buzzer, oil light, high revs 2.1i SS

[Epiphone]

Hi all

just came back from hiking around Merano, Italy in the Alps. On the way there I had to drive over a high mountain pass, 2000m and then the buzzer came on a few times, when going up and down the mountain pass. Always turning off again when I dropped below 2000 revs. Finally arrived at the parking space and left the bus there for 5 days. Then when we came back, and drove not 100 meters down the road the buzzer came back on over 2000 revs!

So I disconnect the pressure switch and put it on to earth and drove a few kilometers and it was fine. I then decided to install the gauge I had bought with me, just to make sure for the rest of the 5 hours drive back.

Anyway drove the rest of the way home doing a good speed (100km/h) with no issues.

[Epiphone]

Hi, so having finally got my oil pressure gauge working, I'm getting the following pressure readings:

When up to temperature:
1000 revs = 0.5 bar
2000 revs = 1 bar
3000 revs = 2
4000 revs = 2.5 bar

Does that seem a bit low?

[Aidan]

is that hot or cold ?
generally I found on mine upto 5 bar stone cold at start up, drops to ~1 bar at idle hot and a good 2 at 2000 rpm when hot
the bod circuit wants to see better than 1.5 bar at 2000rpm, that's why yours is going off, they do look low
idle can be below 1 bar but should ramp up quickly as the revs rise to better than 2 bar - the ramping up quickly is the important bit I believe from discussions with Tencentlife, low pressure = worn bearings passing oil losing the pressure
when the oil needs changing you see a slight drop in pressure with temp compared to fresh so the gauge also tells you when to change the oil on a well maintained engine

[Epiphone]

Hi those are hot/running temperature.

The engine was partly renovated 2 years ago. But the bearings weren't touched.

So a how long can a low pressure engine last, before giving up the ghost?

It's getting it's MOT next week and will get some new oil and filter etc anyway.

[kevtherev]

hot..

I get 2.89 bar (42 psi) at 3200

tickover at 850-900 rpm I get 0.82 bar 12 psi

stone cold is 65 psi or 4.48 bar

engine has done 42,000 (VW replacement)

[Epiphone]

Hi, here is an extract from the reciept when I had the work done, Im assuming that bearing related components are for the Engine and not the gearbox? I cant really tell from this can I?

Pos Art Bezeichnung Description
1 Et Südafrikableche South African Panels
2 Et Spanmutter clamping/splitting nut
3 Et Syncronring synchroniser ring
4 Et Dichtdeckel Antriebswelle driveshaft seal lid
5 Et Hauptlager main bearing
6 Et Kugelkäfig shaft sealing ring
7 Et Nadelkäfig ball bearing retainer
8 Et O-Ring O-Ring
9 Et Welledichtring Oil Seal
10 Et Wellendichtring Oil Seal
11 Et Kugellager Ball Bearing
12 Et Getriebeoel 4 Litre Gearbox Oil
13 Et Führungsmuffe Syncronise Hub
14 Et Getriebeoelzusatz Gear Box Oil Supplement
15 Et Motordichtsatz Engine Gasket Set
16 Et Termostatgehäuse Thermostat Housing
17 Et Ventielstößel Tappet Rod
18 Et Pilotlager guide bearing
19 Et Motorreiniger Motor Cleaner
20 Et Oelzusatz Oil Addative
21 Et Motoroel und Filter Engine Oil and Filter
22 Et Oeldruckschalter Oil Pressuse Switch
23 Et Kolbenringensatz Pistonring set

[Sunray]

I've removed my DOP circuit and replaced it with two LED's to show the status of the switches and a rev counter.

This has made the whole process a lot easier to see. One of the things people forget is the tachy signal. This is approx 300v spike and its absence or poor quality can make the buzzer sound as easily as a failed switch.

I think I am going to forgo the buzzer because its really annoying and drill out the dash and just add in the LED's to that. New recon engine idles at 600 rpm which I know is a little slow, but it effortlessly does it, so I've left it, when it gets a little hot the .3 bar switch starts to come on, too slow a idle and a blip of the pedal sorts it, but plenty to give flashing LED's when none are necessary.

[Ian Hulley]

It's worth noting that most of these B.o.D. issues are as Aidan say's genuinely worn engines ... to me if the buzzer comes on at low revs after a long, hot run then it's doing it's job, especially if the buzzer clears by increasing the revs. I'm sure a great many perfectly fine pressure switches are being binned that are doing exactly what it says on the tin.

A mate has fitted a digital oil pressure guage ... he had to cover it up it scared him so much with how much the thing varied

As to how long a low oil pressure engine will last ... that depends on pure good fortune BUT when they do go there's no way back and remember every mile you drive in the meantime your burying your head in the sand.

Ian