TR6 Question about oil warning light in 72 TR-6

Hello Everyone!

Great sight here, very helpful.

I just bought a 72 TR6 and I just noticed that the oil warning light stays on all the time. I didn't notice this because I you couldn't see the illumination of the light during tha day when I was looking over the car.

I checked the oil levels and the car idles at 25psi and under normal driving conditions goes to around 65-70psi. so it doesn't look to be anything mechanical.

Do I have a bad sending unit or something?

Thanks for any help!

-Shannon

PS, attached is a pic of the old girl.

Hello Shannon,
As you have a good oil pressure on the gauge, it has to either be the sender unit, which is screwed into the block or there is a short circuit on the cable from the unit to the lamp. Disconnect the cable from the sender unit, and if the light goes out, it is the pressure switch.

regards,
Alec

Because the oil lamp taps it's power after the brake lamp, your brake lamp should also be glowing (albeit dimly) whenever the oil pressure switch is grounded. Since you state that you have gauge oil pressure, there are 2 possibilities: a grounded wire or a bad pressure switch. I'd replce the inexpensive switch first.

Hi Shannon

Welcome to the forum! I can't help you with the oil light problem cause wiring on an english car is somewhat akin to sorcery as far as I'm concerned, but I notice that you're in Greensboro, NC - I lived there for years off of Merrit Drive until I moved to the thriving Metropolis of Kernersville - Where in Greensboro are you?

And your TR is pretty - It reminds me of one a fella named Gary Bullins had for years - He owned B&M foreign carparts when they were on High Point Road ( Now Defunct )

Anyway, glad to have seen your location - Best of luck with your new motor

Bob M.

Thanks for all the ideas everyone!

Bob,

I was wondering if there was anyone in my area on the board. I live in NW Greensboro near Lake Jeanette.

The TR6 is my venture back into the hobby after about a 10 year absence. I'm used to old American iron, but I've always wanted a TR since I was 16. I found this one on autotrader (in Salisbury) and bought it. I've been looking at the car with a fine tooth comb and I can't find ANY rust on it, it's even still got the original sound deadening mats on the floorboard, however it still needs a lot of TLC since it pretty much as been sitting in a garage for the past three years. It's a little different from an old Stang, but it's simple to work on so it makes a nice car to start out with.

Are there any events/shows/rides in this area? I don't know anyone here with an older British car (all my friends think I'm nuts!).

Anyway seeya around hopefully,

-Shannon

Shannon,

Austin Healey Club of W-S hold their annual British Car Day South & Rally usually late in May or early in June - They used to hold it at Tanglewood but this year I think they moved it to somewhere in Charlotte - I didn't make it this year Cause my Sprite is on jackstands getting some much needed rust/running gear repair. The show actually lasts 2 days - One day is strictly a show and judging the autos and the next day is a rally -

As for organized rides, BCDS&R is the only one I'm aware of - I usually ride the Blue Ridge Parkway when the leaves change - Rather breathtaking being in a LBC with the top down in the middle of all that natural beauty.

Anyhow, if you feel like it email me off the forum ( Email is in my profile) and I'll give you phone and directions to the abode in K-Vegas - maybe you'd care to have a drink sometime and look at my projects - meet the wife and the birds and dog - that's the ticket...

Lookin' forward!

Bob M

Does the oil pressure relief valve send the signal of how much oil pressure there is to the instrument directly, or is there another, seperate sender unit?

Hello Webb,,
no, the pressure relief valve does not send an oil pressure signal to the gauge. There is a sender that screws directly into the block tappings on the oil gallery. It is a very simple device, just a spring loaded contact which is broken when oil pressure pushes against the spring.
One point has occurred to me, if the engine has not had regular oil changes it is possible that sludge has built up, hardened and blocked off the oil gallery outlet where the sender screws in. Remedy is to remove the sender and probe the tapping for solid matter.

regards,
Alec.