Date:         Mon, 1 Jun 1998 11:17:19 -0400
Reply-To:     Mark Schrope <mschrope@VIMS.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Schrope <mschrope@VIMS.EDU>
Subject:      low oil pressure on 89
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

This problem has occured about twice before.  I have a VDO pressure gauge,
but the original buzzer system has been disabled.  While driving yesterday
for about 220 miles, most of the time, my pressure gauge was reading about
30 when it is usually at 40.  Towards the end of the trip was back to
normal.  The oil was not low (though I did have to add a bit more than
usual the tank before) and I noticed no problem with power or running in
general.  I've been through the archives and know that the oil pressure
regulating valve or the oil pump might be things to look at.  Also read
about bad plugs causing problems, and mine are in need of replacement.  I
was hoping to find someone who had seen similar problems before getting
farther into diagnosis.  Here is some more relevant info

my pressure gauge is where the sending unit towards the rear of the engine
used to be, downsteream from the oil filter.  It looks like most people put
it at the lower sending unit above the tin on the driver side.

my pressure is usually about 40 at 4000 rpm which I attribute to it being
farther downstream, but I could be mistaken on this point.  I know Bentley
says 29 at 2000.  I have not measured it at the other spot.

I have put about 3000 miles on the van in the last 3 weeks and up until
yesterday I always had the 40 @ 4000 reading.

When I was getting the lower pressure reading yesterday, my coolant temp.
needle was reading just a bit above the light on the gauge.  Normally it's
on the light towards the top, but it was hot out and the AC was running on
fan 3 full snowflake so I didn't think much of it.

I anybody has any suggestions or similar experiences I would greatly
appreciate your input.  Thanks.

Mark Schrope
'89 Wolfsburg

PS I was driving on 58 East out of Danville Virginia.  Passed a house/farm
with 2 older buses and a white, probably air-cooled Vanagon.  Was that
anybody on the list?



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Mark Schrope
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
PO Box 1346
Route 1208, Greate Road
Gloucester Point, VA 23062
(804)684-7220 [office]   (804)684-7675 or 7007    [labs]
(804)684-7250 [fax]
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