I don't think anybody is using the oil pressure gauge as a "low oil
indicator", except in the sense of a "no oil indicator" as in the case
mentioned, where an incorrectly installed filter led to all the oil being
pumped out in minutes. Without the gauge, the person would have had no way
of knowing about this catastrophe until the engine screeched to a sudden and
permanent halt.
I also feel the gauge is useful when evaluating used cars offered for sale,
to get an idea of how tired the motor is. An idiot light would obviously be
of no use for this purpose. Similarly, it can help one evaluate the
condition of one's own high-mileage engine, in conjunction with other
factors, to determine when it's time for a rebuild.
But I agree one shouldn't have one's eye glued to it continuously while
driving, anxiously looking for minute variations...
on 8/10/02 3:02 AM, Telewest (PH) at paul.hunt1@blueyonder.co.uk wrote:
> In 35 years, heaven knows how many cars and 100s of thousands of miles I
> have never run low on oil. I do know people who have, but they don't bother
> topping up until the oil light (no gauge) comes on and deserve everything
> they get. To my mind things like oil pressure gauges and temp gauges are
> gimmicks on cars like ours and the way the vast majority of them are used
> for the vast majority of time, we would be far better served of catastrophic
> failure by alarms. As it is the gauges just seem to be sources of worry for
> so many people.
>
> I bought a Smiths Oil Check for my Mum in the 70s so she didn't have to get
> her hands dirty. It also had a knob to pull but showed green if the level
> was OK and red if it had dropped below a certain point.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bob D." <bobmgtd@insightbb.com>
> To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 8:03 PM
> Subject: Re: Oil Pressure questions
>
>
>> IMHO, our engines would be much better protected with an oil *level*
> gauge,
>> rather than an oil *pressure* gauge. The risk of the oil running low is
> much
>> greater than the risk of the oil pump failing.
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the primer red one with chrome wires
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