14 replies to this topic

[LiamBendell]

I have noticed that my oil temp on the three centre gauges does not seem to be rising at all. Could it be a lose connection? how do i fix it?

Thanks Liam

[Nightrain]

Are you sure your not looking at the Oil Pressure Gauge .....................

[LiamBendell]

well i think it is, in the manual it says Oil tempature gauge. it goes from 50 - 170 and has the standard oil tempature sign on it. ??

Liam

[Nightrain]

Just checking as there not standard fitment, guessing it's the electric type. So i'd be checking all the connections.

[miniat40]

Assuming that you mean the 3 small gauges in the middle of the dash board the RH on marked 50 to 170 with celsius symbol is a oil temp gauge.

The oil temp gauge on my mpi does take a while to show an increase in temperature.
On yours does the pointer stop on 50 or has it disappeared below the 50 mark?
I am asking this question as with no connections on my spare gauge the pionter is way below the 50 mark.
Having just looked in my haynes manual there is a brown and blue wire comming from the temperaure sensor (where that is I don't know) to the gauge. The black wire is connected to the earth negative and the white to the positive on the gauge,It would be worth checking these connections.
If all seems ok its either the gauge or the sensor.
I do not now how to test these as I do not know the signal the sensor would give. It could be a varying voltage with temperature!

Hope this is of some use.
Ian

Edited by miniat40, 16 May 2009 - 02:57 PM.

[LiamBendell]

the car is mini coper sportpack is this helps

It does not fall below the 50 mark but is dead on even after 30 mile journeys to uni. i have found the sensors in the engine is there one on the left or right? i am guessing one is oil and one is water? is this right? i do not have a Haynes with me so sorry if my rambling is not very useful. i am going to check the sensor now and check the earth.

very helpfully keep it coming as i am a novice at all of this.

thanks Liam

[nicksuth]

Check that the Oil Temperature and Oil Pressure Switch Sensor connectors have not got swapped over? Mine had when I first bought it and it produced the same symptoms.

They are the opposite way around to any other Mini.

Oil Pressure Switch is on Right Hand Side of Oil Filter and Oil Temperature Sensor is on Left hand Side (looking at engine from front of car). they are both the same type connectors, just different colours (I think?)

Edited by nicksuth, 16 May 2009 - 11:43 AM.

[Sprocket]

Just checking as there not standard fitment, guessing it's the electric type. So i'd be checking all the connections.

Standard fitment on MPi's

[coopermpi]

mine never moves too far either! i think its just the case, you dont want the oil temp to move too far, and to be honest i dont know why they fitted them. surely a pressure gauge would be more help!!??
I wouldnt worry about it, unless it moves up really high!!

[Nightrain]

Standard fitment on MPi's

Whoops didn't even realise it was a mpi, not that I even knew they had a oil temp gauge anyway

[nicksuth]

Should normally read between 90 and 120, warm day and hard driving could see it go up toward 150, anything over that and it's too hot and either a problem or you need to back off a bit.

Oil that's too cold saps power and does not lubricate adequately.

[Sprocket]

The oil temp on my engine never rises above 110 now that I have fixed my oil flow problem. Its an MPi block, and a mechanical gauge is fitted in place of the sensor. The oil temp most of the time is either equal to or about 5 degrees above coolant temp, and rises to maybe 10 degrees above coolant temp if you drive it hard. No oil cooler fitted.

It is my personal opinion that statements saying that oil temp should be above 100 are wrong, and statements saying that an operating oil temp of 80c is bad, is also wrong.

Idealy oil temp should be the same as coolant temp.

[coopermpi]

mine hardly moves over 50. so does that mean my sensor could be playing up? the engine runs fine and is quick so?????

[Ethel]

An electric gauge measures resistance so it's entirely possible the issue isn't cold oil. Follow Sprocket's point, if the gauge moves in coordination the water temp gauge it will tell you all you need to know.

[LiamBendell]

Thanks il keep an eye on it and see if anything changes. thanks for you help

Liam