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Date:         Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:39:48 -0800
Reply-To:     HotelWestfalia <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         HotelWestfalia <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject:      Re: Oil pressure light in 1.9l at idle
Comments: To: pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CA+n284Pc9AoFEKUpMi_hs5QJaMMrbwxurOouDgAOt=ZD84zcrg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

You supposed to use 20/50. Try that and then complain, I guess. Zoltan

----- Original Message ----- From: "pickle vanagon" <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 7:27 PM Subject: Oil pressure light in 1.9l at idle

> On our returning-home-after-thanksgiving drive, we had some scary oil > light > flicker. > > Here are the details: > > Engine has just a little over 100k miles on it. > I typically run Mobil 1 15w50 in it, but shortly before this drive changed > the oil to Castrol Syntec 5w50, hoping to achieve better lubrication > during > cold-starts in the winter. I used a Mobil 1 filter (which I've used > occasionally before, though now it was replacing a Fram tough-guard). > Flicker definitely seemed related to oil pressure. That is: it only came > on after driving fast for a long block of time, and then letting the > engine > drop to idle. After I first noticed a flicker happen once and confirming > the oil level was fine, I tried this experiment several times and could > often get some flickers out of it, although not always. Raising the > engine > rpms *at all* would completely kill the flicker. I couldn't give it even > a > tiny amount of gas and still have flicker, even after a long run. > > Further mitigating factors: > We have an auxiliary battery setup with heavy gauge wire coupling the > batteries via a Stancor relay. The auxiliary battery is a year old or so > and so almost certainly in worse condition than the starter battery, since > that never gets drained at all. I have the batteries set up so that a > switch can be used to kill the stancor relay when driving (or force it to > be engaged when the engine is off). Anyways, with the stancor relay > disabled, I wouldn't get any oil light flicker, as the engine was idling > high enough to avoid it. The flicker was only happening after a long fast > run *and* at especially low rpms, which would only happen when both > batteries where being powered by the alternator. > > > Obviously I find this all pretty scary! I figure the first step is to > figure out what my oil pressure is at various operating speeds and > temperatures. So I've ordered parts to install an oil pressure gauge. > > I realize there's a lower threshold (blue) .25 bar switch that VW > recommends to replace the existing .3 bar switch, which would likely > eliminate my flicker, but right now I'm just worried this is an > indication > of deeper problems. I've ordered one of these switches anyways just in > case my current switch is bad, but the behavior I'm seeing rules out a > wiring issue I think, and I haven't actually heard of anyone having an old > switch that was still responding, but just at too high a pressure (if > anything I would expect them to fail in the other direction.) > > I also realize the switch to castrol 5w50 may have been what made the > difference. But I'm reluctant to throw back in some 15w50, have the light > go back off, and then just call the problem solved... I mean, I shouldn't > really be that close to the edge of triggering the switch right? Or > should > I be considering it likely that the 5w50 really was just too unstable in a > 1.9l (which has no oil cooler) at high speeds? > > > I'll be grateful for any advice... wow, I hope this engine isn't giving up > on us!! I was planning on getting a lot more life out of it... >


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