The oil pressure light on the dash of my 325iC is flickering, very faintly. Originally I thought it might be the sensor, but we can't figure out how to remove the old one from the block since there's so little clearance. If someone can tell us how, we can eliminate that possibility. My other suspicion is the oil pressure is fine but the dead battery has something to do with it. If I jump the car it runs great but the light flickers. I ought to go buy a new battery for it just to eliminate that possibility as well. Any suggestions?
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The oil pressure warning isn't sensitive to system voltage, being a simple pressure activated switch. If the light is flickering, the sensor is bad, the wrong oil is in the engine, the filter is bad/plugged, or there is a serious problem. I don't understand what you mean about a clearance issue. The oil pressure switch screws into the block about midway back on the right (exhaust) side of the engine. It is easy to reach with the car up in the air.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL -
Thanks for that information Jim. I wonder if someone has a picture of the sensor installed? My roommate (Copperwheat) was trying to get it out but when he tried to put the socket on it the walls of the socket seemed to hit the walls of the indent that it sits in.Comment
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I still can't seem to get that damn sensor out. What's the best method?Comment
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deep socket 15/16" i thinkComment
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used a combo wrench on mine i believe.Comment
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I finally got the sensor replaced, it was a 24mm or a 15/16". I thought the problem was the thick walls of the 22mm's I was buying so I bought three, with each one being a little thinner. Good thing they're returnable.
Anyways, the original problem is still there, even with the new sensor. I drive for about 10 minutes, 3-5 miles, and the light begins to flicker. When I first start the car it doesn't do it, it only does it after the car is warmed up it seems. What's next? Should I change my oil? What oil is recommended for the M20? Copperwheat thinks it might be due to bad SI board batteries, what do you guys think? Sounds plausible to me.Comment
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The SI board has nothing to do with the oil pressure warning light. For where you are, the correct oil would 20w50. And change the filter. If it is clogged or partially collapsed oil pressure will be reduced. If new oil & filter fails to eliminate the problem the cause will probably be wear of the engine. To verify that, temporarily fit a pressure guage and see what the hot idle oil pressure is. It should be greater than 7psi.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, ALComment
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I'll change the oil today and see if that makes a difference. It's hard to believe the cause would be a worn engine, it only has 120,xxx miles on it and runs better/stronger than any other M20 I've owned.Comment
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barring some other strange problem, it really sounds like an oil pump failing. the fact that it does it when the engine is warm (and the oil is thinner) isn't encouraging. see if you can get an oil pressure gauge in there.
luckily you should be able to replace the pump without pulling the motor.. but that requires removing the pan, and we all know how fun oil pan gaskets are.Comment
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My wife's sedan does a similar thing. The light goes on when I first start it up but goes away as soon as I rev the engine. I haven't driven it enough to figure out how often this happens.Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig, es ist nicht einmal falsch!Comment
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Any ideas about my wife's light that does it opposite to this one? On at engine startup, goes away as engine warms up? Or is that normal?Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig, es ist nicht einmal falsch!Comment
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that's normal, there's no pressure in your engine before you start it up. unless you mean that it doesn'g go away in a couple seconds and stays on for a while?Comment
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