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Oil Pressure Gauge not reading properly?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:14
by christi
Yeah. Karma hates me or something.

(I say this because something broke on my mazda 3 causing a nice smokey fire in my engine bay, causing me to be late for work from lunch and sending the 3 to Mazda from a tow truck....)

So I'm driving the RX-7 to work and the oil gauge is not working properly. Usually when it's in high rpm or going through gears its between the 30-60psi; now its kinda of in between 30-60psi or at 30psi, and at a stop it goes below 30psi to 0psi. I have oil in the motor, as the dipstick is full. Any suggestions? I'm thinking the oil gauge is broken and I just need to have a external one...

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:14
by JTurton7
mines done the same thing for the past 7 years. I probably should buy a new sender but.. meh oh well.

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:14
by christi
So it's more than likely that it's the OP sender and nothing really to worry about - maybe just replacing the gauge and should be okay?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:14
by JTurton7
A thread for FD's but I would assume FC's have the same problem

http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=873456

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:14
by christi
Hopefully it's just that, if not I guess I'll replace the OPS Unit once again, lol... but question, since my Mazda 3 is at Mazda and the RX-7 is the only car I have, is it save to drive it 5 miles to work and back?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:14
by AuroraAxela
If you can verify that you have oil pressure when the gauge drops out, that would be safest.

But more than likely you're ok, it's most likely the sender.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:14
by chickenwafer
The contacts on the oil pressure sender get dirty and cause bad readings. The gauge in my FD does this too. It's a simple female black spade connector on the sender near the oil filer, just pop the connector off and clean the spade on the sender with some steel wool or fine grit sand paper...that usually does the trick.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:14
by RX-7 Chris
chickenwafer wrote:The contacts on the oil pressure sender get dirty and cause bad readings. The gauge in my FD does this too. It's a simple female black spade connector on the sender near the oil filer, just pop the connector off and clean the spade on the sender with some steel wool or fine grit sand paper...that usually does the trick.

I agree. I've had this happen before.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:14
by erod550
I'll have to try that on my Miata. My gauge just sits around 30psi all the time.