Help! >> >


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