Golf now runs- oil light flashing

This is a continuation from an earlier post. BIG thanks to those of
you who posted help.

90 Golf 1.8 8v 144,000 miles.

OK, I got it started and it runs, but the oil light is flashing. I
have recently replaced the switch (sensor) on the side of the motor.
The oil level is fine, maybe a little low. It still flashes when I
rev the car. The car sounds a bit loud and rickety, but that could be
because it hasn't been run for a week.


I don't want to drive the car until I figure out what's causing that
oil light to flash.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, thoughts and ideas.

I don't recall if that oil pressure switch opens or closes when the pressure
is sufficiently high, but try these things and see what happens to the
flashing oil light:
a) disconnect the wire from the oil pressure switch
b) connect the wire that goes to the oil switch to chassis ground

Do either of those tests affect the flashing of the oil light?
Are you sure you have the correct new oil switch?
Why did you replace it?

Also, what (if anything) did you do to get the car running?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ears" > wrote in message
...
This is a continuation from an earlier post. BIG thanks to those of
you who posted help.

90 Golf 1.8 8v 144,000 miles.

OK, I got it started and it runs, but the oil light is flashing. I
have recently replaced the switch (sensor) on the side of the motor.
The oil level is fine, maybe a little low. It still flashes when I
rev the car. The car sounds a bit loud and rickety, but that could be
because it hasn't been run for a week.


I don't want to drive the car until I figure out what's causing that
oil light to flash.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, thoughts and ideas.

> *a) disconnect the wire from the oil pressure switch
> *b) connect the wire that goes to the oil switch to chassis ground

Excellent advice! I did this. When I grounded the switch the light
went off. I removed the sending unit and let the car idle to make
sure I have pressure. I do! I replaced the switch with an older one
and the light went off. Plus, the car seems to be running fine now.

> Why did you replace it?

I replaced the switch originally because it was leaking.

>Also, what (if anything) did you do to get the car running?

Good question. I did a series of things:

1. I removed the distributor cap and turned the starter to get the
rotor in a different position. I tried a few different times as the
bell housing on the distributor was loose and I could not see any
clear marks.

2. I replaced the fuel pump fuse with the brake light fuse (both 20
amp). The fuse did not look blown but was old. Curiously, the brake
lights did not work temporarily but are now working.

3. I prayed.


Thanks again for the advice. This group is excellent!

wrong switch. The switches should have the PSI spec on them. Take a look.


"Ears" > wrote in message
...

> a) disconnect the wire from the oil pressure switch
> b) connect the wire that goes to the oil switch to chassis ground

Excellent advice! I did this. When I grounded the switch the light
went off. I removed the sending unit and let the car idle to make
sure I have pressure. I do! I replaced the switch with an older one
and the light went off. Plus, the car seems to be running fine now.

> Why did you replace it?

I replaced the switch originally because it was leaking.

>Also, what (if anything) did you do to get the car running?

Good question. I did a series of things:

1. I removed the distributor cap and turned the starter to get the
rotor in a different position. I tried a few different times as the
bell housing on the distributor was loose and I could not see any
clear marks.

2. I replaced the fuel pump fuse with the brake light fuse (both 20
amp). The fuse did not look blown but was old. Curiously, the brake
lights did not work temporarily but are now working.

3. I prayed.


Thanks again for the advice. This group is excellent!

On Aug 17, 4:21*am, "Lost In Space/Woodchuck" >
wrote:
> wrong switch. The switches should have the PSI spec on them. Take a look.


Huh?

Two oil switches on your car. One on the cylinder head has a normally
closed circuit with the engine off, while the oil pressure switch on the oil
filter housing has a normally open circuit with the engine off.

SOME oil pressure switches will have some numbers on them indicating at what
pressure their circuits will open/close.

So you installed the filter housing switch onto the cylinder head. When it
got pressure it closed the circuit and turned that oil light on.
--
later,
(One out of many daves)

"Ears" > wrote in message
...
On Aug 17, 4:21 am, "Lost In Space/Woodchuck" >
wrote:
> wrong switch. The switches should have the PSI spec on them. Take a look.


Huh?

Ears wrote:
> This is a continuation from an earlier post. BIG thanks to those of
> you who posted help.
>
> 90 Golf 1.8 8v 144,000 miles.
>
> OK, I got it started and it runs, but the oil light is flashing. I
> have recently replaced the switch (sensor) on the side of the motor.
> The oil level is fine, maybe a little low. It still flashes when I
> rev the car. The car sounds a bit loud and rickety, but that could be
> because it hasn't been run for a week.
>
>
> I don't want to drive the car until I figure out what's causing that
> oil light to flash.
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions, thoughts and ideas.
>
>
>
>

Did you replace the correct sensor? there are two, one on the filter
and one on the head. If you replaced the wrong one (e.g. you bought the
one that goes on the filter but you put it in the head) this could cause
that problem.

"a bit loud and rickety" does worry me somewhat though. I would get a
mechanical pressure gauge and make sure you're getting pressure to the
head. If the car has been sitting for a while the lifters can bleed
down and clatter but that should go away after a minute or so.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Thanks, for explaining it all. The switch in the head is usually about
..5bar(7psi) and at the flange 1.8bar. An old trick was to install the diesel
1.4bar switch so the oil light wasn't so likely to come on around 2000rpm.

"dave AKA vwdoc1" > wrote in message
...
> Two oil switches on your car. One on the cylinder head has a normally
> closed circuit with the engine off, while the oil pressure switch on the
> oil filter housing has a normally open circuit with the engine off.
>
> SOME oil pressure switches will have some numbers on them indicating at
> what pressure their circuits will open/close.
>
> So you installed the filter housing switch onto the cylinder head. When
> it got pressure it closed the circuit and turned that oil light on.
> --
> later,
> (One out of many daves)
>
> "Ears" > wrote in message
> ...
> On Aug 17, 4:21 am, "Lost In Space/Woodchuck" >
> wrote:
>> wrong switch. The switches should have the PSI spec on them. Take a look.
>
>
> Huh?
>

>
> "a bit loud and rickety" does worry me somewhat though. *I would get a
> mechanical pressure gauge and make sure you're getting pressure to the
> head. *If the car has been sitting for a while the lifters can bleed
> down and clatter but that should go away after a minute or so.


Chilton said to let the car idle with the sensor removed to check for
oil pressure. It said if there is no pressure, no oil will come out
the hole. I was expecting a trickle. It was more like a gush.

Thanks again.

Chilton is giving shadtree advice. Kind of like opening the gas tank.
I see some fuel. Ready for a 400 mile road trip. Pressure guage tells
a more accurate story.

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:20:37 -0700 (PDT), Ears
> wrote:

>>
>> "a bit loud and rickety" does worry me somewhat though. *I would get a
>> mechanical pressure gauge and make sure you're getting pressure to the
>> head. *If the car has been sitting for a while the lifters can bleed
>> down and clatter but that should go away after a minute or so.
>
>
>Chilton said to let the car idle with the sensor removed to check for
>oil pressure. It said if there is no pressure, no oil will come out
>the hole. I was expecting a trickle. It was more like a gush.
>
>Thanks again.