Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 11:42:08 -0600
Reply-To: Darrell Boehler <dboehler@TAOS.MIDWEST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Darrell Boehler <dboehler@TAOS.MIDWEST.NET>
Subject: Re: Flickering oil sensor light (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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Hi Gregg,
If you changed from regular oil to Mobil 1 you could have problems with
a lot of sludge and varnish deposits working loose inside your engine. I
would change the filter again soon. Someone on the list will say use only
filters from the fatherland however most any good quality filter will work
fine. Purolator has made fine filters for many years, long before vw
thought using filters was necessary. You don't mention what oil
viscosity you are using, I use synthetic 15-50 except in winter when I use
10-30. Mobil 1 filters are made to withstand 5 times the normal operating
pressures, says so right on the box. I found it difficult driving with
oil warning lights and alarms going on and flashing on my 86 so I added an
oil pressure gauge during a rebuild last fall. Now I get more and
better information , as I left the original system intact.
I use an electric pressure gauge and installed 3 senders connected to
pressure gauge through a switch. With the flip of a switch I can check oil,
fuel or coolant pressure.
Darrell Boehler
Makanda Illinois
-----Original Message-----
From: Gregg Scharff <scharff@ENG.KNS.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Monday, March 23, 1998 9:59 AM
Subject: Flickering oil sensor light (long)
>I for the first time, have noticed my oil light flickering on and off. I
was
>travelling at approx. 60 - 65 mph (constant highway speed). Pulled over
>immediately-oil level was ok and engine idled fine with no oil light.
Started up
>on my merry way only to have the light come on again (at 55 mph now), only
>brighter and more consistent this time. One thing I did notice this time
was
>that when I backed off of the throttle (motorcycle influence still
dominates),
>the oil light would always go out, but would eventually come back on when
the
>new lower speed became constant. I pulled over again and oil level checked
out
>ok. After stopping a third time with engine off for approx. 10 min. the
problem
>did not reoccur. The rest of the trip home (with one eye on the road and
the
>other on the "idiot light") I did not see even a blink of the light.
>
>I changed the oil just 2 wks ago using Mobil 1 and a Purolator Filter
("pure
>one", boasting higher filtration, have always used fram but my FLAPS is
only
>carrying some new Fram $8 version with some protectant...). I have heard on
the
>list about using a non-OEM filter causing a flickering oil light, but this
>problem has not occured in the first 2 ks/500 miles since the oil change.
>
>Being an engineer, disappearing symptoms are never looked upon as solved
>problems. I may replace the oil pump just for peace of mind. Any list
>suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
>
>Oh, I also have the "much talked about" randomly occurring clutch chatter.
Since
>I just bought it last month I do not know the origin of the clutch, but it
was
>replaced last year according to service records.
>
>Gregg (Conshohocken, Pa)
>'85 Westy
>
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