Date:         Tue, 19 Dec 2006 07:26:40 -0800
Reply-To:     John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Oil Pressure = 0
Comments: To: Allen Hill <route66rider@knology.net>
In-Reply-To:  <000401c72378$09680c50$0300a8c0@Dell1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

> My daughter announced that the oil pressure light (86 Vanagon - AKA: The
> Mystery Machine) was on this morning and would not go off.  I know there
> are
> two senders for this, one for high and another low pressure.  What I would
> like to know is where they are and which one would be easiest to get to in
> order to attach a temp oil pressure gauge for test and check purposes.  I
> started the motor and the lifters do not rattle, so I am hoping that it
> may
> be just a gauge or sending unit issue.


High pressure sender is squeezed in underneath  the water pump. Low pressure
sender is in the "traditional" VW boxer position, on the left side, up
between the push rod tubes behind the protective shield. The low pressure
sender is the easiest to get at, but even then it's not THAT easy. The push
rod tube shield is held on front and back by the same (studs? bolts?) that
hold on the exhaust headers. Then, once it's off, you need something pretty
skinny to weasel into that hole where the sender sits. I'd say that if
you're going to go through the trouble to attach a temporary, just go ahead
and spring for a permanent dual output sender and gauge. Seriously, it
wouldn't be much more work.

One thing you can do, just to check the "easy stuff", is to examine the wire
leading to the low pressure sender for shorts to ground. If you unplug it
from the sender and the light still flashes, there's a short. Another
possibility is a bad sender that stays grounded. Once you've made sure the
low pressure sender wire is ungrounded and disconnected from the sender, you
could try revving over 2000rpm to see what the high pressure sender thinks.
If it starts buzzing and flashing over 2000, then you probably have an oil
pressure issue.

--
John Bange
'90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"
"Staubkess bolt? I have one of those?"