Re: 5K - engine warning system

[Brett Dikeman <quattro@arthur.malebolge.com>]

>I have an 88 100CD (5000) with a low oil pressure warning light that
>keeps coming on. There is nothing wrong with the engine, no oil leaks,
>no oil consumption (only done 90,000 miles). The oil pressure senders
>have been replaced. Oil and filter change has been done. Anybody got
>any ideas on:
>
>1. What the spurios low oil pressure signal is (only comes on at 3000
>RPM),
>2. If no anwers to 1, how to disconnect the engine warning system.
I have a little story about ignoring "idiot" lights.

A friend used to own a 1984 5000S wagon that was in pretty tough shape.
She was driving myself and a bunch of friends around Boston, and right as
she let me out at my car, the temp Auto-check light came on.  I said, "X,
it's bad when that light comes on..."
"Oh, it does that all the time."
"Well, there's probably a reason why it comes on all the time."
"No, it's just broken."

The next morning, I'm talking to another friend who was with her.  They
stopped at the ATM to get cash; X left the car running with the friend.
All of the sudden, the person in the car heard a big "POP!" and what
sounded like running water and a sort of whooshing noise.

The car's water pump had failed, causing coolant to boil, and a pressure
surge that normally would have been released by the cap on the resevoir
didn't(probably because the cap was bad, and the hoses in the car were
never inspected/replaced.)  The reason the warning was "coming on all the
time" was because the pump had failed(or was starting to fail) quite some
time ago.


Instead, the car burst a hose and bled all over the parking lot.

X then drove the car to the nearest gas station(!!!)

The only Auto-check warning lights I ignore, as a rule, are:
-windshield washer level(the sensor actually fell off the tank on mine, so
it never comes on anyways.) :)
-bulb warning if I'm towing something

I've also found that the trip computer's low fuel warning is set slightly
higher than the Auto-Check's warning; when the Auto-Check comes on, it's
running on fumes...

Brett

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Brett Dikeman
brett@pdikeman.ne.mediaone.net
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