RE: [alfa] One thing after another--Spider oil pressure zero

["John S." <roadtrip999@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Colin - Chances are your oil pressure is ok. Confirm that when you first 
turn the key on "ON" that the oil pressure warning light goes ON, then after 
the engine starts, it goes OFF. The Oil Pressure Gauge and the Oil Pressure 
Warning Light are on two completely separate systems, each with its own 
sending unit.

1. The Warning Light comes on at less than 5 psi. The sending unit is 
located on the left side of the engine block near the oil filter and has a 
single wire. The sending unit is a simple "ON-OFF" switch. When "ON" 
(pressure less than 5 psi), the switch grounds itself and provides a ground 
to the light and it illuminates.

2. The Gauge sending unit is located on the right rear of the block and also 
has a single wire to it. Make sure that wire is connected to the sending 
unit or you will get a constant zero oil pressure indication. It operates 
the same way except that the switch has a rheostat in it that provides 
varying resistance depending on how much pressure is in the oil gallery. 
Lots of resistance = low oil pressure, and little resistance = high oil 
pressure. If the gauge system goes bad, it's usually the gauge sending unit. 
You can test the instrument panel gauge just by grounding the wire to the 
sending unit and watching the gauge indication. . . . it should go to full 
scale (high) deflection.

If your warning light is working correctly, and the gauge unit checks good, 
I'd just replace the sending unit. I'm betting that's the problem, if 
everything else checks good.

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! 
hthttp://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided