Date:         Sat, 01 Jun 96 10:56:42 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Edge <edge@interramp.com>
Subject:      71 Poptop Oil PSI question!

-- [ From: Edge * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --



I recently purchased some gauges to monitor my engine performance. I bought
a oil temp gauge, an oil PSI gauge, and a tach.

Before I had only the stock oil sending unit and the red oil light would
come on when I started the engine and stay on for about 2 seconds. Now that
I have replaced the oil sending unit I have some major questions.

Some facts:

71 VW 1600cc Upright engine
VDO gauges and sending units.
Engine has 7000 miles since last rebuild.
Has never been over 210 degrees oil temp on a 98 degree day.

Before I replaced the sending unit I had never seen the red oil light come
on except at startup for about 2 seconds. Now that I have replaced the
sending unit, the oil light stays on at idle on a warm engine. Here are some
stats I recorded.

At idle on a cold engine:

RPM	PSI	Oil Temp
1600	60	below the scale of 120

Once the engine is warmed up:

RPM	PSI	Oil Temp
3500	20	170

At idle on a warm engine:

RPM	PSI	Oil Temp
1500	9	170

Do I have a bad sending unit, or a bad motor? The red light NEVER came on
before. What is the cut off temp for the stock gauge to make the light turn
on?

TIA!
--
Jeff Keith
President
Computer Creations Inc.
edge@interramp.com
http://www.computercreations.com/cci/