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PostPosted: 21 Dec 2005, 11:52 
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Cordia Guru
Cordia Guru

Joined: 26 Jun 2005, 11:28
Posts: 333
Location: Sydney, Richmond
How to Hook up a Oil Pressure warning Lamp.

A warning light gets your attention quickly when it is needed unlike Gauges which have to be looked at and read before
you can decide there is a problem- you think your girlfriend even looks at the oil pressure gauge in the first place???.
These are very simple/ cheap devices especially when considered against the cost of what they guard against (seized engine).
A oil pressure switch, when there is no pressure, lets current pass to earth (ie the engine block) so when the engine is
running the oil pressure keeps the contacts of the oil pressure switch apart.
Once you have installed the switch near the oil pump all you have to do is run a wire to a Lamp on the dash which is hooked
up to a positive power source. Ideally the power source should only be on when the ignition is turned to on, not to Accessories.
This way when the engine is running and the oil pressure drops the light comes on leaving the driver in no doubt there is a
problem. You could even install a inline 2 pin flasher so you get a flashing light (our peripheral vision is very sensitive
to movement/ flashing) and the sound of the flasher working will serve as an audible alarm as well.

How to use the Oil Pressure warning Lamp built into the Cordia instrument cluster.

In the warning light cluster on the Cordia there is a space for a oil pressure warning light. But it is not in use from
the factory. This write up will show you how to install the light bulb and wire it up.

You will need:
1. Oil pressure switch and Oil pressure switch spade connector– (I got mine of a HH Gallant, same 4g63 motor)
2. About 4m of wire
3. A connector pin for the instrument cluster connector – off a wreck This is the hard part.
4. Electrical tape or heat-shrink
5. Soldering Ion or connection crimps
6. 1/8 inch NPT tee piece with one male end and two female ends ( $5.00 from any hydraulics shop)

Step 1 Switch installation

Get access to the oil sender area next to the oil filter, I removed the alternator (disconnect battery first) for access.
Remove oil pressure Current sender install Tee piece, reinstall original sender, screw in oil pressure switch.

Image
Photo 1

As can be seen in photo 1 (aftermarket oil gauge, oil pressure switch and OEM oil gauge sender)I have used 2 Tee pieces
for 3 senders 1 Tee piece will be enough for two senders.
The thread size into the oil pump housing where the senders attach is 1/8 inch NPT.

Step 2 Indicator Lamp installation

Pull the instrument cluster out of the dash. It might be easer to disconnect the Speedo cable from the gearbox if it is the first time for you, until you see how the cable clips on to the back of the instrument cluster.

*****************************************************************************************
While you have the Instrument cluster out it will pay to check all the light bulbs. Over half of mine were blown. I got
replacement bulbs out of Colts of the same vintage, pull them out of the colt bulb holders and plug them into cordia bulb holders.
*****************************************************************************************

The area of the back of the instrument cluster we are interested in will look like Photo2.
Image
Photo 2

You can see the green membrane over the lamp hole has been cut away with a small sharp knife. The membrane was
then scratched off the instrument cluster conductors so the bulb holder can get a contact.
Image
Bulb holders

The tall grey ones are the instrument cluster back lights; the black one is a warning light bulb holder.
1. Use a grey bulb holder from one of the corner positions of the instrument cluster back lights.
2. Get another separate bulb holder from a wrecked cordia.
Put the bulb holder into the lamp hole. The tall grey bulb holders will fit in the Hole for the oil indicator lamp. Make sure the
bulb works and the bulb-bulb Holder- instrument cluster conductors are continuous. You are looking for a resistance of
about 12-16 ohms between the contact marked 3 in Photo 2 and the screw near the lamp hole with IG+ next to it.
No point continuing until you have this.

Step 3 Running the wire
Image
Connector Pin
Get a instrument cluster Connector (any one of the 3 is fine) out of a wrecked Cordia. To extract the pin from the
connector Plug Hold it: Pins toward you, contacts up.
Push something sharp (Testing light probe) under the pin to unseat the plastic retaining barb. Pin will pull out EASY.
Connect (Solder) this pin to the wire that will run to the oil pressure switch.

Using the same technique you practiced on the connector from the wreck, remove the pin from your connector that
corresponds to position 3 in photo 2.
Replace it with the pin you just soldered to the oil switch wire.
You will get something like this

Image
Photo 3 Instrument clustor connector

Here you can see the oil pressure switch wire in position 3, marked as 1. The original wire is beside it with some heat
shrink over it so it cannot short out, marked as 2.
I strongly suggest you do not cut the original wire and use the original pin. Get another pin from a wreck.
If you have not done so already run the wire from the pin to the oil switch.

Plug all the connectors into the instrument cluster. Attach the battery and turn the ignition to on.
The oil warning lamp should come on. It will go off once the engine is running and the oil pump is producing oil pressure.

Put it all back together. Do not Remove / install the alternator with the battery attached.

GOOD LUCK.

***************************************************************************************************
Opinion:
Soldering is the way to go when doing electrical mods on your vehicle. Crimps are good if you have a $60 crimping tool,
those $10 crimpers down at the auto parts shop are just S@#T. When you have soldered the joints on a electrical
modification and unexpected things Start happening; you KNOW it is not a faulty joint.

Heat shrink is 100% better than electrical tape( quicker, less mucking about and looks more professional) it is $3 bucks
a meter from Jaycar Australia, do not by it in auto parts shops they charge the earth for it. 1 meter lasts a long time,
if you get red and black it helps with color coding to. You do not need a heat gun to shrink the heat shrink – use the side
of the soldering ion.
Twiching the wires together and taping it with electrical tape, is great if you like breaking down in the middle of nowhere.
*************************************************************************************************

Any Comments/ further idea’s welcome.

_________________
'85 AB, Stroked 4G63 SOHC(8v), FMIC, BOV, TN fronts.
------Striped for parts in 2009------


Last edited by Rainman on 01 Jan 2006, 21:31, edited 5 times in total.

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