Okay, so I just had the oil pressure sender fail in the car, my factory gauge spikes past the top of it's reading, recently replaced the broken factory gauge in my car.


My question is: I know from searching that I shouldn't let the gauge ground out, since that could damage it. What should I do to prevent damage to the gauge while waiting on a replacement sender? Leave it pegged at the top of it's range?

 

Just tape the connector up so it can't ground on anything.

 

Awesome, thank you sir. I'll let it sit pegged at max for a weekend.

-M

 

Wait a minute here...
If the connector is undone and taped up, I don't think the gauge should be pegged, in fact, I don't think it should read anything at all.
If I had stock gauges/wiring I'd check to confirm...but I don't.

 

FSM says it shouldn't either, that once you lift the connector to the sender it should drop to 0-psi or infinite resistance.
maybe a wire is pinched somewhere? I'll check the connector to see if it shows any resistance as-is.

 

You also want to make sure the wire which splits off the feed wire to the sender has not grounded. This wire connects to a computer chip looking piece, which is the condenser, and if this wire grounds then it would cause the gauge needle to rise. Some people will inadvertently ground this wire when the chip looking device falls off of the wire itself.

 

I was just about to mention the condenser. When I bought this car the harness was in rough shape, and I don't think I have seen the condenser, I'll dig around a little bit.