Author Topic: TRX Oil Guage (Read 6077 times)

Rake · « **on:** Sep 11, 2004, 09:21PM »

I've pulled my instument cluster apart, and whilst the Corsair Ghia only had the Fuel and Temp guages on the far-left assembly (The other circles with Speedo and Tacho), looking at the clear plastic stuff and the PCB, it's also able to accomodate the Oil Guage.

I'm wondering, would it be as simple as finding another motor and spring thing from a Fuel/Temp guage (I saw one at the wrecker today I could find tomorrow!), and soldering it in? I'd have to get a black face from somewhere, but that aside, would it work?

Ideas?

Also: Is the guage for Oil Pressure?

SSS · « **Reply #1 on:** Sep 11, 2004, 11:18PM »

Quote from: Rake on Sep 11, 2004, 09:21PM

I'm wondering, would it be as simple as finding another motor and spring thing from a Fuel/Temp guage (I saw one at the wrecker today I could find tomorrow!), and soldering it in? I'd have to get a black face from somewhere, but that aside, would it work?

What motor and spring thing? Do you mean the actual oil pressure sender that sends the oil pressure signal to the gauge?

Quote

Also: Is the guage for Oil Pressure?

Yes, but i don't know what units it's in (psi, kPa, bar etc)

Rake · « **Reply #2 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 01:10AM »

Quote from: SSS on Sep 11, 2004, 11:18PM

What motor and spring thing? Do you mean the actual oil pressure sender that sends the oil pressure signal to the gauge?

In the actual instument/gauge area, where the Fuel, Temp, Speedo and Tacho are. I've been taking it apart recently doing the Indiglo needle mod, and I found that the left-part with Fuel and Temp also appears to be exactly the same as used by the TRX (And others?) with a Oil Guage - except, it's simply not there.

However I think it could be easy to put one in! All I need is to get another motor and spring thing (Which is responsible for moving the needle), and perhaps get a look at an existing TRX guage to see how to connect it up!

Quote

Yes, but i don't know what units it's in (psi, kPa, bar etc)

Well, no matter. I didn't want specifics, just knowing that it's Pressure is fine

If I can get a black face with the Oil Guage dial on it too, with dots or whatever marking the minimum, maximum and safe areas, that'd be awesome.

I'm just hoping everything else already exists within the engine and such to make the guage work! (Which I presume is true

)

Sheldon · « **Reply #3 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 01:14AM »

well the corsairs instrument panel is all in one where the trx oil fuel and temp are in just one panel (well by the looks of things. Correct me if im wrong).
here is wat it looks like and one is for sale here--http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2488976329&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Rake · « **Reply #4 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 01:43AM »

I know I've pimped this image a million times but here it is again:

http://users.communis.com.au/~rgrant/Stuff/Dash.jpg

Ford Corsair Ghia with the KA24E, like the top-end Pintaras.. That eBay auction is what I'm looking for but I'm hoping I can just affix the Oil guage thing into my existing iguage cluster without buying a whole new fuel/temp/oil thing. I'm really strapped for cash and I don't have the resources to buy off eBay, so if I do it the cheap way, all I have to do then is find a new guage face.

Jtas · « **Reply #5 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 01:58AM »

Quote from: SSS on Sep 11, 2004, 11:18PM

Yes, but i don't know what units it's in (psi, kPa, bar etc)

its kg/cm2

Sheldon · « **Reply #6 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:08AM »

kool you should beable to pick up one from a wrecker or sumthing fairly cheap so it shouldnt be a problem

Rake · « **Reply #7 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:24AM »

Nearby wrecker doesn't have any Ti's/TRX's. Usually just the Execs/GLI, low end stuff. And even then, theres only 6 of them (1 superhatch) and I've seen many more around on the roads (Hell today there was a TRX in the carpark, see thread in nsw local chatter), so pretty much all the good stuff is gone, or some idiot has smashed everything up, grrr. THey have one or two more in a fenced off area where they put cars they still havn't got complete ownership of, so I can't get to those

Might have to ring around a few diffrent wreckers to see what they have.

Do the Pintara Ti's have the Oil Guage too?

Sheldon · « **Reply #8 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:31AM »

if you would like me to when i go to the wreckers this week to pick up my trx kit i could ask if they have any of these and find out how much for you?? i should be going monday or tuesday

Rake · « **Reply #9 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:37AM »

Sure, that'd be great. First I'm going to find someone local (western sydney) who'll let me have a look (rip apart

) at thier dash so I can determine whether I can modify my own guage thing (+ how), then decide what I'm going to do.

Sheldon · « **Reply #10 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:42AM »

kool not a problem mate. ill take a look anyway might consider it myself. hehehe

Rake · « **Reply #11 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 10:21AM »

Ok. I went down to the wreckers this morning and a U12 Superhatch had two CA20E guage clusters sitting inside. So I walked out with, not one, not two, but FOUR thingo's - two fuel and two temp guages, of which I can use the motors hopefully to experiment with an oil guage

If it turns out to be a success, I might be able to pass on the remainder to others who can't find one or something.

All I gotta do now is inspect a TRX oil/fuel/temp guage unit.

Edit: Looking at this article http://www.antrx.com/tech/article.php?t=4506&a=aussie-gli&v=t , it looks like I might have to install an Oil Sender (Pressure reading thing?) aswell, but hopefully that'll be a cheap part, so my plans should not be hindered

vector · « **Reply #12 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 12:30PM »

chances are your cars gonna have the correct sender init at the moment, run a wire from the sender straight to the signal wire thingny of the gauge and ground it as well you should ave just disconected your cluster taken it to the engine bay and ran a wire from the sender directly onto your fuel/temp gauge grounded it then turned your car on and give it a run and see if anything happens

Rake · « **Reply #13 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 12:48PM »

Whereabouts is the sender located?

SSS · « **Reply #14 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 01:19PM »

It won't be the right sender. The one that actually provides a pressure signal is larger to the sender that just turns on the oil pressure light.

It's located on the oil filter mount that attaches to the block.

vector · « **Reply #15 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:35PM »

still its worth a try it wont hurt anything, the pressure sender should be around 10$? then youll need to make sure the oil light still comes on if you replace it with the tr.x one

Rake · « **Reply #16 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 02:56PM »

Would I be able to test it simply bu turning on the ignition (Without starting the motor), where all the lights come on?

I've asked Milford if I can look at his dash, he might let me if he can find the time

vector · « **Reply #17 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 04:42PM »

you can try it but i think itd be better if you turned the engine on

Rake · « **Reply #18 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 06:16PM »

Was referring to the light. I'd drive the car for a bit to test the guage itself.

vector · « **Reply #19 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 07:49PM »

i dunno disconnect the sender turn the ignition on and see if the light goes on

Rake · « **Reply #20 on:** Sep 12, 2004, 09:04PM »

I believe I found the sender - as SSS said, right next to the oil filter .. It's red, got a wire or two coming out from it? and is on the driver side pointing upwards, am I right?

After a bit of googling, http://www.sr20forum.com/showthread.php?t=37090 seems to suggest that replacing it should be easy and will loose a minimal amount of oil. Just need to ramp the car. (My driveway might be good enough

). Are there any reccomendations for a new Oil Sender to get? (Manufacturer etc). Is replacing it all I need to do?

Rake · « **Reply #21 on:** Sep 25, 2004, 08:16PM »

Keeping neat and on topic, I'll go more into depth what I started mentioning in my Indiglo Needle thread > http://www.antrx.com/smf/index.php?topic=5267.0

I fitted the Oil/Temp/Guage cluster, however when I would turn the key to "On" and start the car, the needle would shoot up as far as it could go. Thinking of the hour hand on a clock, 0 would be at the 8 o'clock position, 8 at the 10 o'clock position, the needle basically moves to around where 11:30 would be.

Reading the above responses, I knew that the sensor thing in the engine bay wasn't the right one. So I got two Ti/TRX Oil Senders from the wreckers, one of them came up really nice with some degreaser which I used. Ramped the car and took out the old red switch one, kindof lucky as the plastic had cracked and the connection thing at the top was on an angle, so it may well have been on the way out anyway. Put the new one in, connected the wires (found the second wire was already in the engine bay (which has just been hanging there for 15 years), just unused as the switch one only used one wire), plugged it in, but unfortunatly, the Guage still has the same behaviour - shoots up as far as it can go.

I might investigate the dash tomorrow to see if theres something not connected there, but could there be anything else I should look for?

Jtas · « **Reply #22 on:** Sep 25, 2004, 08:30PM »

Quote from: Rake on Sep 25, 2004, 08:16PM

Put the new one in, connected the wires (found the second wire was already in the engine bay (which has just been hanging there for 15 years), just unused as the switch one only used one wire), plugged it in, but unfortunatly, the Guage still has the same behaviour - shoots up as far as it can go.

I might investigate the dash tomorrow to see if theres something not connected there, but could there be anything else I should look for?

are you sure that the second wire you found is the correct one? you'll need to check the dash connections(like you said you will) and possibly the connections into the ecu (if there are any relevant ones)

also does the oil warning light come on? (the original one) it shouldnt be on when the engines running, but it should be on when the key is in the "on" position without the engine running

Rake · « **Reply #23 on:** Sep 25, 2004, 08:50PM »

I cut the two plugs from one car at the wreckers, and they are exactly the same as the two I found were already in my car. One has the 90deg bend in it which plugs on top, the other slides on. The bend push-on one was the one used for the original sensor, and the slide-on one was the one just hanging there.

Turning the key to "On" without starting the engine, the warning light still comes on as usual.

Rake · « **Reply #24 on:** Sep 26, 2004, 05:52PM »

Ok, it's solved

As said, I tried to check if the wire that attached the guage to the sensor was connected, unfortunatly it wasn't. So after some buggering around, I got some more wire (Thin speaker wire if all I could find but it should suffice), attached it to the sensor plug, ran it through the firewall and up into the dash and attached it to the appropriate wire on the instument cluster plug.

And voila! Now it works

I'm not sure if its normal or not, as I've stuck LEDs and such in there, but the needle acts a little rough, not smooth like the tacho and speedo. But I started her up and it pointed to 4, went for a bit of a drive, sat around the 2 mark on idle and went a little over 4 as I drove it. So it seems to be working fine

Is this normal behaviour for the guage though?

Jtas · « **Reply #25 on:** Sep 26, 2004, 06:44PM »

yeah thats pretty normal for the gauge

Rake · « **Reply #26 on:** Sep 27, 2004, 03:16PM »

I've noticed that it does that on a cold start, did a fair bit of driving last night and at idle it would sit at around 1, and peak just over 4, varying inbetween as I drove it.

I had to re-do the clear plastic behind the guages as I had buggered my first one up, the temp and fuel needles would like, move around, but it's fixed now, but no notable change to the oil guage which I reckon is just because it works diffrently to temp and fuel. Alas.