Installing a real oil pressure gauge
THIS ARTICLE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Swapping out the OEM fake oil pressure gauge for a real working one is fairly simple, and needs only ordinary hand tools…it helps if you can solder, but it’s not necessary.
Tools needed:
small soldering iron (optional, but recommended; see text)
rosin-core solder
wire cutters
wire stripper/crimper
Parts needed:
AutoMeter Oil Pressure Gauge kit #4327
4 small ring terminals
Teflon tape or a good thread sealer (available at any plumbing supply)
Replacing the sender:
Install the thread adapter provided in the AutoMeter kit onto the new sender using either Teflon tape or thread sealer.
Unplug the connector from the old sender and remove it. A small amount of oil will leak out when the old sender is removed, which is why you want to have the new sender ready to install immediately. Install the new sender, again using Teflon tape or thread sealer. The new sender will not screw in all the way…in other words, don’t try to crank the new unit down until all the threads are engaged; you can feel when the unit begins to really tighten up, so don’t try to be a Superman.
As far as wiring the new sender, there are a couple of avenues here…one way is to run a separate wire for the new gauge setup…go for it if you like, but there’s no reason not to use the factory wiring, unless you plan on someday restoring the factory NON-WORKING oil pressure gauge setup. In addition to being easier to install, using the factory wiring has the advantage of looking nearly stock, and is less likely to attract attention, should your car ever end up at the dealer’s service department while under warranty. To use the factory wire, simply cut off the OEM connector, and replace it with a ring terminal (I prefer ring terminals over spade terminals as they are more secure, but a spade terminal will work). It’s best to crimp AND solder the terminal, and even better to slip a piece of heat-shrink tubing over it, but soldering and the heat shrink are optional. Connect the wire to the new sender, as indicated in the supplied instruction sheet (it’s obvious).
At this point, you may be wondering about grounding the sender…doesn’t the Teflon tape insulate the sender’s threads from being grounded? The answer is NO, it doesn’t. A separate ground wire is not needed.
OK, you can now close the hood…you’re done under the car.
Replacing the gauge unit:
This is a little more involved than replacing the sender. To remove the gauge pod, first put the shifter in “D”, to allow for clearance (I don’t REALLY have to tell you about setting the parking brake, or chocking the wheels, do I?). Grasp the “wings” of the gauge pod and pull firmly downward and slightly forward…it’s secured with those “alligator” clips. Once it’s loose, rotate the wings toward the floor and pull the entire unit forward and up…you’ll see what it needs…you may have to jockey it around a little to clear the console. Once the gauge pod is free and clear, simply unplug the 3 connectors, then you can remove the whole unit to your favorite workbench area. Don’t worry about which connector is which; they’re all different, so you can’t mix them up.
You have two choices as far as replacing the actual gauge unit. One is to simply swap the old for the new…pretty straightforward. The other is to convert the old gauge into a working gauge by swapping the innards of the new one into the old one. This route is a LOT more intricate and delicate, and I won’t go into the full conversion process here (There are a couple of threads explaining the procedure in detail on the site). The only real reason for doing a conversion is to maintain the exact stock look; the replacement gauge has a slightly different face than the stock one, the primary difference being that that stock gauge has green back-lighting of the numerals, while the replacement gauge uses AutoMeter’s standard perimeter lighting. The difference is noticeable only at night; during the day, the two gauges are so alike only someone who has done this mod will be able to tell. If you MUST have the oil gauge and voltmeter absolutely identical, a number of members have simply replaced the voltmeter as well. It’s inexpensive and much easier than converting the oil gauge fascia.
If you’ve chosen to convert your old gauge into a working gauge (see above), then you’re done. Reinstall the gauge unit into the gauge pod, and re-install the pod. If, however, you are going to replace the entire old gauge with the new one, here’s how to wire it:
The first thing you’ll notice is that the factory gauge is hard-wired to its connector. No problem here, just cut the wires flush with the back of the gauge (you weren’t REALLY going to ever restore the original NON-WORKING gauge, were you?). Install (crimp and solder) ring terminals on the ends of the wires and connect them to the new gauge per the supplied instructions. The three wires are Black, Red, and White/Pink. The black wire is ground, the red is positive, and the white/pink is from the sender. The new gauge mounts the same as the old, but IIRC, the studs are a different length…it DOES all fit, though. Once you have the new gauge in place, re-install the pod (remember to plug all the connectors back in!) and you’re done.
Now for the fun part: When you first turn the key to “ON” (don’t start the motor yet) the needle should rise slightly and point to zero. When you start the motor, you should read anywhere between 75 and 100 lbs. The actual reading will depend on ambient temperature and the viscosity of the oil you’re using…if it’s cold (like 32°) and you’re using 5W-30, then your reading will be 100 lbs or even more. If it’s warm and you’re using 5W-20, you may get a somewhat lower reading. After the car has warmed up to operating temperature, your readings should be approximately as follows:
Idling in drive, 25 lbs
Cruising (40-45 MPH) 50 lbs
Highway speeds 65-70 lbs
Swapping out the OEM fake oil pressure gauge for a real working one is fairly simple, and needs only ordinary hand tools…it helps if you can solder, but it’s not necessary.
Tools needed:
small soldering iron (optional, but recommended; see text)
rosin-core solder
wire cutters
wire stripper/crimper
Parts needed:
AutoMeter Oil Pressure Gauge kit #4327
4 small ring terminals
Teflon tape or a good thread sealer (available at any plumbing supply)
Replacing the sender:
Install the thread adapter provided in the AutoMeter kit onto the new sender using either Teflon tape or thread sealer.
Unplug the connector from the old sender and remove it. A small amount of oil will leak out when the old sender is removed, which is why you want to have the new sender ready to install immediately. Install the new sender, again using Teflon tape or thread sealer. The new sender will not screw in all the way…in other words, don’t try to crank the new unit down until all the threads are engaged; you can feel when the unit begins to really tighten up, so don’t try to be a Superman.
As far as wiring the new sender, there are a couple of avenues here…one way is to run a separate wire for the new gauge setup…go for it if you like, but there’s no reason not to use the factory wiring, unless you plan on someday restoring the factory NON-WORKING oil pressure gauge setup. In addition to being easier to install, using the factory wiring has the advantage of looking nearly stock, and is less likely to attract attention, should your car ever end up at the dealer’s service department while under warranty. To use the factory wire, simply cut off the OEM connector, and replace it with a ring terminal (I prefer ring terminals over spade terminals as they are more secure, but a spade terminal will work). It’s best to crimp AND solder the terminal, and even better to slip a piece of heat-shrink tubing over it, but soldering and the heat shrink are optional. Connect the wire to the new sender, as indicated in the supplied instruction sheet (it’s obvious).
At this point, you may be wondering about grounding the sender…doesn’t the Teflon tape insulate the sender’s threads from being grounded? The answer is NO, it doesn’t. A separate ground wire is not needed.
OK, you can now close the hood…you’re done under the car.
Replacing the gauge unit:
This is a little more involved than replacing the sender. To remove the gauge pod, first put the shifter in “D”, to allow for clearance (I don’t REALLY have to tell you about setting the parking brake, or chocking the wheels, do I?). Grasp the “wings” of the gauge pod and pull firmly downward and slightly forward…it’s secured with those “alligator” clips. Once it’s loose, rotate the wings toward the floor and pull the entire unit forward and up…you’ll see what it needs…you may have to jockey it around a little to clear the console. Once the gauge pod is free and clear, simply unplug the 3 connectors, then you can remove the whole unit to your favorite workbench area. Don’t worry about which connector is which; they’re all different, so you can’t mix them up.
You have two choices as far as replacing the actual gauge unit. One is to simply swap the old for the new…pretty straightforward. The other is to convert the old gauge into a working gauge by swapping the innards of the new one into the old one. This route is a LOT more intricate and delicate, and I won’t go into the full conversion process here (There are a couple of threads explaining the procedure in detail on the site). The only real reason for doing a conversion is to maintain the exact stock look; the replacement gauge has a slightly different face than the stock one, the primary difference being that that stock gauge has green back-lighting of the numerals, while the replacement gauge uses AutoMeter’s standard perimeter lighting. The difference is noticeable only at night; during the day, the two gauges are so alike only someone who has done this mod will be able to tell. If you MUST have the oil gauge and voltmeter absolutely identical, a number of members have simply replaced the voltmeter as well. It’s inexpensive and much easier than converting the oil gauge fascia.
If you’ve chosen to convert your old gauge into a working gauge (see above), then you’re done. Reinstall the gauge unit into the gauge pod, and re-install the pod. If, however, you are going to replace the entire old gauge with the new one, here’s how to wire it:
The first thing you’ll notice is that the factory gauge is hard-wired to its connector. No problem here, just cut the wires flush with the back of the gauge (you weren’t REALLY going to ever restore the original NON-WORKING gauge, were you?). Install (crimp and solder) ring terminals on the ends of the wires and connect them to the new gauge per the supplied instructions. The three wires are Black, Red, and White/Pink. The black wire is ground, the red is positive, and the white/pink is from the sender. The new gauge mounts the same as the old, but IIRC, the studs are a different length…it DOES all fit, though. Once you have the new gauge in place, re-install the pod (remember to plug all the connectors back in!) and you’re done.
Now for the fun part: When you first turn the key to “ON” (don’t start the motor yet) the needle should rise slightly and point to zero. When you start the motor, you should read anywhere between 75 and 100 lbs. The actual reading will depend on ambient temperature and the viscosity of the oil you’re using…if it’s cold (like 32°) and you’re using 5W-30, then your reading will be 100 lbs or even more. If it’s warm and you’re using 5W-20, you may get a somewhat lower reading. After the car has warmed up to operating temperature, your readings should be approximately as follows:
Idling in drive, 25 lbs
Cruising (40-45 MPH) 50 lbs
Highway speeds 65-70 lbs