Date:         Thu, 2 Nov 1995 06:24:35 -0600 (CST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dan Beatty <danb@sound.net>
Subject:      Re: oil light

At 10:01 PM 11/1/95 -0600, you wrote:
>
>>No they really shouldn't do this.. bad vanagon bad. The oil pressure sender
>>is really quite amazing on the Vanagon. It consist of two pressure switches
>>that must respond in the correct sequence during startup within a specified
>>time frame. Whew! Failing either of these parameters causes the bell and
>>light show.
>
>>Althought many things can go wrong one of the most common and easiest to fix
>>is corrosion/loose connectors/moisure. Get some contact cleaner from say,
>>Radio Shark. Clean the switch's male connection and the connectors female
>>socket. Before reassembling apply a generous coating of silicon dielectric
>>paste, this will seal the moisure and oxygen out. Viola, no more corrosion.
>>Now Mr Vanagon can hear what the sensors are saying and all will be well.
>
>Not quite.  The Dynamic Oil Pressure sending system is only on '86 and later
>model year Vanagons--those of us with '85s only have only one sender, no DOP
>circuit board with the buzzer mounted around the inside of the speedometer.
>
>My oil pressure light comes on at low idle.  Now that I have the CO set
>properly, and the idle at right around 900 stabilized, the oil pressure
>light no longer comes on.
>
>Apparently, the Dynamic system does solve low idle oil light flickers--my
>old Rabbits used to have flickering oil light problems as well--my '85 Jetta
>with the Dynamic system didn't have a problem with it.  The circuit board
>with the buzzer did fail once, however, giving me buzzing noises with normal
>oil pressure above 2500 RPM.
>
>Anyway--I will only worry about my oil pressure light if it comes on at some
>speed above idle.
>
>Donald Baxter
>'85 GL

Boy the quote backs on this could get really long <g>.

True, only only the 86> have DOPs. But the technique I original described is
valid regardless. Why is the oil pressure light coming on? Without measuring
we are only guessing, get a pressure gauge, remove the oil pressure switch
and measure the pressure under the same conditions. 

You will find that you have one of three conditions.

a. Your switch is defective and turning on at an incorrect pressure.
b. You have the wrong switch. VW and others make these things with many
different setting.
c. The pressure is too low and you need to do something about. Perhaps the 
   pressure valve is stuck.

And no, cold/dampness shouldn't make any difference.

Dan Beatty
I worked in quality control for VW Mid-America in the late sixties/early
seventies. Presently with MB.