Ok So my oil pressure gauge was really notchy and didnt display correctly. I know that the oil pressure sensor/senders are known to go bad and mine was in poor shape. I got another one and the previous owner said it worked and it is in good shape. I installed it and the gauge is still notchy. So what should I check for now? Could it be electrical or the gauge itself? Is there an easy way to check this? Ideas anyone?

Thanks

 

Used fd oil pressure senders are a crap shot. Buy a new one!

 

Are you using stock gauge or aftermarket? Stock gauges are unreliable and crap kinda just good for dummy lights for when it's too late. If you don't have an aftermarket gauge I recommend investing if you can.

 

Mine is original to the car and works just fine. I clean the spade connection every now and then when I've got the car up.
They do go bad, just like anything else. But it's also often just a case of the spade connection getting loose, which is easily fixed... and/or dirty from being right under the oil filter pedestal. Guessing that at lower rpm (pressure) the signal isn't strong enough to get through a poor/dirty connection. After checking those things, and you're convinced it's the sender, I'm with t-von...buy new. IMO a lot easier and cheaper than buying and installing an aftermarket gauge that isn't needed.

 

You can clean the spade connector and try resoldering the connection there. Personally I recommend a new one.

 

I do agree the cleaning usually makes it work and the senders are not all to common to fail. Even clean and very tight fitting I have had some times where it's still bouncy and not all too accurate. Yes aftermarket is a hassle to install but I have never had to clean a connector like my stock one. Even last week it stopped reading and had to be removed and cleaned again I hate dead gauges. Mine has never read perfectly the same as an aftermarket gauge nor has the sensitivity.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I tested the new "used" sender I got and I tested the voltages etc and it looked ok. The wiring in my car is kind of a mess so I wouldnt be surprised if it is just a weak connection. I can maybe take another wire from the sender and connect it to something to bypass the old wire for now. Problem is I dont know what I could connect the wire to from the sender. I also found a troubeshooting sheet from the previous owner.