Slow Oil Pressure gauge
#1
booya
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Slow Oil Pressure gauge
Hey peeps, I searched for awhile and came up with some good reads but nothing specific to this. In a nutshell, the stock oil pressure gauge is freakin SLOW! Bear with me, this is my first RX7 so I really have nothing to compare it to besides aftermarket gauges, but the thing seems like a sloth is controlling it in a tub of syrup or something.
OK bad analogy. Here is the scoop:
I got to the "crank it over and pray" point this weekend after a long time of working on the car, and went to prime the oil pump for the first time. I have the gauge sending unit wired in correctly (with teflon tape, good or bad? I put 2 wraps on it). Cranked the engine over with the CAS unplugged to build pressure, and saw nada on the gauge. Nothing. So I pull the oil filter and it has more oil than I put in there initially. Pull the sending unit and crank it over, oil squirts out the block. Im thinking cool, bad sending unit.
By this time Im getting impatient so I plug in the CAS and turn it over with starter fluid for a few seconds. Low and behold, the oil pressure gauge starts registering a bit. Im stoked as hell, so I get it ready and turn it over for real. Oil pressure looked good, right at about 60psi at idle but the gauge was seriously moving slower than ****. I would rev it a bit, wait a second or two, and the gauge would react.
So, long story (kinda) short, how quick to react is the gauge supposed to be? Could the teflon tape I wrapped on the threads of the sending unit cause it to be so slow? Also, I am pretty sure i located and grounded the condenser, but Im not 100% sure. Is it on the Front harness or the Engine harness? I have a small one-wire ring connector with a black box connected to ground, but its on the Front harness near the X-07 plug kinda, maybe a little higher towards the trailing coil plug (S5 TII harness). is that the condenser?
TIA for the long read, really. And the advice (I hope!)
OK bad analogy. Here is the scoop:
I got to the "crank it over and pray" point this weekend after a long time of working on the car, and went to prime the oil pump for the first time. I have the gauge sending unit wired in correctly (with teflon tape, good or bad? I put 2 wraps on it). Cranked the engine over with the CAS unplugged to build pressure, and saw nada on the gauge. Nothing. So I pull the oil filter and it has more oil than I put in there initially. Pull the sending unit and crank it over, oil squirts out the block. Im thinking cool, bad sending unit.
By this time Im getting impatient so I plug in the CAS and turn it over with starter fluid for a few seconds. Low and behold, the oil pressure gauge starts registering a bit. Im stoked as hell, so I get it ready and turn it over for real. Oil pressure looked good, right at about 60psi at idle but the gauge was seriously moving slower than ****. I would rev it a bit, wait a second or two, and the gauge would react.
So, long story (kinda) short, how quick to react is the gauge supposed to be? Could the teflon tape I wrapped on the threads of the sending unit cause it to be so slow? Also, I am pretty sure i located and grounded the condenser, but Im not 100% sure. Is it on the Front harness or the Engine harness? I have a small one-wire ring connector with a black box connected to ground, but its on the Front harness near the X-07 plug kinda, maybe a little higher towards the trailing coil plug (S5 TII harness). is that the condenser?
TIA for the long read, really. And the advice (I hope!)
#2
MECP Certified Installer
My guage operates properly, but it is slow as hell to react. If anyone knows how to speed it up, let me know.
I would think that replacing the stock condensor (just a capacitor) with a much smaller uF type would solve the issue but I am unsure. Can anyone verify this?
Same goes with the fuel gauge. I don't care if it moves during decel and acceleration.
I would think that replacing the stock condensor (just a capacitor) with a much smaller uF type would solve the issue but I am unsure. Can anyone verify this?
Same goes with the fuel gauge. I don't care if it moves during decel and acceleration.
#3
booya
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How slow is yours, like seconds behind? My needle isnt even sweeping quickly, like I could rev it up and let it fall and the needle would barely move. if I rev it and hold it will slowly move to where it should be.
#6
The Doctor
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like already stated, the stock oil pressure gauge is slow as dirt. If you want a more accurate gauge, your going to have to buy a oil filter pedestal and an after market bung and gauge.
#7
MECP Certified Installer
So can anyone confirm my condensor theory? A capacitor SOMEWHERE is what makes that gauge react slowly. Basically, capacitor starts to charge apon the pressure rising, which slows down the rising of the guage. When the pressure lowers, power flows from the capacitor and slowly lowers the guage needle.
My theory is that the condensor (capacitor) on the grounding side is what causes this.
My theory is that the condensor (capacitor) on the grounding side is what causes this.
Trending Topics
#9
Full Member
iTrader: (-1)
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Magnolia Texas
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thats like saying "playing with an exhaust is just asking for a exhaust leak"
or
"playing with an engine is just asking for an engine failure"
you just have to know what you are doing.
#10
MECP Certified Installer
But back to the topic at hand...
I'll take a look at the wiring diagrams and see what I can come up with.
Last edited by jjwalker; 03-03-09 at 10:38 AM.
#11
The Doctor
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nice one champ. Sorry if I don't want a bunch of guages bolted to my dash and a pillar. Maybe I should just take my car to mazda every time something is wrong with it. I guess it works both ways though. I would never cut my springs, I'd get the parts and do it right.
But back to the topic at hand...
I'll take a look at the wiring diagrams and see what I can come up with.
But back to the topic at hand...
I'll take a look at the wiring diagrams and see what I can come up with.
#12
MECP Certified Installer
I wouldn't have posted if I didn't have a prior experience with this. But go ahead, change out the condenser, all thats going to do is fry the sending unit.
All the gauges I plan on installing are going to replace the stock gauges on the cluster. I personally think if something doesn't work correctly to replace it, but thats just me. The cut springs are a temporary fix until I can get coil-overs.
All the gauges I plan on installing are going to replace the stock gauges on the cluster. I personally think if something doesn't work correctly to replace it, but thats just me. The cut springs are a temporary fix until I can get coil-overs.
#13
The Doctor
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I took the condenser off, the gauge stopped working (this is the point where I think I fried my original sending unit) so I put in a capacitor, still nothing. Changed the sending unit with another one I got from a local friend. The gauge started working a lot quicker than with the original sending unit I had so I just stuck with it. Maybe I fu*ked something up along the way, I don't know. I don't care to mess with it anymore because it works fine and quicker than the original gauge I was trying to speed up.
#14
booya
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
At any rate, bump for more condenser theories or experiences. I have a Defi oil pressure gauge in my parts bin but its not going in until I swap interiors, help me speed up the stocker and Ill be your friend.
#15
The Doctor
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All I did was swap out my sending unit and my gauge started working quicker. That's all the insight I can give you.
#16
booya
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It made me laugh because I rewired basically the entire front half of my car recently, aside from the headlight circuit. No issues at all.
Its also going to be a track car so lets see if I can stay out of that 60%. Me, I think both issues (drifting into a wall, bad wiring) sound like personal problems, but w/e
Its also going to be a track car so lets see if I can stay out of that 60%. Me, I think both issues (drifting into a wall, bad wiring) sound like personal problems, but w/e
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post