Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:10:36 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Oil pressure light comes on after about 7 minutes.
In-Reply-To: <4d058fec.d44de50a.2394.5265@mx.google.com>
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The oil filter does not fix clattering lifters either. Once the engine is
warm there is "0" residual pressure once shut off. As for there being a full
filter of oil we usually don't get lifter noises after an oil change. Do we?
What really happens is that depending on where the engine stops after shut
down some of the valves are held open. The lifter will then bleed down over
time. As the engine starts it may become air bound and air alone will not
pump past the ball checks in the lifter to let it bleed out. After some run
time some oil will finally get in there and pump the lifter up.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
David Beierl
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2010 10:16 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Oil pressure light comes on after about 7 minutes.
At 10:34 AM 12/12/2010, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>We need to kill this myth about Mann or Mahle filters being a fix
>for the oil pressure buzzer syndrome.
Right. The only thing they might fix is the clattering lifters
issue, if the existing filter has no anti-drainback valve or a poor
one. *If* by chance they should cure a pressure light/buzzer problem
THEN IT MEANS THEY ARE MAKING AN EXISTING PROBLEM WORSE BY
RESTRICTING FLOW TO THE ENGINE. I cannot emphasize this enough.
>Do you have the correct switch installed? Most parts books and ETKA are
>confusing here. Most water cooled VW use a 1.8 bar switch. This just won't
>work. Easy check! If your switch is white it is the wrong one.
Roland, did you check this? I believe the proper sender is blue. If
you haven't checked, you really should. That would be very good
news, because it would mean you don't really have a problem, just an
incorrect switch.
If you have the correct sender it could be faulty. These switches
have diaphragms that can develop pinhole leaks and behave oddly,
gradually getting worse.
Incidentally I believe a 24 mm deep socket will reach that sender.
This would be a really really good time to install an actual oil
pressure gauge. Ultimately that's what the whole question devolves
to: do you have sufficient oil pressure, or is the buzzer lying to
you. You can waste a lot of time trying to fix the buzzer if the
real problem is low pressure...while the engine suffers.
Yours,
David