Hi,

I replaced the oil sender (the small one) over the weekend on my 1987 xj6 and now the oil light doesn't flicker on when the engine is at idle or just generally at random times. However, the light also doesn't come on when the key is in the accessory position, which makes me wonder if I messed something else up. I can't see what it would be, because there's just the one wire, and it is firmly attached. It's also not leaking oil at the sender.

Is the oil light supposed to come on at startup? Did I screw up? (I'd like the answer to be no, because I felt quite a bit of accomplishment crawling under the car to find that thing.)

thanks, bryan.

 

If you screwed up do did I. Just did the exact same thing with the exact same results. After I replaced the sender went to start the car, ignition on, oil light comes on, start the car oil light goes out. Restart the car, ignition on, no oil light. I grounded the wire turned on the ignition, oil light is on, so the circuit works. Did a continuity test from the part of the sender that screws into the block to the wire lug and no continuity.
The way I think this thing is supposed to work is that, no oil pressure the switch grounds, oil pressure breaks the ground. I'd guess that the new switch is bad but I just happen to have another brand new switch by another manufacturer and when I bench test that one there is no continuity between the wire lug and the switch body so either my understanding of the way these things work is wrong or there is a curse on all oil pressure senders.
Hope somebody out there can shed some light on this mystery. By the way the gauge shows good oil pressure.

 

i never thought about how the thing works. I was too busy puzzling over why, given how low the sender is on the engine, i wasn't drenched in oil when i removed it. My oil pressure shows fine as well.

 

You are spot on with the workings of that switch, have a drink, maybe more.

Bad batches do happen, and quality control these days out of China is crap at best.

Brand names, No names, all come from the same factory, just packaged as needed on that day.

Had that with one of the V12's, same swiutch, and the nearest store where it dumped was Toyota, took some wxplaining to the guy that I wanted a 1/8BSP thread, spade terminal idiot light switch. After too many minutes, I said try Corolla, Cruiser, HiLus, whatever, and eventually they let me look at the stock, found what I wanted in 10 seconds, paid, fitted in the carpark, still sweet. Just saying that sometimes outside the box thinking gets better results.

 

OK, so I had a drink, maybe two, and tested the new sender again. Definitely no continuity. Strange thing is the two new switches are different construction so they don't appear to come from the same generic Chinese factory. At the same time I bought a replacement windshield washer pump and that too is defective. I think quality control is a thing of the past, either that or I'm cursed. Hard to find things not made in China anymore. Good thing the senders are inexpensive, i guess I'll try again.
Bryan, I replaced the sender from above, no need to get under the car. Just take the air cleaner out and there's just enough room to get at it.

Rgds
Rich

 

So my oil light comes on at idle too with good oil pressure. Where is the sending unit?

 

you can see it by removing the air filter, but I couldn't get to it that way, so I shimmied underneath. --there should be a picture below if I did it right.