Oil Pressure or temperature?
Oil Pressure or temperature?
Evening peeps,
Wondering if you had to pick one of the two gauges (NOT BOTH!) to put in your cars, which one would you have? What is more beneficial to know out of oil pressure or temperature?
Cheers!
Wondering if you had to pick one of the two gauges (NOT BOTH!) to put in your cars, which one would you have? What is more beneficial to know out of oil pressure or temperature?
Cheers!
oil pressure just makes you paranoid all the time! 
i'd only go with oil pressure over oil temp if it was a proper mechanical one and a decent make. E.g Stack or defi
i'd only go with oil pressure over oil temp if it was a proper mechanical one and a decent make. E.g Stack or defi
Last edited by LHD220Turbo; Aug 13, 2008 at 04:51 PM.
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My water temp (or CHT temp for the focus) is dodgy at the best of times as it's had a new sender and still plays up/doesn't read/partially reads and sometimes it works properly and don't want to swap the cluster so will be getting an aftermarket water temp gauge to plumb in as it's just easier and more accurate but also wanted an oil one and don't really want to be spending too much on getting both oil temp and pressure so was wondering what's better to have. Seen mixed opinions on what's better to know but I'll let this carry on and see if we get a majority verdict 
of course, but you can still use it as an indication as to the temp of the engine. I wouldn't run my cossie without and oil pressure gauge but i dotn have a temp one yet
I did think that to myself even if I noticed the pressure dropping rapidly if there was anything at all preventative or any sort of damage limitation. I have heard of oil pressure gauges being praised though for saving engines before.
DEYTUKURJERBS
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: North Korea
personally for me, temp, just because my oil temp gets dangerously high.
also it tells you when its safe to rag it, and its a LOT later than when your water temp is up to normal temp, thats for sure.
if oil pressure drops much the engines dead anyhow, so i just ignore that, its paranoia, and not loads better than the red light on your dash imho.
gauges to view while driving hard are utterly pointless in a fast car or a car you using on track, as you have no time to look at them.
even checking what boost your cars holding on a car with mega power is next to impossible in a straight line.
hard use on track or drifting even a rev counter is barely of use as you got better things to concentrate on.
something with a peak recall facility would be your most useful thing unless you just want it for looks and to show off on passionford.
also it tells you when its safe to rag it, and its a LOT later than when your water temp is up to normal temp, thats for sure.
if oil pressure drops much the engines dead anyhow, so i just ignore that, its paranoia, and not loads better than the red light on your dash imho.
gauges to view while driving hard are utterly pointless in a fast car or a car you using on track, as you have no time to look at them.
even checking what boost your cars holding on a car with mega power is next to impossible in a straight line.
hard use on track or drifting even a rev counter is barely of use as you got better things to concentrate on.
something with a peak recall facility would be your most useful thing unless you just want it for looks and to show off on passionford.
Last edited by Stavros; Aug 13, 2008 at 09:52 PM.
thanks for the input guys.
the fact that my usual CHT gauge never works properly means I have no way of telling what temperature the coolant is at so will defo go for water temp but wanted an oil one as well just to be sure when is safe to give it some beans and also jsut generally keep an eye on things.
looking good just happens to be a bonus
the fact that my usual CHT gauge never works properly means I have no way of telling what temperature the coolant is at so will defo go for water temp but wanted an oil one as well just to be sure when is safe to give it some beans and also jsut generally keep an eye on things.
looking good just happens to be a bonus
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
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to be fair, if the engine feels slightly "wrong" the first thing i always seem to do is give a quick scan over all the dials (theres enough of em!) and oil pressure would show a lot more of what the engine is doing than oil temparature, you'd still have oil temp with oil pissing out onto the floor but you wont have any pressure.
all down to the driver in the end of the day, how often when you're driving well... "spirited" driving are you looking at the clocks?
i only look when there seems to be something wrong or just after the driving to check if i have done any damage whilst driving.
if you have a temp and pressure sender handy get a duel guage, spend the money once in the first place and you could end up saving it later on!
all down to the driver in the end of the day, how often when you're driving well... "spirited" driving are you looking at the clocks?
i only look when there seems to be something wrong or just after the driving to check if i have done any damage whilst driving.
if you have a temp and pressure sender handy get a duel guage, spend the money once in the first place and you could end up saving it later on!
just finding my feet
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From: Im behind you
oil temo far more important,,, oil presure MOST of the time will be too late to do anything about it not all the time but most times it just tells you the engines dead
ps: i also have both gauges,,, and my oil presure is at 2bar,,,, WAY down on the gauge so a little drop would never be noticed anyway
DEYTUKURJERBS
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: North Korea
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Some of the oil press gauges have warning light to give you half a chance of catching a press problem.
I have light set at 30 psi, its flashing at idle etx but I know if im flat out and it comes on I can cut the igniton and still have a chance of saving the engine.
I have light set at 30 psi, its flashing at idle etx but I know if im flat out and it comes on I can cut the igniton and still have a chance of saving the engine.
just finding my feet
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From: Im behind you
you inderstand how fast the engine is actually spinning per second yes ?
going at 130ish then seeing a light and turning off the engine will have NO servo assitance when braking aswell as no REAL control of the car,,,, and a good chance the engines already fucked due the the reaction time to get something sorted
theres a small amount of people who have NEEDED a oil pressure gauge compared to them who needed a oil temp gauge
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From: Newbury
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From: Newbury
try burton, Deamon Tweeks, Merlin
or even google it
http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=14363
or even google it
http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=14363
you inderstand how fast the engine is actually spinning per second yes ?
going at 130ish then seeing a light and turning off the engine will have NO servo assitance when braking aswell as no REAL control of the car,,,, and a good chance the engines already fucked due the the reaction time to get something sorted
theres a small amount of people who have NEEDED a oil pressure gauge compared to them who needed a oil temp gauge
going at 130ish then seeing a light and turning off the engine will have NO servo assitance when braking aswell as no REAL control of the car,,,, and a good chance the engines already fucked due the the reaction time to get something sorted
theres a small amount of people who have NEEDED a oil pressure gauge compared to them who needed a oil temp gauge
ok, heres a question for you....
why do you want to see oil temp?
one main reason for me would to be able to make sure the oil isnt getting to hot.... at which point it breaks down, this can vary between oils, and can vary with oil condition.
how hot is to hot?
when the oil breaks down and looses pressure because you have gone over the oils usable temp
catch 22 then
you dont know when your oil is to hot, without a pressure gauge, ...rendering a big part of your temp gauge useless, oil temp means nothing, unless you can see when it looses pressure.
you would then notice a drop in pressure, waiting for the light is wayyy to late.
the answer is, he NEEDS both gauges
Last edited by JTECH James; Aug 14, 2008 at 09:20 PM.
i have started to see pressure drop on track due to excessive temp....i didnt kill my engine because i spotted it early.....
and now use pro s and a cooler
and now use pro s and a cooler
Last edited by JTECH James; Aug 14, 2008 at 05:28 PM.
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From: Newbury
As oil gets hot it thins... as that happens you loose pressure.
Pressure is a fairly meaningless measurement!!!!!
PassionFord Post Whore!!
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From: Manchester.
thats based on where the gauge is located too also, if its in the block and not a sandwich plate he wouldnt have known till it was too late
oil temo far more important,,, oil presure MOST of the time will be too late to do anything about it not all the time but most times it just tells you the engines dead
ps: i also have both gauges,,, and my oil presure is at 2bar,,,, WAY down on the gauge so a little drop would never be noticed anyway
oil temo far more important,,, oil presure MOST of the time will be too late to do anything about it not all the time but most times it just tells you the engines dead
ps: i also have both gauges,,, and my oil presure is at 2bar,,,, WAY down on the gauge so a little drop would never be noticed anyway
Surely regardless of where the sensor is place you'd see a loss of pressure when the filter comes off?! The system aint pressurised then!
but how would you know the oil has thinned,or broken down by looking at a temp gauge? all oils are different, and the breakdown point varies with oil age...
a temp reading means nothing unless you know the oils exact breakdown temp....
when it thins it looses pressure, so by monitoring pressure you can see when its too thin
if my temp gauge showed 120degs, does that mean the oils broken down and turned to piss? or is my oil good enough to take 130degs? how do you know without monitoring pressure?
Last edited by JTECH James; Aug 14, 2008 at 09:25 PM.
I agree with JTECHSAFF 
... only by using both gauge indications (relationship b/n press and temp) will give you meaningful information. A trend towards high temps and low press would be important shift to see
If you only have space in the cabin for one get a dual reading gauge.
... only by using both gauge indications (relationship b/n press and temp) will give you meaningful information. A trend towards high temps and low press would be important shift to see If you only have space in the cabin for one get a dual reading gauge.
