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General Information => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Duster 5.9 on October 06, 2008, 07:42:56 pm

Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Duster 5.9 on October 06, 2008, 07:42:56 pm
why does this flash? does nothing to the rev of engine. it will go dim then come back bright.
1985 golf 1.6n/a 5 spd
 if i unhook both wires from sensors they flash if i gronud each one out it  still flashes. why? is there another warning related to this? again i don't have a 85 and later bently just the older one. i will get one though.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Vincent Waldon on October 06, 2008, 07:54:20 pm
The dynamic oil pressure system is a tad complex, no doubt.

The sensor on the head is normally closed... the one on the flange is normally open... so to completely defeat the system you need to disconnect the wire to the sensor on the head and ground the wire to the sensor on the flange.

If you search for "dynamic oil pressure" you find out all the details... here's a good one to get you started:

http://www.vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21&highlight=dynamic+oil+pressure


Working on a HOW-TO for this since it comes up all the time.... so many HOW-TOs, so little time.  :wink:
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: rallydiesel on October 06, 2008, 08:32:55 pm
You may want to get an oil pressure gauge though, just in case the light is right!
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Vincent Waldon on October 06, 2008, 08:38:06 pm
Quote from: "rallydiesel"
You may want to get an oil pressure gauge though, just in case the light is right!



10X...  I shoulda mentioned that right off the start !!
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Smokey Eddy on October 07, 2008, 12:06:21 pm
I'm going to put in a guage too!
sorry to jack the thread but anyone suggest a method for putting in our own oil temp gauge? use the location on the head? (is that coolant?) or the one at the filter.

ps. Vince, are all of your HOW-TO's on your site? or are they some in the works, some not up yet? 8)
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: zukgod1 on October 07, 2008, 12:09:27 pm
Vince needs to put his main page link in his sig ;)
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Vincent Waldon on October 07, 2008, 12:28:18 pm
Quote from: "Smokey Eddy"

ps. Vince, are all of your HOW-TO's on your site? or are they some in the works, some not up yet? 8)


Everything that's ready for primetime is there.. I have a couple in development (the pictures take a lot of time) including:

- so you wanna add a W terminal to your alternator
- the Zen of "Flashing Light, Buzzing Buzzer"
- Poor Man's way to build a piezo timing light adapter

Quote from: "zukgod1"
Vince needs to put his main page link in his sig ;)


Great suggestion... I'm on it.


Sorry for the divergence OP... did I mention:  highly recommend you get an oil pressure gauge and check if your lights are flashing for real ??   :wink:
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: zukgod1 on October 07, 2008, 01:48:36 pm
Quote from: "Vincent Waldon"

- Poor Man's way to build a piezo timing light adapter



I'm looking forward to this one!!
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: VW_Commuter on October 07, 2008, 02:57:03 pm
Quote from: "zukgod1"
Quote from: "Vincent Waldon"

- Poor Man's way to build a piezo timing light adapter



I'm looking forward to this one!!


Wow, me too :D
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Duster 5.9 on October 07, 2008, 08:30:10 pm
i did a quick check on that yesterday and on my universol gauge setup they both read 80 psi cold.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Duster 5.9 on October 07, 2008, 08:30:57 pm
mechanical universol gauge that is.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Duster 5.9 on October 08, 2008, 07:21:36 pm
i touched both wires together and it still flashes.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: 91 ECO on October 10, 2008, 08:02:53 am
I do not have a tach so I disconnected the wire from the W terminal on the alternator (after installing an oil pressure guage).  No buzzing or flashing light.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: zukgod1 on October 10, 2008, 08:35:26 am
Quote from: "Duster 5.9"
i did a quick check on that yesterday and on my universol gauge setup they both read 80 psi cold.


That's good but you need to check it at the head when warm.

Even a bad engine can have good oil pressure when cold.

The cluster can cause the lights to flash as well if there is a problem with it. Are you getting a buzzing as well?
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Duster 5.9 on October 10, 2008, 11:10:10 am
i know my dad said something about a buzzer, but not sure if it was this golf or the jetta. how loud is it, i don't have the best of hearing HUh? joke on me lol.
what does the buzzer have to do with it?
 i drove the car to work yesterday 10 mi each way. car ran great, stat never opened so it must not of gotten warm enough.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: zukgod1 on October 10, 2008, 12:09:39 pm
The buzzer come on when the pressure switch on the oil filter mount isn't hooked up or doesn't sense the oil pressure it's set for.

It's pretty loud even for a def guy..   :?

Did you leave the oil pressure gauge on during this drive? Where is it hooked to? Needs to be off the head.

10 miles isn't enough to get it all the way to temp but it's pretty close.
Title: low oil light flashing
Post by: Vincent Waldon on October 11, 2008, 11:45:45 am
The buzzer and flashing oil pressure light are signs of an issue (low pressure, bad sensor, bad wiring) at the high pressure sensor located on the oil filter flange.  To disable this part of the warning circuit the wire to this sensor needs to be removed from the sensor and  grounded.

The steady oil pressure light is a sign of an issue (low pressure, bad sensor, bad wiring) at the low pressure sensor located on the head.  To disable this part of the warning circuit the wire to this sensor needs to be removed from the sensor and insulated.

If grounding the hi pressure wire and insulating the low pressure wire does not completely disable the oil pressure warning system then the problem is likely the warning circuitry built into the dash cluster itself.

Or so the good book tells me....  :wink: