Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 14:38:38 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Hello - Idiot oil light keeps coming on!
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the only two clues as to what engine you have Antony is that it's a vanagon
and it's water cooled..
so could be a diesel ( don't think it is )
or a 1.9 or 2.1 wbxr.
guessing it could be a 1.9 wbxr.
in either case, 1.9 or 2.1 the oil pressure switch you want to get to is
under the left cyldiner head.
if it's very hard to get the tin off there ...the pushrod protecting tin ..
sure, then it's a bit hard to get at the OP switch.
what makes them hard to get off is rusted nuts or bolts where their upper
tabs are on the exhust pipes.
If you can get those undone ...
then tin piece comes off easily .
half the time I have to heat things there with a torch if they're badly
rusted.
a nut on a stud isn't so bad. A bolt that goes a long way into the head ,
that's really stuck , those are a problem.
for going back together....
I notch out the tops of those brackets so you just have to loosen a nut or
bolt, not remove it entirely to secure the bracket.
and ...they stay on just fine with only one upper bracket .
so sometines for the left one ...I'll only use one upper bracket, notched,
and cut the other one off.
Then you can get that lower left side tin piece off real easily.
I always make making it easy to work on a pretty high priority. Might have
to do it on the side of the road someday even.
a fast simple inexpensive test is , as you say ..pop in another OP switch.
of course just the wire rubbing and gronding out will turn on your oil
warning light.
if it's a 2.1 there are two OP switches.....a more sophisticated OP switch
system , that's rpm sensitive.
I generally always use 15W40 as a 'good default' oil weight.
I have used millions of qts of Castrol 20W50 in the past ..
I never do now..
except perhaps if it's a worn out engine anyway.
I have one still decent running 1.9 wbxr engine..
when warmed up, the oil pressure light is on any time rpm is below 1,500 ..
man those are long lasting bottom ends !
Probably would just sell it as a core if anyone wanted it to rebuild in
their spare time.
have fun !
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "ANTONY MARSH" <apetermarsh@MAC.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 2:18 PM
Subject: Hello - Idiot oil light keeps coming on!
> My new project is giving me lots of unexpected treasures to figure
> out, but, maybe I am an idiot and attrtacting lights.
>
> The oil light was flashing on and off and didn't go off until I revs
> reached 4K yesterday.
>
> Today, after MOTOR FLUSH was introduced, all oil was drained from the
> sump. Almost a litre of LUCAS was added then filled with 20/50
> Pennzoil.
>
> Started up and the idiot light was flickering off just about 3/k revs.
>
> My instincts tell me to replace the oil pressure sensor switch but
> locals tell me it is a bear to change. Anyone out there who have had
> a similar challenge and what did you do?
>
> The engine pulls well and doesn't show any oil/water being emitted
> from exhaust.
>
> Suggestions please.
>
> Peter
> Naples
