Oil gauge

[Trunkster]

I am running an AAZ 1.9td in my van. To cut a long story short I have had a few problems with engines. The last one blew while out. I have had another fitted recently. Just to be safe I bought an electronic oil gauge from ebay £14. Gauge shows digital numbers. It was fitted to the engine and the van was run for a few hours on the ramps and taken out for a few miles and the gauge was working fine. Gauge running at 80 bar I think mechanic said. I then had an oil cooler fitted. The £400 one from BW. The oil gauge then went mad. Shows 50/60 bar when started but then gets lower over a few miles when ticking over at red lights shows 0 bar and goes up to 20 bar when revved. Driving around it goes up and down the numbers like a rev counter but sitting at 30 reads about 40 bar.
The oil pump was cleaned before fitting in a parts washer and was primed and tested before fitting and the machanic was happy with it so chances are pump is fine. The original oil light on dash comes on with the ignition but goes out straight away and stays off. Am I loosing pressure or naff gauge?
Any ideas anyone ?

[itchyfeet]

Just to be safe I bought an electronic oil gauge from ebay £14.?

£ 14 doesn't get you much of guage, could also be bad wiring, suggest a tim guage, may not be 100% accurate but should be good enough.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tim-52mm-12V- ... 4181f60552" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[marlinowner]

If those numbers were PSI they would be about what I would expect for an engine with a few miles on it except for no pressure at tick over which seems wrong if the warning light isn't coming on.

[Wychall]

I've got an analogue test gauge kit that you could borrow to double check?

[Trunkster]

How does that work Wychall? My concerns were more about it being so erratic and that it goes to 0 when stationary. should the gauge be so erratic? It is psi not bar my mistake!

[Wychall]

The gauge connects directly to the engine to allow checking of other reporting equipment. If you presently have a digital gauge, it is relying on an electronic sensor in the engine, electrical connection up to the gauge, and possibly dodgy chinese electronics in the gauge itself. Hence I like to double check with a more mechanical method. Then you know exactly what the engine is doing. If that shows zero or low pressure at tickover then stop using the engine until it is corrected.

[kevtherev]

Where does the gauge take it's pressure from?
The pressures will drop as the engine gets hot, and it will rise and fall with revs quite dramatically.
Cooler oil should see the pressures rise overall.
There should be at least 12 psi at tickover.
Most garages will do a wet gauge pressure check mate, if you can't find one I have a place you can take it..he's old school



Makes me glad I fitted a TIM wet gauge. No daft electrics to go wrong.