Oil Sender W/ 16valve Engine

[Jim HIlgeford]

I need to change the oil pressure sending unit on my 16 valve engine. I cannot see it. i know it is on the trans side of the engine, nest to the dipstick tube.

Do I need to pull radiator/ Or would I remove battery and air clearer box to get to the sender.

If someone have had done this, I would appreciate what needs to be removed to get to the Oil pressure sending unit.

 

Thanks in advance

[Hemi Dude]

There are 2 versions, the earlier built 89 cars had one that looked like a bell from the top and was unpainted metal and was only an oil pressure sender, the later 89 and 90's had one that had a multi wire connector at the top and was a slim black unit, partially made of plastic. Since they both mount at the same place on the engine, under the intake manifold and to the right of the dipstick tube approximately 4 inches from the rear of the engine block where the transaxle bolts to the block. It is at the same location as where the oil tube which supplies oil to the turbo is connected to the engine block.

You might try to get to it from underneath the car. That is also how you access the distributor if you need to replace the HALL PLATE.

[Jim HIlgeford]

Thanks for the info. I have an early with the 2" in. unit. I am able to see the end form the bottom. It has a plug in the oil feeder. But the sending unit is hidden behind Wires and brackets. I can follow the oil feed line for the turbo, but cannot find it around the front of the engine because of the fan motor..

[TwinCamFan]

So Jim, I went out to the garage and popped the hood on my 90 Y/G/B  16V to see 'how would I do this' and I think I would pull the radiator fan to gain access the sender. I *think* the sender has a 14mm hex area (might be 15mm, been a while) at the base to put a wrench on it. Use some Teflon tape on the new sender and if possible turn it in the same orientation as the old unit.  The wires are old and brittle and don't really like being 180' out of phase of where they have been for 30 years

 

What makes you think your sender is faulty BTW, no reading, low reading? Could be your cluster as well...

Edited March 26, 2017 by TwinCamFan (see edit history)

[Jim HIlgeford]

Thanks for the feed back. I will try the radiator and fan removal.

Why am I replacing the sending unit. I had a problem with the temp unit waving at me.

The oil is doing the same. Drive down the road and the gauge goes from no press to 1/2 gauge.

[Hemi Dude]

" Drive down the road and the gauge goes from no press to 1/2 gauge."  That really sounds like a loose connection in the wiring at or from the sending unit. It could even be up in the dash wiring.

I have the same thing on one of my cars, under hard acceleration the gauge drops to 'nothing' then comes back when I back off the throttle. I haven't even wasted my time looking. 

[Jim HIlgeford]

Thanks. That is what my gauge does. The wires are plunged in, it appears.

Put a manual gauge on it a few years back and the oil pressure was rock solid. 

Do not like the wave of the gauge.

I am hoping he sender change repairs the situation.

Is that a sender or just a switch? (which put the gauge at about 1/2 reading.

 

[Hemi Dude]

Try pulling just the fan first. If you still need more room you will have to pull the radiator with the intercooler as they are attached at the top and bottom.

[Jim HIlgeford]

Thanks for the assistance. The club member have always been helpful.

 

[bilk]

A few years ago I had an intermittent ABS light going on. As I was checking the ABS control unit and found the connector not on straight and the ground to body looked slightly corroded. I cleaned the ground connection and all the ground connections in the car, under the hood, in  the trunk, in the passenger compartment, etc. The ABS worked correctly, all the gauges suddenly were very stable and accurate.

 

[Jim HIlgeford]

That is something to check. Thanks for the info.

[Jim Bird]

I had a situation where I had an erratic tachometer and a non functioning voltmeter. The problem was in the printed circuit board in the dash. Two of the printed circuits had breaks in them. Took the PCB into the local computer repair shop. They soldered the breaks and problem solved.