Oil Guage

[X1ons]

Evening all

I've just driven my 4200 from Newcastle to Manchester - a lovely smooth (if not wet) drive.

When I arrived in Manchester I hit bad traffic causing me to slow. I then noticed the red oil can light flash on the dashboard. I then noticed that the oil gauge was reacting directly to the revs I was sitting at. In other words - low revs - low pressure gauge which caused the oil light to go on (both the red oil can and red oil light). If I was at high revs and sitting in traffic (in 2nd or 3rd) then the pressure gauge would go up - almost inline with the rev counter. As the revs dropped (ie sitting idle) then the gauge light would come on.

Before travelling I checked the engine oil and it was fine. I will of course check this again tomorrow.

What can be causing this? How do I fix it and what are the consequences to the motor - hopefully all easily fixed given I'm visiting friends and need to travel home to Newcastle on Sunday!!!

Thanks for your help as always

Mark

 

[Emtee]

Hi Mark,

No need to worry unduly. This happens.

You've have a combination of a long journey with plenty of air getting to a hot engine followed by start stop traffic;... still a hot engine, but less air to refresh. To make a lame analogy, if you asked me to run a marathon and then sprint repeatedly, I'd be hot and bothered too!

The oil pressure will drop simply because it's stinking hot and hasn't enough 'coolant' to bring it back to what the oil dial deems to be normal parameters.

A couple of things you can check are...

Level - check you're not low.
Age - if the oil is aged....replace.

Other than that....just keep a watching brief.

 

[X1ons]

Thanks for the reply Miles - its a relief to know its ok!

Have other owners experienced this? It's a bi unnerving sitting in traffic, watching the rev counter hit 1 and seeing the pressure oil gauge also hitting zero and the light popping on! Instantly I had visions of stalling and causing an even worse traffic jam - embarrassing given its a Maserati!!

The engine oil is maybe 7 months old - not due a change yet. I'll check it today for levels but is there anything else I can do or is this just to be expected?

Thanks

Mark

 

[BennyD]

Mark, see what the pressure is like when you start up this morning. It should be full scale right. When the engine heats up into the 'normal' range, the pressure should drop at idle and the needle should be roughly straight up. Increase the revs and the needle should be full scale right at about 2000 rpm. Also, the pressure senders can be a bit flakey but yours sounds like it was getting a bit hot and bothered.

 

[conaero]

I would change the sender. It's a pig to get to, it's under the plenum at the back of the engine, the part is about £60 and if you take it to an indie they will charge you an hours labour to fit it as its a pig to get to.

Until you have had the sender changed I would not worry, just try and stay away from traffic in the meantime.

If you want to attemp it yourself, I would take the plenum off, making sure you don't drop anything down the intakes, into the engine.

 

[X1ons]

Thank you for the replies - I'm heading back up North today so I'll see how it is and report back. Hopefully it will have calmed itself down and normal service can be resumed!

I'll look at the Sender Matt - where would I purchase this from and what exactly would I need to be asking for?

Cheers again

Mark

 

[philw696]

Thank you for the replies - I'm heading back up North today so I'll see how it is and report back. Hopefully it will have calmed itself down and normal service can be resumed!

I'll look at the Sender Matt - where would I purchase this from and what exactly would I need to be asking for?

Cheers again

Mark

Mark got my sender unit from Eurospares cost around £60 came next day in the most fantastic Ferrari packaging.
Not a bad job to do with the inlet manifold and a modified 24mm spanner to remove and refit sender.
Phil.

 

[Parisien]

But before you do anything, why not try to get a diagnostic on it......with an indie?

P

 

[BennyD]

Is there any point if there isn't a light on?. You would be better off putting an external oil pressure gauge on the sender take-off and get a true reading. Then change thebsender if the pressure is ok.

 

[Parisien]

Light on when warning of reduced oil pressure......its hard to know, especially given one or two other experiences on the forum around oil/oil pumps.

P

 

[X1ons]

Lovely drive back up North today - the car was a dream. No lights, no low pressure gauge. The gauge sat at full pressure most of the way.

I didn't hit any traffic so was able to sit at motorway speed the whole way so not a true copy of Fridays journey where it was very very wet with loads of traffic.

Anyway, taking it along to an indie for a diagnostic is a good idea to make sure all is well in the Ferrari engine!

I'll keep you posted

Mark

 

[BennyD]

I seem to remember something about low oil pressure in the handbook being ok if it goes up when you rev it. It might be worth having a read before you shell out lots of cash getting something normal checked out.

 

[BennyD]

It does; bottom of page 57 in the handbook. It says something like; if the engine has been made to work at it's maximum, the light may flash but it is ok if the light goes out when accelerating lightly. To me that means that if the oil is very hot the pressure may drop right off but if you raise the revs the oil pressure will rise. Keep an eye on it Mark, I'm a sure it's a ok!

 

[Parisien]

Good spot Ian......


P

 

[BennyD]

Thanks mate, I've peaked!