steve harje

my question is about my oil pressure gauge on my 1987 Rx7. ok. so when the car is off the oil pressure gauge meter will drop far below all the numbers basically just hanging there. and when the car is on it shoots wayyy up past all the numbers almost straight up and down. i would like to fix this problem myself without taking it to a dealer because we all know that can get spendy. any information helps! thanks. -steve

MidnightOwl

Does it go way up on initial start up then return to zero? Or is it all the time janky? Check the sender, on the drivers side of the motor, near the oil filter. There is a single wire running to it. There is also a little resistor dealy with a single wire, mounted to the transmission that helps the oil gauge to function less-janky. Make sure both of those are plugged in. I also believe the FSM and Hayne's manual has a method to check to see if the sender is functioning properly. If it continues to be weird, just get an aftermarket gauge.

steve harje

when i turn it on it goes up all the way past everything and stays there untill i turn it off again...ok...do you have any pictures of what i am looking for as far as the sending unit goes? should i unhook the battery for this procedure?

helghast7

iTrader: (6)

check the groundings it could potentially just an electrical problem, check the oil pressure sending unit too, they do tend to go bad, mine is leaking oil like crazy,

the unit by the way is the circular looking thing right under your oil filter, it has a wire conection at the end of it which attaches to your gauge.

you probably want to look for a fault in the wire somewhere

i would show you pics but my engine is so dirty from the leak you couldnt make out anything at all

steve harje

sorry to hear about your oil leak. does your sending unit still work though??

ok...i'll get on that in the morning. i don't know how to ground a wire though. my dad seems to think that since the needle on the gauge moves then that means it is getting a signal but since it doesn't register an oil pressure then it must be just a bad gauge......the thing is i don't really want to go through mounting a new gauge on the dash somewhere........it seems hard...is it?

Icemark

Probably a bad condenser or broken wire to the condenser

The FAQ for FC has info on the Condensor

steve harje

condensor? never heard that mentioned before....elaborate?

freemanrx7

Try cleaning the connection right where the wire meats the oil pressure sensor. Mine started acting up. I cleaned the connection and all is well.

steve harje

got it. i'll go clean it right now then i'll be back later tonight.....thanks for the advice!

i love my seven. i was CRUUIIIISin today on highway 18. ran great. going to the track on wednesday to run a few 1/4 passes

Icemark

Please read the FAQ for FC sticky thread found at the top of this section.

The Condenser prevents surges from the oil pressure sender. It also prevents the oil pressure gauge from burning up if the sender fails.

If you are getting full on, or full off readings or other eratic readings the condenser is probably disconnected, or the wire going to it is broken off or shorted.

helghast7

iTrader: (6)

oddly enough it does still work perfectly, its just everything is supper oily and greasy, it desperatly needs a power wash, and something to stop the leak, like a new oil pressure sending unit and gasket and a new oil filter and gasket and whatever else is in that immidiate area with gasket