Thank you Karl.   I will try to do that.  I confess I am a little challenged by the Vanagon electrics and I am unsure of the condition/age.    Steve

On Jan 1, 2014, at 11:38 AM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com> wrote:

> Before replacing those switches, I'd do a close examination of the wiring;
> Id guess more likely the problem, considering the confidence you have in the
> engine install.  ;-)
> 
> Good luck
> 
> Karl Wolz
> 
> 
> 
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] 
> |On Behalf Of Steve Cotsford
> |Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2014 9:31 AM
> |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> |Subject: Re: oil light question
> |
> |On Jan 1, 2014, at 11:28 AM, Steve Cotsford <cotsford@aol.com> wrote:
> |
> |> Thank you Karl.    I have received some info from some other 
> |folks and made a little progress.
> |> 
> |> I was informed that it might well be a defective oil 
> |pressure switch and I plan to replace both of them to 
> |eliminate that possibility.    Engine is a 2.1 originally from 
> |a syncro I believe and mileage is a bit over 100,000 miles.   
> |Installed into my 89 Bluestar.   Yes i am not very 
> |knowledgeable about WBX engines.
> |> What happens is that the oil pressure light blinks on and 
> |off regularly, starting just a few minutes after cranking the 
> |engine and allowing it to idle.   It initially goes out as one 
> |would expect. 
> |> Then after idling for a while the light starts blinking on 
> |and off.    Revving the engine a little seems to change 
> |nothing.   The light still blinks on and off in a regular 
> |manner.    I can stop the engine, wait a few mins then switch 
> |the ignition back on and the red light still blinks on and off 
> |at the same regular manner even without the engine running.    
> |  I re-crank the engine and the light goes out, then after a 
> |few minutes of idling, it starts blinking regularly again.    
> |This is not like a flashing you get with low oil pressure on 
> |an older car at a very low idle.
> |> I have revved the engine a little higher and if I get it 
> |over 2500 rpm, the light goes out.   When I lower the engine 
> |speed back down, sometimes it will start blinking again, 
> |sometimes the light will stay off.
> |> I am pretty sure the oil pressure is not problematic and as 
> |someone has suggested, an oil pressure switch is old and 
> |defective.    I have no way to hook up a gauge at present but 
> |I will soon and I intend to replace both the pressure switches.
> |> 
> |> Now concerning the temp gauge red light flashing.   I found 
> |out that I had no cable plugged in to the coolant reservoir 
> |sensor.   I was apparently not careful or knowledgeable back 
> |in May when i installed the tank and subsequently i have 
> |rooted around, found the cable, plugged it in and now I can 
> |run the engine and there is no more red light flashing in the 
> |temperature gauge.
> |> 
> |> I am learning a lot and admit that I still have a lot to 
> |learn :-)      Thanks for help from this list !!     Happy New 
> |Year to all !!     Steve
> |> 
> |> On Jan 1, 2014, at 10:56 AM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM> wrote:
> |> 
> |>> Steve mentioned OP light, but later on spoke of coolant 
> |level sensor.  Regular flashing is not an OP light symptom, 
> |but is indicative of a missing coolant sensor wire, which he 
> |says is the situation on his van. 
> |>> 
> |>> More info , please?
> |>> 
> |>> Karl Wolz
> |>> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
> |>> 
> |>>> On Dec 31, 2013, at 2:29 PM, Dennis Haynes 
> |<d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> |>>> 
> |>>> I'm here at Disney Epcot for New Years eve. I would begin by s 
> |>>> Checking the wiring and sensors. A clogged oil filter can 
> |also cause the low pressure light while the high pressure 
> |buzzer may not come on as that switch is before the filter. 
> |The symptoms you describe are indicative of the oil pump inlet 
> |screen blocking with carbon or sludge. With the water boxer 
> |this usually means rebuild.
> |>>> 
> |>>> Dennis,
> |>>> From my phone.
> |>>> ________________________________
> |>>> From: Steve Cotsford<mailto:cotsford@AOL.COM>
> |>>> Sent: �12/�31/�2013 2:44 PM
> |>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM<mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> |>>> Subject: oil light question
> |>>> 
> |>>> It seems very quiet in Vanagon circles today.    Probably 
> |means that people are resting or socializing and generally 
> |doing worthy things :-)
> |>>> 
> |>>> I have read some articles on Vanagon oil pressures and I 
> |get the impression that its fairly common for older 2.1s to 
> |have problems in that area.
> |>>> 
> |>>> I have seen other types of engines with low oil pressure 
> |and generally the oil light will start flickering at idle when 
> |the oil gets hot and thin.   I am unfamiliar with the Vanagon 
> |system with two senders however.
> |>>> 
> |>>> My oil light will start blinking on and off at a regular 
> |fairly slow timing and no changes in engine speed seem to 
> |affect the blinking.   However when the engine is switched off 
> |and restarted, there is no oil light.   However after a few 
> |minutes, the regular blinking starts again.  And once again, 
> |the speed of the blinking, on-off,on-off seems to be 
> |completely unaffected by engine rpm.     My gut feeling is 
> |that its not oil pressure or lack of that is causing this but 
> |some other fault.     Engine is a 2.1 from a Syncro I think 
> |and its installed in my 1989 Bluestar Vanagon.  I am unsure of 
> |the mileage but was told its a little over 100k.
> |>>> 
> |>>> I can go buy a mechanical gauge and screw it into a 
> |pressure switch point but which one?   The one near the 
> |distributor or the one down between the pushrod tubes.  Which 
> |makes the most sense?    Are they both connected by oil 
> |passages within the engine?  Is this a common fault and is it 
> |likely to be related to something in the gauge assembly and 
> |not in the engine at all?
> |>>> 
> |>>> Thanks for any help.    Enjoy your new years eve :-)     
> |Cheers    Steve
> |> 
>