From: blu@cellar.org (Dan Reed) Subject: VDO oil PSI gauge install.. Date: 10 Nov 92 17:44:19 GMT Adding a VDO oil pressure gauge to your car. Project Car - 89 VW Golf Difficulty - 1=oil change/10=new clutch, this gets a 3. Basic electrical/wiring knowledge of the car is required. Time to install - 1 Hr. Tooled Needed - 17mm wrench, Screwdrivers, 90Deg screwdriver, Wire Cutters, Crimping Tool, and 22mm Deep Socket/or wrench Drill w/bits of proper size. VOM or 12V test light. Extra Parts - Crimp on wire connectors, electrical tape, and wire taps. Total Cost - $40 for Gauge (with "cup" stand), $40 For sender Purchased From - Volkstech, of Burlington NJ. (sorry, they dont do mailorder) (Automotive Performance Systems inc. also has similar kits for a bit more.. ) Options - Gauge type, (NightDesign) Color of gauge, (Green, stock VW Dash color) Keep Idot light active (I did). Electric or BordonTube gauge (Electric) Caution! - Sensitive electoral parts are involved! Take care, read all instructions! I am not responsible for blowing up your car! A VW Golf was used as the test car, your car might be different, however, much of the same applies. I do not work for VDO, Volkstech, or APS. I just do this, cuz I love you guys... Ok, so you have all your parts, and tools you need. First step is to remove the key, and disconnect the (-) off battery. Second, decide where you want to mount the gauge. I choose the flat spot just to the left of my has cluster (right above the leftmost vent). Mount the base, angle it so as it will be facing you while in the driving position. Mark the holes, and just screw in the base. Drilling is not needed, as the material is soft dash-padding. Use good screws with a nice thick thread, do NOT use machine screws, unless you plan to bolt them down with washers. Drill a hole, the size of the wire cluster (off the gauge), into the side of the dash pod. Do NOT drill "all the way" into the dash. You do not want to harm your headlight switch, OR your speedometer. If you want, remove the dash to take a better look at what is behind the hole you are about to drill (a GOOD idea). Once the hole is drilled, feed the wire cluster through. Mount the gauge. Remove the lower plastic package tray, and remove the dash bezel. Pop out the headlight switch, and remove the plastic mount that it attaches to. Locate the wires you just stuffed into the dash pod. Pull down the green, red, and brown wires. Move the gray/red wire over to your headlight switch. Attach the brown wire to a good solid ground of the car. Locate the wire off the headlight switch, that runs over to your lights on the dash. Make sure you pick the circuit that has the dimmer off of it. This way, the gauge will dim with the rest of the dash cluster. Use the wire tap to connect the gray/red wire, to the dimmer wire. Reinstall the battery (-), test out the circuit, disconnect the (-). Attach the red wire, to a fuse that gets power when the key is turned on. I used my heater fan fuse. Run the green wire, out through a hole in the fire wall, into the engine compartment. If you do not see a hole, there are two small rubber grommets, just to the right, and beneath of the power brake booster, pop one out. NEATLY run the wire over to the engine, do not let the wire rest on any hot/moving parts. Take care not to place the wire anywhere it will be pinched. The STOCK oil pressure sender is located on the engine, just to the right of the valve cover. Pull off the plug, and remove the sender using the 22mm deep socket or wrench. Reinstall the NEW sender, with the 17mm wrench, take care not to crossthread the head, or over tighten it, if you do, a nice leak will occur. Attach a connector to the end of the green wire, and hook it up to the terminal marked "G" on the NEW sender. Cut the plug off the old sensor wire, and install a connector on it, attach it to the other terminal off the NEW sender. Reinstall the headlight switch, and check all wiring, and also check for left over tools. Reinstall the (-) to the battery. Insert key to the "on" position. The gauge should set itself to 0 psi. The oil pressure light should blink as normal. Start the car. The oil pressure gauge should move, the idot light should go out. Check for leaks at the sender. Pat yourself on the back! Your finished! A Job well done! ------ From: mark@wdcwdc.sps.mot.com (Mark Shaw) Subject: Re: Gauges Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 23:46:46 GMT (how to connect gauges?) |> ammeter Ideally you want this connected between the battery and both the loads and alternator so that you can tell whether you are charging/discharging the battery. Unfortunately, both the alternator and the main battery circuit go straight to the battery on the water-cooled cars. You would need to break the connection of both and insert some long wires to the gage. This adds a fair amount of resistance (unless you are using welding cable) which will drop the voltage available to your system under heavy loads (like A/C or headlamps). I find an ammeter to be more trouble than it's worth to install correctly and would rather have two voltmeters. |> voltmeter The best point to connect to is right across the battery. The only problem with this is that it will drain your battery with the ignition off! Next best point is connect the positive terminal to the switched side of the ignition key as close to the switch as possible (this is circuit 15). Connect the negative side to the ground strap at the battery. Any size wire is alright since the gage draws very small currents. Connecting the gage across other points (like at the radio or other dash components) will give rapidly changing results as different loads come on and off and cause voltage drops throughout the system. Also this more remote points will give a lower average reading. And ideal situation would be a voltmeter connected to the switched 15 circuit at the fuse box; and another one connected directly to the battery through a relay that is energized by the 15 circuit. The battery voltage will give a good indication of charging behavior. The fuse box voltage will give a good indication of general electrical system degradation with age. |> tachometer (only three wires) This is the easiest. Positive power lead to circuit 15 (switched ignition line) at the fuse box (after a fuse - say radio), negative lead to ground, and the signal lead goes to the switched side of the ignition coil (circuit 1). The nice thing about German cars is that they all conform to the standard German circuit labeling conventions which you can find in the Bosch Handbook. Circuit 15 is the same on all cars, etc. Mark ----- From: aqn@panix.com (Andrew Nguyen) Subject: SUMMARY: Installing Oil Press. Gauge in H2O Rabbit. Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1992 14:34:12 GMT You'll need a tee-fitting to connect the pressure sensor at the cylinder head, at the same location as the sensor for the idiot light. You can also get one sensor that has outputs for both the gauge and the idiot light, eliminating the need for a tee and two seperate sensors. (Hint: this sensor is stock on all Audi's with an oil pressure gauge... check your local salvage yards. Some Audi models are also equipped with a set of three VDO gauges in a nice little panel with all the necessary wiring that makes for a very easy installation in a water-cooled VW. This is the most cost effective way to go, if you can find a wrecked Audi with the gauges.)