Help! More Woes — Oil Pressure Gauge?

[Donne Trav]

After spending almost $1,500 on having the rack & pinion-steering assembly replaced, including a steering fluid flush, in the '94, the oil
pressure gauge was suddenly up around the 3/4 mark. I noticed
this before even starting the car. There's usually NO reading at all when the engine's not running. After about 5 to 10 minutes of normal driving, the needle started slowly dropping — then bouncing back up again. WTH! Eventually falling to about the 1/4 mark and back up again. All during the drive, it fluctuated up & down, upon normal accelerations and speeds. This does seem to be a difficult fix. Can anyone out there explain? Thankyou All.

 

[John Robinson]

Take it back to who did the rack and have them look for the wire they left off or pinched.

 

[Schrade]

IF YOU CARE, I think there's parts and labor guides that give repair costs for X items. I don't believe RP replacement on the vette is $1,500 (although I don't know that for sure; you can find out). The dealer should have the breakdown on that expense, IN WRITING, for one yup...

And the steering flush HUH??? How does this work?

Maybe someone else can correct me here if I'm wrong here on this one too - but with the RP dis-assembled there, isn't the PS fluid line dis-connected? Isn't the PS fluid cooler the first part to get removed for RP swap???

 

[boomdriver]

IF YOU CARE, I think there's parts and labor guides that give repair costs for X items. I don't believe RP replacement on the vette is $1,500 (although I don't know that for sure; you can find out). The dealer should have the breakdown on that expense, IN WRITING, for one yup...

And the steering flush HUH??? How does this work?

Maybe someone else can correct me here if I'm wrong here on this one too - but with the RP dis-assembled there, isn't the PS fluid line dis-connected? Isn't the PS fluid cooler the first part to get removed for RP swap???

I detailed the cost of this in a previous post regarding this question....
I just did it, and it ain;t nowhere NEAR $1500....and I got a new pump, all new hoses, and of course, new fluid The flushing is kinda a given when everything is apart...That was a rip off.

Rack $200 w/$150 core
Pump $50 used....$75 recon warranty. Rebuild kit $8
Hoses $50-$75
Labor $385 to swap the rack (for mine and that was HIGH cause the mechanic was an idiot)

I replaced the pump myself....took 1.5 hrs disassembly, 2 to assemble, 1hr to find tools thrown across property. I'd pay a shop to do the pump next time.. Could'nt be more than $250 in labor with the right tools onhand and any experience with a vette PS pump.I had never seen one before and had to do it all under hood, not on a lift for better access to hose fittings. Half that time was wasted on the pulley puller and bead blasting all parts to be reinstalled.

TOTAL: approx $750 for new EVERYTHING.

I hate seeing shops rip off Corvette owners by tacking on 50% over the flat rate just 'cause it's a Corvette...then getting over on the parts that they go pick up at the same auto parts store that I buy parts from.

ANYTIME a major repair is needed, SHOP around for the parts and get prices of the parts yourself, or GO GET the parts and find a shop to do the install. The parts mfg will warranty the part and the shop warrantys their labor. Simple and the shop cannot screw the customer on outrageous parts markups.

 

[boomdriver]

After spending almost $1,500 on having the rack & pinion-steering assembly replaced, including a steering fluid flush, in the '94, the oil
pressure gauge was suddenly up around the 3/4 mark. I noticed
this before even starting the car. There's usually NO reading at all when the engine's not running. After about 5 to 10 minutes of normal driving, the needle started slowly dropping — then bouncing back up again. WTH! Eventually falling to about the 1/4 mark and back up again. All during the drive, it fluctuated up & down, upon normal accelerations and speeds. This does seem to be a difficult fix. Can anyone out there explain? Thankyou All.

The connection is loose or dirty. When totally disconnected the gauge will read at its highest, even when engine is off. When contact is made and the connection is good, the resistance is then measured thru the sender, not the point of contact in the harness. These wire harnesses also have splices where wires merge. Often because of age, that splice goes undisturbed for 20 yrs or more. First time someone wiggles something the splice breaks a few strands of copper and tries to come apart. Resistance values suddenly change and the delicate signal is altered.


Look at the plug on the OP sender. Be careful, the tab on the sender can break off with little effort. Ask me how I know.... :eyerole

 

[Hib Halverson]

I'll suggest that you need the FSM for its troubleshooting information which will help you decide if this is a problem with the IP cluster or a problem with the oil pressure sender.

 

[Donne Trav]

The connection is loose or dirty. When totally disconnected the gauge will read at its highest, even when engine is off. When contact is made and the connection is good, the resistance is then measured thru the sender, not the point of contact in the harness. These wire harnesses also have splices where wires merge. Often because of age, that splice goes undisturbed for 20 yrs or more. First time someone wiggles something the splice breaks a few strands of copper and tries to come apart. Resistance values suddenly change and the delicate signal is altered.

Look at the plug on the OP sender. Be careful, the tab on the sender can break off with little effort. Ask me how I know.... :eyerole

Where is this "OP sender/plug" located? Is it clearly visible? Thankyou

 

[Schrade]

If you put it on credit card there, you're home free uh huh.

D-I-S-P-U-T-E-Y-U-P.

Your bank will ask for a fair price for the work there. This is where you have to have your homework done here, on the REAL approximate costs. If you come up with a bad price there, your bank won't stand behind you on it NOPE.

SIR Econolot OUT.

 

[boomdriver]

SIR Econolot[/B] OUT.

is that gender specific parking at the airport?otfl

 

[Schrade]

is that gender specific parking at the airport?otfl

Funny guys.

:W

Always HAS TO be a funny guy in the house.