grasshopper Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Started the car up this morning for the first time in two weeks after getting back from Le mans. My plan was to check the oil level, so I let it warm up for 5 - 10 minutes. When I came back to it I realised that the dial was not moving. I tried blipping the throttle to see if that moved it - still no movement. I then put my hand on the Anti-Cav tank and it was still cold, also when I looked in the top of the engine via the oil filler cap and it didn't look like any oil had been pumped through. Does anyone have any ideas what the problem could be? My anti-cav tank has a one way valve fitted to it between the tank and the rocker cover but I don't think this would be an issue. Help!!!! (1.6K series SS) S7UPL (it's a SUPerLight 7...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Pearce Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Don't panic! If you really had no oil pressure then the engine probably wouldn't have survived for 5 minutes or more. I'd suspect the pressure sender or some electrical connection first. Have a quick look underneath to make sure the wire is still connected to the sender - it is in a very vulnerable position and can be knocked off quite easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazerBrain Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 How did it sound when it was running? When my head gasket failed and the oil pressure dropped, it was audible. I'd echo Ray's comments too. Had the coolant temperature gauge moved? ie are other gauges working? What (apart from the lack of oil pressure) has changed since you last drove the car? cheers, Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 Engine temp went up to normal, about half way, so that appeared to be working. I didn't hear any unusual noises. Not used it for 2 weeks, its been in the garage so nothing has changed I was going to go to the Penn 7's meet today in it, however I decided that based onthe lack of oil pressure reading, driving it until I'd sorted it would be a bad idea. Is the oil sender located somewhere behind the oil filter? one thing I did notice this morning that on the ant cav tank there is a connector half way up with nothing attached to it.... not sure if there shoud be! Chris S7UPL (it's a SUPerLight 7...) Edited by - Chris Whitten on 30 Jun 2007 16:29:25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazerBrain Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Chris - you can see the oil sender in this pic here It's the cylinder at the bottom left of the pic, with a terminal on the side facing away from view. The connector on the Apollo tank is for oil temperature. Many people have a switch on the dash to switch the temperature gauge between oil and coolant temperature (or they buy a dual display gauge.) cheers, Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Chris You have more chance of winning the lottery than no oil pressure. It's either an electrical connector that's fallen off or a duff sensor/gauge. More likely to be the former. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 cheers chaps, will go and get my head under it. Maick - I may buy a lottery ticket this evening! S7UPL (it's a SUPerLight 7...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_K Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 I'm on my second dodgy pressure sender in 2007 already, so have just bought the mechanical set-up from Think Automotive. Do a search on here and you'll find LOADS of info about people doing the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apothecary Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 Second Neil's comments. Hving just switched to mechanical it's reassuring to have a proper indication of OP rather than relying on the electrical set up which never gave me any confidence ❗ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 for the Think Mechanical Solution, see my link for some pics of installation, no pic of actual guage though but you can see that on Thinks website. Steve Now with DVA Power! 191bhp and 150.9 lbft torque. My Pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apothecary Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 Picture of mechanical gauge installed on my car here Edited to add; Size of gauge is very close to the original and looks very similar. IIRC its also a Caerbont gauge) Now DVA Powered SL No.174 Member No.109xx Pictures here Edited by - Apothecary on 1 Jul 2007 15:54:29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Richard Price Posted July 1, 2007 Area Representative Share Posted July 1, 2007 Chris, It is possible that you have no oil pressure. I know of a car local to me that has suffered just that! However, if you have an apollo, its easy to see if you're pumping oil or not. Disconnect the small oil return line from the top of the apollo, and start the engine. If you get a flow of oil, then you are pumping oil, and should have reasonable pressure. If you don't get any oil out of the apollo, then you may well have some more sinister situation. Having said that, I've also got through a couple of senders, like many others! (but it would be wise to check for oil flow!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Thanks chaps. Didn't get a chance to look this up again yesterday. I'll try and get my head under it tonight and see what's what. Cheers, Chris S7UPL (it's a SUPerLight 7...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Any luck Chris??????????? Nigel. Still Shaking 6 speed 1600 Supersport with xtra DNA from DVA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 Must be the oil sender, good diagnosis guys. Cleaned up the connection on the sender. That didn't resolve it. Took the hose off the top of the anti-cav tank and started the engine and I'm getting oil pumped through. New sender it is... Chris S7UPL (it's a SUPerLight 7...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-R Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I told you on Saturday it would be the sender you should have believed me, just think the money saved can go towards the new seatbelt in the tintop after the dog chewing episode 😬 Simon-R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazerBrain Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 To be sure that it is the sender (and not the gauge or wiring) you could take the sender wire off and touch it to a good earth point. With the ignition on (you don't need the engine running though) the gauge should move all the way across. With all the comments in the past about these senders it seems that's the most likely failure, but this covers a few more angles. cheers, Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 Cheers Darren, will try that tonight - just to be 100% sure. Simon....do you fancy adopting a dog? I don't even want to think about how much a new seat belt is going to cost....having BMW written on it is bound to add a few £'s Edited by - Chris Whitten on 3 Jul 2007 10:49:24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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