Oil Pressure Gauge: Fix stock or go aftermarket?
 

My oil pressure sender is not working. I know that I can get the stock gauge working again by installing a new pressure sender. I need to be in that neighborhood anyways, because I need to replace my OMP. However, I am wondering if I would be better off with an aftermarket oil pressure gauge. I am up for installing a gauge pod pillar in my car, knowing that I may eventually go forced induction and want more gauges.


So, my question is this: Will I be able to get a more accurate readout, and/or for less money by installing a third-party oil pressure sensor/gauge? If so, what do you reccomend?

Yes, aftermarket will be better and more accurate. Do a search on guage options...opinions are varied on options. I think autometer is perfectly fine, others differ.

OMP and oil pressure are not in the same neighborhood.

Fix the stock one anyways.
-a

Ok, my bad. I'm gonna be working on the car for the OMP regardless. and I need to get a working oil pressure gauge.

Of course having a million gauges for everything is fundamentally better, but I am NOT going to fix the stock oil pressure sender, and add an aftermarket gauge. It's a one-or-the-other choice for me, at least for now.

Get a mechanical gauge, their never wrong. Make sure you use the 1/8 copper tubbing and not the plastic hose if you do.

ANY gauge can be wrong, mechanical too. Don't just screw a 1/8" NPT sender into the stock port, be sure to get an adaptor or you'll be messing up the threads on the engine and/or the sender, because the engine uses a 1/8" BSP thread, which is slightly different.

I'd stay away from mechanical gauges, as you're having to route hot, pressurised, flammable oil into the cockpit, and a leak would make a terrible mess. They're also harder to install, wires are much more forgiving. If you want an inexpensive, accurate gauge then VDO are good, they supply OE gauges to Porsche and BMW.

If you want a quality good looking gauge, go with the defi racer gauge. They are available in blue, red, and white.

http://www.nippon-seiki.co.jp/defish...rg/rg_top.html

colin fix the old one AND get an aftermarket one.
do both that way your getting 2 readins instead of one.
and go with electric gauges.
and here they match stock lighting
http://prosportgauges.com/ i have a water temp and i love it.
works great.

Like I said, I'm not gonna spend the time and money to get two gauges measuring the same thing. That's a needless use of money that I don't have.

I will be going aftermarket, I believe. I want to avoid mechanical. What are the best non-mechanical gauges for oil pressure?

What's best? One that's accurate. A full sweep gauge gives you more resolution, but it's not that important, the gauge is mostly just there to tell you that you have pressure. Some add ons are useful, like a low pressure warning light, which could help eliminate the possibility of catastrophic engine damage by warning you ASAP and giving you precious seconds to shut it down before you wreck the bearings, but that's a rare occurance.

Okay. What brands/models are the best aftermarket gauges for accuracy? Preferably at a relatively low cost.

Have you simply tried cleaning the connection for the stock sender? Oil drips down from the filter and dust just seems to have this uncanny attraction to oil. When the two meet, you can have a bad connection.

If you know you can fix the stock one, do it. That will tell you if you have oil pressure or not which is the main goal here. It's cheaper, doesn't need installing, and easier to do then running more power wires. If you're planning buying an aftermarket gauge and installing it, then you may as well fix the stock one and have the two of them backing each other up. I mean, you would essentially have to install a new sending unit elsewhere than the stock location anyway being as the threads don't match up.......Well, you don't HAVE to install an aftermarket sending unit elsewhere, but it would be smart.

aftermarket b/c the stock one isnt too accurate

My mechanic has said that if I let him replace the oil pressure sending unit, it will fix the problem. However, my understanding is that ths sender costs about $200 on its own. While I know it could be fixed for $200, I figure if I'd have to spend $200 to get a less-than-accurate gauge, I may as well spend $250 to get a nice accurate aftermarkge gauge.

$200 is a little high. Check link.

http://www.mazdatrix.com/getprice.as...m=14-8200-N201

why are people telling him to fix and replace? this makes no sense, as the stocker is known to be innacurate. I suggest going aftermarket, get the correct adapter and fucking presto... a working guage that is more accurate than stock. i don't see the point in spending the money to fix the original and then buying an aftermarket guage that you have to find a place to put, just to have a reference. does this seem redundant or am i the olny one who sees it like this?

Oil pressure isn't something you should half ass. I would have to agree with phoenix and just get the sender replaced along with an aftermarket gauge. That way you are double protected. And yes the stock gauge is unaccurate, so if you can't afford both just get the aftermarket.

My mechanic says the sender needs to be replaced. cleaning something that needs to be replaced will not likely fix it, IMHO.

Thank you! I may very well order one from Mazdatrix if I decide to restore the stock one to working condition! :)

THANK YOU for understanding that I don't want the redundancy. And thank you for a clear, concise opinon that answers my original question as I wanted.

^ you are welcome. Its always nice when your question is answered based on what you want to know rather than what someone wants to tell you.

So again why redundancy? if it just needs to be ballpark, why do you need TWO guages to give you an estimate when you KNOW one of them will be more accurate anyway?

$200 for a new sender may be the price, but thats not what you have to pay. You can look for a used one. I purchased a replacement for mine and come to find out, the connection was just bad so I put the replacement in and I have a working spare. The connection may be a little trick to clean, but some carb cleaner and brushes should do the trick. Did your mechanic actually try to clean the sender connection or just tell you to get a new one?

Lets say the sender doesn't fix the problem. Then you have a bad gauge in the dash and you are out the price of the new/used sender. If cleaning doesn't work and you don't have another used one to try, then just get an adapter and after market gauge and be done with it.

There are a couple routes to take, cheap to expensive.

1) connection cleaning - cheap, why the hell not?
2) used sender - why waste money for no guarantee of fixing?
3) remove stock, get adapter and use after market. - your preferred choice and seems to have a few votes
4) new sender - why waste more money for no guarantee of fixing?
5) fix stock and get after market. - this choice is out

Hate to bring up old threads, but I don't want to make a post if i can get the answer here.

How would you go and install the aftermarket one? I bought a guage but I have no clue on how/ where to install it. And is it possible to have both senders? I'm new to rotorys, so any help is appreciated.

you would purchase an aftermarket oil pedestal adapter. you can find them on mazdatrix and many other places.

Thanks for the Info!