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Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question [solved]
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bobbyblack Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon May 03, 2021 7:29 am    Post subject: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question [solved] Reply with quote

I was driving along the Freeway late Friday night, doing my usual 65ish due to being dark out (rather than my often 74 when I can see well). So RPMs were ~3800, engine temps were in the mid 150F on my digital indicator, and this was agreeable with the needle being lower than the temp LED. Really not pushing it at all. I was about 1 hour in to a 3 hour roll, when the Oil LED and buzzer rang me up. Attention driver! Pull over. I obliged.

Taking a look on the siding, I could see that there was plenty of oil, and indeed the engine was pretty cool. There was an exit about a half a mile ahead, so I decided to try to make it there to get a better assessment.

I got under the rig and looked with my headlamp at the wires to the OP switches, and for any other of the issues that seem like they trigger false OP dash indicators.. Nothing came up in my 20+ minutes of poking around. There was a little town about 2 minutes away where I could find help if I needed to, but that would be the next day at the earliest..

Anyway, nothing else was different in the sounds or power of the engine, and I eased my way along to town. Then through town, nothing seemed different except the blaring buzzer, etc.

Decided that I had a spare engine at home, and if it was time for this one to be done, well so be it. Reconnected with the freeway, and edgily got back to speed (well, a lot slower speed than usual) for a few miles. Nothing wrong, no thrown rod, no new noises. Got home and parked it. Next day I realized I was an idiot for not having installed my RJE OP re-locator kit with electric sender for a dash OP gauge, so that is what I did over the weekend. New .3 and .9 bar switches, and fresh oil change, etc. Assessed the wire leads, nothing bare, no rot, all looked fine.

Experiment #1: pulled the bus out of the garage, and idled it for a few minutes. Outdoors temps in the mid to high 80's F. OP gauge read in the high 40's PSI for a good while, then started to drop as expected as the oil warmed. After something like 5 minutes, I blipped the throttle, and the buzzer and LED went off, even though the OP was reading in the high 20's still.

Shut down and let everything cool completely.

Experiment #2: started engine and let it idle for 25 minutes. No buzz no LED, OP gauge read mid 50's at start, and went down to just about 10 after all that idling. Blipped the throttle, and immediately the buzzer and LED indicated oil issue.

Question: are there other issues I have yet to learn about that can cause the oil buzzer and LED to go off (I mean ON, annoyingly) and NOT have an actual issue. I've read a bunch on the topic, and wire leads are often discussed, needing new switches too. I guess I COULD have a bad-out-of-the-box new switch, but I doubt it.

Suggestions?

I could, but would rather not, just throw my spare engine in... But I'd certainly be upset if the same thing happened with the other engine because of a problem with, lets say maybe, the Blue Foil, or whatnot that I don't yet know to check first.

Yes, I am looking into a mechanical OP test, but I want to get feedback as I figure out that bit.

Thanks TS gang!!

-bobby
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Last edited by bobbyblack on Wed May 05, 2021 6:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon May 03, 2021 8:26 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

Did you ground your remote setup? The dynamic buzzer warning switch .9 needs to maintain a ground to keep the buzzer happy.
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 7:37 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

MarkWard wrote:
Did you ground your remote setup? The dynamic buzzer warning switch .9 needs to maintain a ground to keep the buzzer happy.


I am using the RJE kit, which locates the switches/sender manifold on the 3/4 side, mounting to the block with an included bolt. I got my VOM and tested it, both to the engine block and to the body in the engine area. So, yes, the ground is good.

Of note, even at 50+ PSI (cool oil), giving it throttle to something like 2300 RPM sets off the sensor LED and buzzer which does not stop until ignition is switched off/back on. This happens the same across the various temps that the engine has gotten to. Even when the oil is warmer, and the pressure is lower, like somewhere between 10 and 20 at idle (so not fully HOT oil) still somewhere around 2300 RPM is where the alarms go off. And, regardless of there being ~40 at 4000 RPM, the warning does not quit.

It seems like there has to be some other explanation of this, as I can't imagine that an alarm should be going off at 50+ PSI.

I've heard mention of changing out the harness, which I assume meant the leads for the .3 and .9 switches. I'm not 100% clear on that though.

Also, remember, this is across two different sets of switches. Same thing happening.

Thanks,

-bobby
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 8:25 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

Could you have reversed the leads by accident? Anyhow, if you permanently ground the .9 bar switch lead, that should disable the buzzer. Then you know where to look.

For testing your switches, a simple 12 volt test light connected to power will help you test them.

Engine off, the testlight must light when you probe the .3 switch. and the .9 switch is opposite and must not light.

Engine running, the .3 switch should not light the test light. The .9 switch must light the test light.

In other words the switches work opposite of each other. Report your findings.
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 8:39 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

https://www.vanagain.com/article/troubleshoot-the-oil-light-and-buzzer

Ken seems to state that there can be a problem in the control board/ instrument cluster area. So, there's that.
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 8:45 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

mikemtnbike wrote:
https://www.vanagain.com/article/troubleshoot-the-oil-light-and-buzzer

Ken seems to state that there can be a problem in the control board/ instrument cluster area. So, there's that.


Right, but you need to isolate it to the cluster first. The test's I describe will help to isolate it.
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 8:48 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

Thanks gents!

Ok, so to be clear, I am looking to be sure I have not mismatched the wires, which I am pretty certain I did not, but will check.

Next, I am looking for an open circuit on the .9 bar lead, all the way from the switch itself to the socket on the blue foil at the speedo. Seems easy, right? Wink

I'll get to it.

Also, the Wilford video showing how to bend one pin is interesting... But I'd rather find where the wire is broken.

https://www.vanagain.com/article/troubleshoot-the-oil-light-and-buzzer

Thanks all!

I'll report back on what I find.

-bobby
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 9:43 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question Reply with quote

Quote:
Next, I am looking for an open circuit on the .9 bar lead, all the way from the switch itself to the socket on the blue foil at the speedo.


I'd be surprised if the factory wire was broken. There is a T2 connector in the engine compartment where both sender wires attach before they go into the van's harness.

Disabling it would be the last choice, but with a gauge, it's not really as critical as it was.
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PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2021 7:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question [solved] Reply with quote

Followed the lead from the .9 switch to the T2 connector, finding that the yellow wire on the other side had corroded and fallen apart. Tried to release both sides of the connector and replace, only to get frustrated enough to make my own connector for that circuit with a heat shrink connectors.
Thanks all!!
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PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2021 8:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question [solved] Reply with quote

bobbyblack wrote:
Followed the lead from the .9 switch to the T2 connector, finding that the yellow wire on the other side had corroded and fallen apart. Tried to release both sides of the connector and replace, only to get frustrated enough to make my own connector for that circuit with a heat shrink connectors.
Thanks all!!
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PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2021 2:59 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question [solved] Reply with quote

Good find!

Well done!

Dave
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PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2021 4:27 am    Post subject: Re: Oil Pressure light/buzzer experiment and question [solved] Reply with quote

We (I) never doubted you! Wink

- Dave

PS: I think that's the T2 connector I once melted on my #3 exhaust header...wire it up out of the way! Cool
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