Oil Pressure Gauge Flickering

[Piers300]

This morning I started the 7 (1.8 K) for the first time since the MOT in February. The oil pressure gauge is flickering about and it has never done this before. It has the standard o/p electrical sensor, that I have replaced twice in 10 years. Oil level is fine. I suspect a duff sensor. 

Piers

[ECR]

Hi Piers

Stand by for a deluge of "go mechanical"!

I went mechanical years ago and much prefer it (but each to their own ....)

[SM25T]

Senders are notorious. You know the answer.

[elie boone]

If you put the wire from the OP sensor direct to the earth and the gauge is stable at max pressure than the OP sensor needs replacing, if the needle still flickers then the gauge needs replacing.

 

[Piers300]

Thank you Elie. I will give that a go tomorrow. I have found an old sender, one that I replaced some time ago due to reading low. If shorting to earth proves the meter is good, I may substitute it temporally until I get a new one from Red Line.

Hello Roger. Trust all well in France.

Ian (SM25T)  I knew that you would say that, but want my R300 to be Factory Standard.

regards

Piers

[7 wonders of the world]

....you could remotely mount the new sender on a flexible aeroquip hose securing the sender in a P clip on the bulkhead, this will then remain 'factory' as the was a factory CC mod to move the sender away from engine vibrations.

you may still find the kit for this on CC parts...

[Piers300]

7WOTW. I’ve searched the CC web site and cannot find this kit on their web site. What section was it in ?

Thank you.

Piers

[7 wonders of the world]

might be worth dropping Tony an email (although CC pats are currently closed) ISTR it was made up from a brake line but Tony will remember I'm sure.

 

[StevehS3]

The remote kit was used on Rover cars too. This is the kit for post '98 cars. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264183320626

[elie boone]

I have made a remote sender line myself, the main difference is that i used a banjo on the oil filter housing to keep it as high as possible from the road. One note of warning,  remote also means that on first start up from cold it takes a tad longer before the gauge goes into action and the oil pressure light goes out.

[SLR No.77]

Fitting a mechanical gauge is effectively a very long remote sender! There's a slight delay on start up but not really an issue.

Stu.

[Bristol and Bath AR]

Always a difficult situation on a car that is not used frequently.  First start up after long lay up.......something does not work the way it did before.........and electrical connections are involved!  The location of the sender and its inherent poor reliability has shown it to be a very frequent cause of unreliable Oil Pressure indications.   Not a happy situation for those who value their engines!

You can go thru the continuing cycle of replacing the sender (not cheap) and hope that the flickering stops.  But how do you know that the signal from the new sender is being accurately indicated on the gauge if you haven't had it calibrated? (Caerbont website is not really clear on where to send for recalibration, maybe somebody else knows?)

I went to Mechanical on my R300 for peace of mind, however I did keep all the original parts so the car could be returned to original if becomes a museum exhibit.