High oil pressure

I've got an on going problem with the oil warning light/buzzer on my gti 83. So far i've replaced both pressure switches…no change…i then tried a second hand set of clocks to see if there was a circuit problem (an apparent common problem)…no change…i then checked the oil pressure (with 2 different gauges) and the readings were pretty high, around 95 psi. I reckon my next step will be to look for any clogs which may be causing high pressure. I'm thinking about dropping the sump cover off and cleaning out the strainer gauze in the oil pump, maybe even replacing the pump if it looks knackered. Before i spend tomorrow up to my elbows in oil whilst everyone else is in a pub garden, does anyone have advice/suggestions on what else i could try??

Still think your problem may be duff electrics. The warning is for low pressure but you have proved that you don?t have low pressure. Have you taken a reading when warm? I believe the pressure relieve value in the pump can sometime stick open or shut making the pressure very high or very low.

Does the light / buzzer go off straight away or after 2000rpm or randomly?  Do you know the replacement clocks are OK or from ebay with no history?????
 :dontknow:

The light comes on about 10 seconds after engine starts, then if i begin to rev above 2000rpm, the buzzer starts and just doesn't stop regardless of revs.
it's true, i don't know for sure if the second hand clocks aren't also duff, assuming they are, can i buy a replacement circuit brand new still??

i'm dubious about it being an electrical prob because when i first bought the car, the buzzer was intermitant, and on the motorway non existant…gradually the buzzer has come on quicker and stayed on longer until now where the damn thing is on all the time…..would an electrical fault deteriorate gradually like that or is it more likely to just suddenly go from working to not working??

The pressure circuit is on an L-board or something that can be replaced. Its the higher pressure switch that works with the 2000rpm limit, try disconnecting the wire to it and then revving, then earth it and rev see it you get different results. If the circuit is working correctly one should make it buzz the other not.

Again as already mentioned I?d check all the earths, braid+brown wire on cam cover, brown wires next to fuse box etc.

If its any consolation mine goes off sometimes, usually when the car has been baking in bright sun all day. Usually just the light but sometime the buzzer. Normally a wrap on the cluster with knuckles makes it go away. This proves to me mine is an electrical fault in the cluster. I have VDO gauges to reassure me that the pressure is OK.
 

Early-1800 said

Normally a wrap on the cluster with knuckles makes it go away.

  and I thought it was just me that used that to "solve" problems with the mfa etc etc  

Quality German engineering…….. fixed by good ol' British techniques    

Have you diconnected th wires from the oil switches with the engine running  to see what happens with the buzzer and light (sorry if this has already been suggested )

I had to replace about 6" of the wire to the sensor on the oil filter housing - it had gone brittle and had a high resistance……….just an idea as it seems to have cured mine (still has it's 'bad hair day' every now and then……..).

have tried disconnecting the pressure switches….no joy. i did have to graft a new bit of wire for the earth to the rocker cover but alas it made no difference. i might try renewing some of the wiring in the filter housing, you never know!!

the second hand clocks i bought have just been in bits on my tabel…. i must be thick but i cannot locate any "L" shaped circuit…..anyone got pretty pictures so i know what i'm looking for???

Try earthing the wire. Remember all the pressure switch is just a switch either on or off. As I said in the previous thread VW made it hard work by having two switches, one normally open then shut (off/on) and the other the opposite way around. Then to complicate matters further the switches are triggered at different pressures and it also takes into account engine speed, That?s why you have to disconnect the wire for one test and earth it for the other and rev past 2000rpm.

Not sure about the L-Board it?s just what I read. Anyone got EKTA they could look at?

The L-shaped cicuit board is inside the instrument unit, at the top left side (as viewed from the front), tucked in around the speedometer assembly.

I find your info about the problem getting worse and worse as time went on to be very familiar - this is how mine was, until it would happen all the time the ignition was on (once it had been triggered the first time by going over 2000rpm). I think that this may be caused by the drying-up on some of the soldered joints on the board - see below.

I sorted the problem by changing to a km/h instrument unit (Ireland changed to metric speed limits last Jan), but when I also changed my Audi 80 clocks to a km/h one from an Italian breakers (the Italian word for a car breakers is great! - Autodemolizioni), I had a big problem with intermittent readings from the fuel gauge, and the solution was to take out the printed circuit board and to re-solder each joint, adding about 10% extra solder as I went. The result was that the whole unit seems to work much better with slightly better "wake-times" for both the fuel and temp gauges after start-up, and no more heart-attack moments as I glance down to see the fuel gauge near the bottom of the orange area all of a sudden!

I would try re-soldering the L-shaped circuit in the Mk1 to see if that helps. PS: Be careful not to accidentally join together two or more of the legs on the microprocessor on the circuit board - the legs are really close together, so don't add any extra solder here.

thanks everyone, i've plenty to be getting on with now this w/end…
will post the results
cheers

after changing both pressure switches, buying another set of dash clocks, taking the sump off, cleaning the fuel pump, cleaning the rocker cover gauze…..it turned out to be a dodgy oil filter!! and it was a proper vw/audi one, brand new!!! am very relieved to finally have got it sorted…at least the pump etc are all ultra clean now. thanks for everyone's help….back on the road now till next time

What's the oil presure now?

haven't got the gauge to check right now, will do that later this week…hopefully it'll be much lower..if not back to square one again

Glad its not just me this is happening too…….. mine only normally happens (the buzzy thingy) when the car is hot……..motorway normally fine its when i slow down……….or i am driving round town with lots of stops and starts………………..
then it won't happen for a week.
it is so annoying, as everytime it happens i stop the car………..panic for 5 mins………………… drive off, it happens again……………. stop, panic, drive off and it does'nt happen again for days

at least it has character and is'nt a boring ford. lol

Mandy
 :cheer:

Hey!! F*rds can have character too ya know, my 2000 fiesta Zetec-S has just had a new cam belt, thermostat and temp sender, now whenever I drive over 80mph it desides it doesn't like it and the temp goes up until I slow down! good for speed control