Electrical issues with the oil light, help please.

[r2oo]

Interesting...
Just checked them both and they are stamped as follows:
Old one (on the right) : 0.3 + 0.15 bar
New one (on the left) : 0121919081B 0.15 - 0.45 bar

Also it may not look it on the photo but the new one with the longer thread has about a 1mm taper from the base to the tip and the old one has no taper! Checked with a micrometer!

Measured the threads and the new one is approx 2mm longer.

Now I am confused!!!

[Marc]

Sounds encouraging - the new one is evidently a reasonably faithful reproduction (albeit with slightly longer threads than the OEM part), and the lack of taper on the old one's threads explains why it had to go in so deeply. It may have done slight harm to the threads in the case, but they'll probably be OK with the new sender.

Pressure setpoint is appropriate for the ACVW as well, so this should be fine.

Sorry to make you anxious with the false alarm, I'm just a bit paranoid these days because of all the poor-fitting offshore parts now on the market. It doesn't help the situation when the majority of the parts-house employees weren't even born when our cars were built.

[r2oo]

Fitted today and so far, so good, Worked perfectly. I only tightened it by hand the half a turn with a socket.
I now also have the fuel pump relay connected to the gen light instead.

[SCOTTRODS]

And Don't use Thread tape to install the oil sender... The outside of it is the ground path... Teflon tape WILL put a damper on these things. I used to work on some Carpet Cleaning equipment and almost EVERY one of those carpet scrubber dudes, thought they were great Mechanics, and EVERYTHING they screwed together in their plumbing systems got Thread tape... I replaced a lot of Temp senders for this reason... They paid nicely for it too. Simply put, they usually damaged the sender trying to figure out why they couldn't get it to do it's job... by taking it out and putting it in a thousand times, and wrapping it with even more and more tape as they squeezed the taper down torquin' on 'em.

NO TEFLON TAPE.

[ajdenette]

The smaller one looks like one from a Vanagon or other water cooled VW that should have straight threads and seal with a crush ring.

[itawolf]

^^^^ just my thoughts too

And agree no tape

[r2oo]

New sender is in and seems to have fixed the issue. Still getting a slight flickering of the oil light at idle, not every time, but mainly after about a half hour run when I've taken it up to 50+ mph.

Apparently though according to the manual this is no cause for concern! http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/...bug/page29.jpg

Light is permanently out during any acceleration...

[Tony Z]

your light might be coming on at idle because of some petrol mixed in with your oil. Possibly from a leaking carb.
You can test by pulling some oil out of the case (on the dipstick maybe) and sticking a cigarette lighter onto it. If there is any flame as soon as the lighter gets close, then you have fuel present. Oil takes a while to burn and will smoke first.

Otherwise your oil pump cover might not be 100% flat. Fixing this will increase pressure at idle.

Otherwise, if all else fails, you could increase your idle speed by 50 or 100rpm.

[r2oo]

I have an electric fuel pump!

Been there...

[helowrench]

Odd, I use tape on all of my sending units, simply because I hate, hate, hate oil leaks.
Now, I do check the case-to-sending unit ground path with a ohm meter when I do install it.....

[Tony Z]

I have an electric fuel pump!

Been there...

Ungrateful.....

at no point did I mention your fuel pump , I said your carbs might be leaking and/or your oil pump cover might not be flat

[r2oo]

I have an electric fuel pump!

Been there...

Ungrateful.....

at no point did I mention your fuel pump , I said your carbs might be leaking and/or your oil pump cover might not be flat

Ungrateful, absolutely not!

My bad, didn't read your post properly, somehow read fuel pump!! Anyway, thanks for the advice I'll check the oil pump studs for tightness.

[r2oo]

Went for a decent run the other day and when I got home the oil light flickered again on idle. I then let it sit and idle for a few minutes and the flicker stopped by itself.

[r2oo]

your light might be coming on at idle because of some petrol mixed in with your oil. Possibly from a leaking carb.
You can test by pulling some oil out of the case (on the dipstick maybe) and sticking a cigarette lighter onto it. If there is any flame as soon as the lighter gets close, then you have fuel present. Oil takes a while to burn and will smoke first.
.

Tried the lighter test on th dipstick last night and I couldn't get it to light after holding the flame there for quite some time so that's good news.

Will try tightening the oil pump plate next.