VDO oil pressure guage sender with dash idiot light

giraffeinbath · Jun 26, 2024

I haven't found a definitive answer for this online, I'd like to fit a VDO oil pressure guage, question is will that sensor will also double up for the speedometer idiot light, I assume the dash light goes off when it gets a positive reading so I assue it will?

....and if so, is it best to run a seperate cable to the guage or can I extend from the idiot light cabe to deliver the reading to the guage to minimise multiple cable runs?

sparkywig · Jun 26, 2024

I ran a separate multicore from the engine bay to the dash for the gauges in the old bus.
Be aware that the VDO sender operates at a different pressure than the stock/normal pressure sender, so the dash light comes on a bit more often than you'd like, especially after a motorway blast.

neilswheels · Jun 26, 2024

Ive got a sender on our buggy that does both, a gauge and the dash,its a two pole sender for this application. I cant get a part number if you like, should be one on it, I assume..

giraffeinbath · Jun 26, 2024

sparkywig said:
I ran a separate multicore from the engine bay to the dash for the gauges in the old bus.
Be aware that the VDO sender operates at a different pressure than the stock/normal pressure sender, so the dash light comes on a bit more often than you'd like, especially after a motorway blast.

I'd like to avoid that if I can, don't need worry lights flashing on the dash when they don't need to.

I had a couple of additional cables put into the replacement loom for auxiliary items so I have additional cables running from front to back already that I can use, but obviously if I was able to double up on one to serve both light and gauge that would have been a bonus.

giraffeinbath · Jun 26, 2024

neilswheels said:
Ive got a sender on our buggy that does both, a gauge and the dash,its a two pole sender for this application. I cant get a part number if you like, should be one on it, I assume..

If it's easily accessable yes that would be great, what brand of guage are you running?

matty74 · Jun 26, 2024

I’ve just done this and wanted to keep the original idiot light and sender separate. So tee’d out of the case to give 2 outlets to connect into.

giraffeinbath · Jun 26, 2024

matty74 said:
I’ve just done this and wanted to keep the original idiot light and sender separate. So tee’d out of the case to give 2 outlets to connect into.

I thought about doing that but wasn’t sure if the sender may give an inaccurate signal due to the sensor being on a spur and out of the main ‘flow’? Logically that shouldn’t be a thing but physics doesn’t always seem to follow logic

Does it work OK?

matty74 · Jun 27, 2024

Yes, this was after a (cold ish) start up, the engine had been running for a bit as the temp needle is off its stop position

The sender is paired with the gauge, so suspect it’s fairly accurate.

I got the t piece from demon tweeks as the male thread matches the case thread, I also used a few 10mm dowty washers to ensure I didn’t overtighten and to get outlet orientation for sender in a suitable location.

neilswheels · Jun 27, 2024

giraffeinbath said:
If it's easily accessable yes that would be great, what brand of guage are you running?

Yep, im running vdo cockpit gauges in the buggy (remember that brief 80's thing) vdo sender. I'll have a look, think Ive still got the instructions somewhere

garytype2 · Jun 28, 2024

£20 if anyone interested View attachment 8507

matty74 · Jun 28, 2024

garytype2 said:
£20 if anyone interested View attachment 8507

That definitely won’t work on a pressure sender

naskeet · Jun 28, 2024

garytype2 said:
£20 if anyone interested View attachment 8507

That gauge looks like an oil-temperature gauge calibrated in archaic Fahrenheit units favoured by Americans! Back in the mid-1990s, I used to pick up 50~150 deg.C VDO oil-temperature gauges from the local car breakers' yards for about £2~£3, salvaged from water-cooled VWs & Audis.

naskeet · Jun 28, 2024

neilswheels said:
Yep, im running vdo cockpit gauges in the buggy (remember that brief 80's thing) vdo sender. I'll have a look, think Ive still got the instructions somewhere

Here are the official VDO Cockpit installation instructions for oil-pressure gauges, oil-temperature gauge, cylinder-head temperature gauge & alternator-sensing tachometer.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_oil_pressure_gauge_cockpit.php

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_oil_temp_gauge_cockpit.php

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_cyl_temp_gauge_cockpit.php

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_tach_gauge_cockpit.php

Here is the link to my 1992 VDO gauges catalogue

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/1992_vdo_catalog.php

70-CA-Panel · Jun 28, 2024

Thanks for the links and info Nigel!

GazWil · Jun 29, 2024

I fittered these to my bus and left the original oil light connected throung the fiited harness. Made my own harness for the cable.

naskeet · Jun 29, 2024

GazWil said:
I fittered these to my bus and left the original oil light connected throung the fiited harness. Made my own harness for the cable.

This is my take on fitting a VW Type 4 engine's oil-temperature sender:

The right-hand sump plate (fits beneath the VW Type 4 engine's oil filler tube & dipstick tube), is fitted with a VDO stubby-length, oil-temperature, gauge-sender (VDO part No. 323 801 012 002) having an M14 x 1·5 mm thread.

The sump plate was modified, by brazing to the internal surface, half of a VW Type 2, M14 x 1·5 mm threaded wheel nut; providing about three complete thread turns.

neilswheels · Jul 4, 2024

naskeet said:
Here are the official VDO Cockpit installation instructions for oil-pressure gauges, oil-temperature gauge, cylinder-head temperature gauge & alternator-sensing tachometer.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_oil_pressure_gauge_cockpit.php

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_oil_temp_gauge_cockpit.php

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_cyl_temp_gauge_cockpit.php

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/vdo_tach_gauge_cockpit.php

Here is the link to my 1992 VDO gauges catalogue

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/1992_vdo_catalog.php

Interesting, my cockpit gauges look nothing like those..

naskeet · Jul 6, 2024

neilswheels said:
Interesting, my cockpit gauges look nothing like those..

There are several styles of VDO gauge, of which one is called "Cockpit". My catalogue also includes "Mobil Cockpit", "Profi Cockpit", "Modular Cockpit" and others.

These are the four pages illustrating "Cockpit" gauges, of which I have a few.

There are other more modern styles of VDO gauge available nowadays, including the "Vision" range.

VDO oil pressure guage sender with dash idiot light

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