Well, the LT1 is in and runs nice! (It sounds MEAN too, but since I am running a stock exhaust it might be too mean sounding so I think I have to check for an exhaust leak!) Anyway, the problem is that the oil pressure gage is at 80 (Max), it stays there even when the ignition is off (even when the battery is disconnected). When first installed it was at 0 but I didn't notice if it went up the first time I turned the key on or not (with the car not running). When I was changing everything over for the engine swap I put white-face gage overlays on and my four-year old son thought it would be cool to show me that the needle turns ALL the way around. Did something get broken? I am not sure that it was the oil pressure needle he turned, but all the other gages seem to be working fine. (The overlays were the kind that you don't have to remove the needles). If that is not the problem does anyone have an idea what to look for? I checked the sending unit and everything is hooked up right. (It looks right anyway. Also, I am pretty sure the sending unit was fine before the swap. I am not sure about the gage however.) Any help on this. I don't like the idea of not knowing what the pressure is, and I don't want to run an aftermarket gage. I might hook one up to check the pressure though, although that will be only temporary.)

 

There is an open in the circuit to the sending unit or the sending unit is internally open. Unplug the sending unit and ground the lead. Then see if the gauge is low with the key on. That will tell you if the wiring is ok.

 

I unpluged the sending unit and grounded the wire. Gage is still at 80. Can it be an open circuit if the gage never moves from 80 at all? It stays there even with the key off and the battery disconnected so I am thinking it is not an electrical problem.

 

Well, the gauge will usually stay where ever it was at last, so it still might be an electrical problem. It could be open.

To help isolate further, locate C220 under the RH kick panel. Unplug it. On the connector side toward the dash, find cavity "B", tan wire. That is the one that goes from the gauge to the sensor. Ground it toward the dash and turn key ON. See if the gauge stays the same or goes low. It should go low if it is good from that point to the gauge.

If it is good at that point, you have an open in the tan wire from the engine side of C220 to the sensor.

If it is not good, you have a gauge problem, problem at the cluster connector or open wire between C220 and the cluster.

 

Thanks Shoebox, I'll check that a little later today. I got thinking about the gage staying where it is with the key off after I wrote the last post. Since I did an engine swap it could be that a wire got cut or broken, but also is there any chance that the wire placement on the connector isn't the same? (The engine harness is 1993, the body 1994. I will also check this when I check the other.) I have to say once again though that your website, AND help to people on this board, are above and beyond great. Keep up the good work.

 

Wire fixed! Problem solved!! --- Shoebox is THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again, my thanks to your expertise. You and your site have made this swap one heck of a lot easier!