Re: 89 200TQ Oil Guage

["scott miller" <macatawa@hotmail.com>]

Why is it normal to have full-scale oil pressure when cold?  I'm running 
the same Mobil 1 15W50 I ran in similar engines in my synchros for six 
years.  Those engines didn't get nearly full scale oil pressure when 
cold, the oil pressures were very stable.  I've never seen any car with 
such large variations in oil pressure, with or without external oil 
coolers.  Perhaps it's the scale of the gauges?

Pat, does your pressure never exceed 5 bar except when you have an 
apparent electrical problem with your gauge?  Is that the norm for most 
everyone with this car?

Mine starts at full scale, then gradually mimics the tachometer as it 
warms, and sometimes reads as low as 1 to 1.5 bar when idling hot in the 
summer (without Prolong).  The associated low pressure warnings seem to 
confirm the gauge.  I have a few other instrument cluster problems, and 
I've been hoping the high readings were a gauge problem, not dangerously 
high pressures in my oil system.  The low pressures didn't worry me, as 
this car normally sits for days between long highway runs.  Very little 
idling.  I just bought it last spring, I'm hoping the crud in the oil 
system will gradually dissolve with frequent oil changes.

Scott
'90 200qw 167k

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Small, Jason wrote:
> 
> Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 20:09:32 -0600
> From: ""P-O Selander (EUS)"" <EUSPOS@am1.ericsson.se>
> Subject: 89 200TQ Oil Guage
> 
> Driving down a Boulder street one rainy evening, my oil can picture
> appeared on the multi-function display.  I was not terribly concerned 
as
> this happens from time to time, especially within the first few 
minutes
> of startup as with Pat Korach and maybe Scott Miller.  However, I 
always
> glance at the gage to confirm that I have no reason for concern.  This
> time, instead of my pressure reading normal to high, it was low and
> dropping lower.  Of course I immediately pulled over and shut down the
> engine.  Looking under the engine revealed a gushing wound from some
> heretofore unnoticed shrouding in the front right area.  Lo and 
behold,
> I do have an external oil cooler.  Bentley does not outright say the 
NF
> engine does not have an oil to air cooler, but in the diagrams, this
> cooler is shown on the MC engine and not on the NF engine.  
Apparently,
> the cooler had burst from inside the finned area and needed 
replacement.
> 
> Now I am inclined to allow an extended warm-up time and I am even more
> gentle with the throttle during the first five minutes of driving when
> the oil pressure gage is above 5 bar.  Pat Korach, have you learned 
more
> about the root causes of your oil pressure warnings?
> 
> Jason Small
> Boulder, CO
> 1989 100Q

Jason

I haven't fixed my oil guage problem yet (Too Rainy out).  I was
e-mailed that the it is grounding problem.  It has not been a priority
because the car is not my primary mode of transportation.  I did drive
it yesterday and the problem of pegging the oil gauge needle did not
arise.  But as to what P-O said the same goes for me.  Oil goes up to 5
bars for about 4 or 5 minutes when cold then drops to about 2 bars on
idle.  I would consider this normal.  I found that when I reved the
engine up the quage did not move past 5 bars when cold.  Maybe the
bypass valve is opening.  Will try to fix the problem this weekend if no
rain.  

Pat Korach
Kirkland, WA


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