MatraSport Forum

At almost exactly 4000 rpm the needle in my oilpressure gauge drops to nought...!!
has anyone had this same faliure?..
The gauge has been somewhat inconsistant in its readings since I bought the car (where the gauge needle was dancing the rumba most of the time),I suspect some sort of electrical fault, and so am not in any state of panic....though lack of oilpressure is not something I like to mess about with... especially at 4000+ rpm  ;) 

No, lack of oil pressure isn't a funny thing........ If it is an electrical fault it could be the green connector in the engine room. If you pull it apart you will probably see that the connectors aren't pretty. I'd try measuring the resistance over the sensor at different ends of the system to determine if there's a loose connection. And why not replace the sensor right away?

I get about 4 bars of oil pressure when the engine is cold, dropping to 3 or so when the oil has warmed up and viscosity has decreased. It's fairly stable.

- Anders

I have always seen somewhat lower pressure (~2.5-3) at idle than higher revs - it seems as if I need to get over 1500-2000 revs before it stabilizes at 3.5-4.

As far as I can remember, it has been like that both on my original 1.6 engine and the 8 years I have had my 1.9i. 

(Except for when the 1.9i broke down due to lack of proper maintenance - I had overlooked a hole in the air filter. - but I try to forget that unfortunate incident. )

/Lennart

I noticed how the instrument runs yesterday when I testdrove the car, and I have to add that my oil pressure in idle is a bit unstable. But it tends to move with the idle speed which isn't entirely stable either, that's all.

Lennart, I don't remember you had an incident with your car... you just had it off the road for a couple of years to perfect it, didn't you? :D

- Anders

You have turned forty now, haven't you ?


PS: Who the hell are you anyway ?

/Lennart, I think

What are you implying ???

I'M ONLY THIRTYSEVEN. A few days more.... ;)


Hmmmm can I call someone?

- Anders 8)

Oups .. sorry. Now what can I do to get your oil pressure down to normal again ? - buy you a beer ?

/Lennart

Yes, that seems to help :)

Well... I can report that at 4000 rpm, instead of droppig to zero, my oil pressure gauge has decided go in the other direction, and move to 5 bar instead... thats a 180 degree turn on opinion.... perhaps it has a future in politics?... ;D

I had a look at mine, when cold its about 4, then decreases as it warm, seems to stay around 1 to 3, cant say i was looking at 4000rpm, but i'll keep an eye and let you know.

Hmm, interesting point...

It doesn't sound like an electrical problem to me :o

Seems to me the sensor is broken... think I will try and replace it next time I change the oil

That's certanly not unlikely... Anyway, the sensor is sitting above the oil filter so it should not drain any oil off the system if you remove it to switch it over to another one. Apart from that the job is horrible, you may not be able to get a good grip without removing the oil filter I think... Worse than when I had to replace a water hose clamp yesterday  >:(

- Anders

I recon I can get it on the lift where i work in a weeknd.. should make access much easier  :P