Re: Bad Temp/Oil sensors?

[Andrew Duane USG/PE <duane@zk3.dec.com>]

Hairy green toads from Mars made Brooks Ellis say:
> 
>    I have a 1990 100 Q 5spd /2.3l I5..blah blah anyway..
> 
> It seems that the pressure has been low for a while - It stays about 1.8 
> to 2.2 the whole time...Sometimes when I do a cold start, it gets to 2+ bar.
> 
> I have also noticed a different problem in the last couple of weeks with 
> my engine (coolant?) temperature gauge. Every so often it reads 0.. or 
> less than 0. It will do this on cold starts, or if I have had it running 
> for two hours - doesn't really matter. My engine has also been running 
> somewhat hot recently - If I sit at a light for 30 seconds plus, my 
> radiator fan will probably kick on...then it takes a long time to cool down.

I am having the same oil pressure problem you are, in my '89 100Q.
I think what's happening is that the sudden warm weather is not
agreeing with the 10W30 winter oil in my crankcase. I am going to
change oil and filter this week, to see if it helps. I have noticed
that if the morning is cold (<25 degrees), my pressure is better.

As for the temp gauge, Angela's 90Q20V has this problem. I'm pretty
sure the sensor is bad. This sensor does *not* control the overheat
fans, so there's no worry there. It *does* control the engine mgmt
computer, so her car runs poorly when the gauge reads 0. The engine
thinks it's cold and runs too rich and conservative to "warm up".


-- 

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)			duane@zk3.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corporation		(603)-881-1294
110 Spit Brook Road			http://www.zk3.dec.com/~duane
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH    03062-2698

Only my cat shares my opinions, and she's warm enough to go outside.