Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2017 15:39:34 +0000
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 and buzzer
In-Reply-To: <2D7A294C-C5AE-4F2C-95E2-EB33FEA32444@gmail.com>
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The oil pressure relief valve begins to relive excess pressure somewhere around 45-55 psi. This is dependent upon spring length and tension. Weather the released spring length is 60 or 62.5 mm is not going to make a significant difference. Depending on the oil pressure used the oil light flickering at low speed or idle is indication that the oil pressure has dropped below 3 to 5 psi. So whether the relief spring is working at 30 or 40 or 50 psi it just doesn't matter. So a new spring is not going to fix anything.
As for the oil pressure buzzer, it is activated by a higher pressure switch, normally open contacts, closed with oil pressure above ~13 psi. The oil pressure board looks at this switch when the engine speed is above 2,000 rpm. So most likely just above idle the oil pressure raises enough that this switch is satisfied or someone connected that wire to ground so it is bypassed.
It is possible that there is nothing wrong. Driven hard enough, fast enough, long enough the oil can get hot enough that oil pressure will drop low enough for one of these sensors to activate. High oil level and incorrect viscosity will add to this effect. Once it cools all can be normal. This is even mentioned in the owner's manual. Oil temperature and pressure is a weak link in the Waterboxer.
You could also have a bad switch.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Gabriel Hourtouat
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2017 8:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Oil pressure light and buzzer
I love Gerry.vanagon.com. Who has a new oil pressure regulator spring to ship me in Oakville, Ontario? I need it early next week.
Story:
On the road with family, dog, bikes, canoe and all the ancillary gear, just 40km short of our destination for the week: Samuel de Champlain provincial park. Oil light comes on, flickering, no buzzer. Strange, yet unpleasant. A hint of lemons on the palate.
Limp into the park. Mull it over. No buzzer. Manual (1986) says there should be a buzzer. Maybe it's been supplanted by buzzards circling overhead? Nah, it's just broken. Why wouldn't it be broken?
Flickering light -- loose wire shorting out the Pressure switch? Is it normally open? Normally closed? Ahh, I don't know. Can't find any loose wires? What if it was cheap oil that lost viscosity too soon? Maybe an oil change?
Get a basic oil change pan and some oil? Use it to check that spring? Is there a spring??? Where is that thing anyway? How come I never noticed anything down there? Wish my eyes weren't shut whenever I look under the van. Wish I was someone else.
Dig a 6" deep hole in the gravel and pine needles under the engine so I can use my heftiest flat head screwdriver to release the screw which surely hasn't been turned in 31 years. Vice grips turn the screwdriver. It breaks free -- HOORAY!
Hmm spring is 60mm long. But how long should it be??? 60 mm sounds pretty good, pretty nominal.
Biggest challenge left: use my phone to mine the info from The List. I am a digital immigrant.
Did it: 62.3mm!
Gabby
