oil pressure sender location on VVC engine ?
Discussion
i want to replace the oil pressure sender sensor on the VVC engine as the gauge is showing a low pressure and I want to rule out the gauage or sender, and have hunted all over for the sensor/sender unit. found a few sensors that look potentially right....can anyone point me in the right location in the engine bay ? also, can anyone confirm the right part code/part to order a new one, and whether its an easy DIY job ?
If you go for a 'disposable' VDO type sender, make sure you mount it on a length of braided hose and gently tie wrap it onto the chassis via some cushioning in between. They are very susceptible to vibration damage.
Ideally, you should move to a transducer. About 3 times the cost, but at least it won't fail periodically. As has been mentioned however, you'd nee to ensure the output was in line with the current caterham guage - unless you pop out the nasty analogue gauge and get a dual oil press/oil temp gauge from SpA, which comes with both temp and press sensors and loom for around £160 all in.
I use an MXL dash, but SpA stuff is reliable.
Ideally, you should move to a transducer. About 3 times the cost, but at least it won't fail periodically. As has been mentioned however, you'd nee to ensure the output was in line with the current caterham guage - unless you pop out the nasty analogue gauge and get a dual oil press/oil temp gauge from SpA, which comes with both temp and press sensors and loom for around £160 all in.
I use an MXL dash, but SpA stuff is reliable.
The part number is 71216 and they're available from the Caterham on line parts store for £34.99 inc vat & postage.
When ordering it be sure to quote the year of your car as there are two types of threaded fitting.
As previously said the sender is mounted on the oil filter housing and in terms of difficulty of fit it rates as "easy peasy lemon squeezy".
Be sure to seal both the gap around the terminal spade and the main join around the centre of the sender with additional silicon sealant as water ingress is the most common cause of failure.
Naturally someone will be along in minute to tell you to swap to a mechanical gauge but hey ho!
When ordering it be sure to quote the year of your car as there are two types of threaded fitting.
As previously said the sender is mounted on the oil filter housing and in terms of difficulty of fit it rates as "easy peasy lemon squeezy".
Be sure to seal both the gap around the terminal spade and the main join around the centre of the sender with additional silicon sealant as water ingress is the most common cause of failure.
Naturally someone will be along in minute to tell you to swap to a mechanical gauge but hey ho!
Dazzled said:
Be sure to seal both the gap around the terminal spade and the main join around the centre of the sender with additional silicon sealant as water ingress is the most common cause of failure.
Several seem to have failed due to a) being crap quality items in the first place, b) highly sensitive to vibration (and not being remotely mounted on a length of braided hose to help combat this)Be careful fitting the sender if it has an NPTF thread, this means it's tapered and relies on the seal on the threads getting gradually tighter as the male is wound into the female thread. Don't do this so tight that you strip the threads though!
Do NOT use PTFE tape to seal it, as the sender needs to find Ground through the body of the unit (i.e. via the thread). If it's a metric fitting (say M10), just whack a spanner on it to tighten
Go to a transducer, as by the time you've spent your 4th £35+theft, and been nervous of how much oil pressure your engine *actually* has, you could have bought a transducer and slept soundly behind the wheel knowing your engine is OK in terms of OP.
excellent, sounds easy enough. i'll look at the transducers in the Demon Tweeks catalogue that arrived yesterday to get a feel for cost ;-)
being technically savvy with a computer/network doesn't make me a spanner savvy person though :-) can i simply just unscrew the sender with the spanner to remove it or have to follow a specific process to avoid dumping the oil all over myself ;-)
being technically savvy with a computer/network doesn't make me a spanner savvy person though :-) can i simply just unscrew the sender with the spanner to remove it or have to follow a specific process to avoid dumping the oil all over myself ;-)
Just jack the car up to get decent access and to help the oil stay in the engine, remove the wire from the old sender (simple spade connection), unscrew the old unit and stick your finger over the hole when its comes free and then screw the new one in place. You might lose a teaspoon of oil.... Don't forget the copper washer to help seal the joint. Re-connect the wire and job done. Should take no more than 5 minutes.
T
T
Tango7 said:
Just jack the car up to get decent access and to help the oil stay in the engine, remove the wire from the old sender (simple spade connection), unscrew the old unit and stick your finger over the hole when its comes free and then screw the new one in place. You might lose a teaspoon of oil.... Don't forget the copper washer to help seal the joint. Re-connect the wire and job done. Should take no more than 5 minutes.
T
If it's an NPTF thread, the copper washer will not seal the joint typically.... That only works in the case of a metric thread.T
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