Oil pressure lamp/gauge- HC/Magnum 2300

[MAGNUM 2300]

Took my Magnum 2300 for a spin tonight..... The oil pressure lamp lit up after the engine was warm, but the gauge says the pressure are ok (40 lbs) Which should I trust?? The lamp or the gauge?? If the pressure is ok, why are the lamp lit?? ...and, eh.. the warning lamp goes black at between 3500-4000 rpm...

[lambaj]

I'd check the oil lamp sender connections before getting too jumpy. Maybe its a bit corroded and the temperature is influencing the reading.
If you gauge is a capilary type, then it should be pretty reliable, if its the electric sender type, then I would be a bit more careful. If you get low pressure at 3500- 4000 rpm, then I would expect far more warning that just the light. More like a loud rattle followed by a bang!

Cheers
Tony (HA21)

[MAGNUM 2300]

Hehe, there's no horrible noises from the engine! I had a quick look at what I belive is the sender unit. If it's the one located under the carburetors abit far back on the engineblock?! If so, it seems there is a tube at the top of it, so I guess it's what you call a capilary sender. My hunch is I rely on the gauge...

[Sid]

Trust the gauge. Oil light sender unit faults are common.

Sid

----- Original Message -----
From: "MAGNUM 2300" <electrics@vauxhallviva.com>
To: <electrics@vauxhallviva.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 6:26 PM
Subject: Oil pressure lamp/gauge- HC/Magnum 2300

Took my Magnum 2300 for a spin tonight..... The oil pressure lamp lit up
after the engine was warm, but the gauge says the pressure are ok (40 lbs)
Which should I trust?? The lamp or the gauge?? If the pressure is ok, why
are the lamp lit?? ...and, eh.. the warning lamp goes black at between
3500-4000 rpm...

[MAGNUM 2300]

Trust the gauge. Oil light sender unit faults are common.

Sid

Oki, seems I need a new one then...

[griffonmark]

My gauge always read 50psi except on very low tickover. Looks like yours is about to blow. Are you sure its the oil lamp that is coming on?

[MAGNUM 2300]

My gauge always read 50psi except on very low tickover. Looks like yours is about to blow. Are you sure its the oil lamp that is coming on?

Yep, says "Oil Pressure"...

According to HAYNES the oil pressure should be when hot 45-55 lbs. So it seems mine are a little low..

[griffonmark]

My brother had a Range Rover with a warning light that kept coming on. We tried everything to fix it and then found that when the dash had been dismantled at some time the bulb holders had been put in the wrong places and the fault we had been trying to cure was the wrong one.

[droopsnoot]

My gauge always read 50psi except on very low tickover. Looks like yours is about to blow. Are you sure its the oil lamp that is coming on?

Yep, says "Oil Pressure"...

According to HAYNES the oil pressure should be when hot 45-55 lbs. So it seems mine are a little low..

Pull the wire off the connector on the oil pressure sender - by repeatedly connecting and disconnecting it to an earth you can have someone sit in the car and check that it is the correct light on the dash. On a seven-dial dash the individual bulbs can be put in the wrong place in the holders. And of course you can check that it's the right bulb by checking the wire colour to the holder. That said, your description sounds like a bad connection as much as anything else.

I can't judge the pressure thing as both mine have high-pressure pumps and the oil leaks that go with them.

[shamm]

40psi is ok so long as it stays there nice and steady at revs.

It can drop as low as 20 on slow tickover.

Another symptom of potential problems is a slow rise to pressure when the engine is started.

Steve