Autometer Oil Pressure Gauge Installation
(This installation is for the 2.4L LD9 engine)
Parts Required
Brass Adapters
1 1/8" male to 1/4" male
1 1/4" male to 1/8" male
1 45 degree angle w/ 1/8" fittings
1 1/8" T-fitting w/ 1 male and 2 female ends
1 bottle of lock tite
1 Autometer Oil Pressure Sensor
10 ft each: 18 gauge wire, or close to it. Red, Black, and Blue or Purple
Electrical crimp fittings for electrical connections
Electrical tape, solder, splices, where needed (personal preference on this one)
Electrical Setup
The gauge requires 3 wires to be run before the gauge is functional.
Run the black wire down the A-pillar to a good ground. If you can't find a good ground, then screw a machine screw into the body behind the plastic sill plate cover, and attach the wire to that screw.
Run the red wire from the gauge with the black wire, and splice the red wire into the ignition wire. This wire might be hard to find, but it is purple, and I recommend that you make sure that it is a ignition wire by testing it w/ a voltmeter, or test light. It should have almost no voltage when the car is off, and it should read 12 volts when the car is on.
Run the signal wire from the back of the gauge, which is purple, along w/ the other 2 wires down the A-pillar. Push the wire through the large rubber grommet in the driver side foot well, which is located above and to the left of the clutch pedal, or brake pedal.
Pull this wire through from the engine bay, and make sure that you have about 3-4 feet of wire hanging out.
The 2 short wires on the back of the gauge are for the light inside the gauge. Attach the black one to the ground terminal on the gauge, and the other wire to the ignition wire terminal on the gauge.
The gauge should light up when the car is turned on, or when the key is in the accessory position, but it shouldn't read anything just yet.
The electrical setup is now finished.
Mechanical Setup
You will need a few adapters in order to install the Autometer Oil Pressure Sending Unit, and still keep your factory sensor. That means that your oil pressure warning light on your dash is still functional.
The adapters you want to use are going to be Brass, and most auto stores (Pepboys, Auto Zone, Advanced Auto Parts...) have a box of different kinds behind the counter. You don't have to use the exact same fittings as I used to get the job done, but here is the list of Brass adapters I used for the oil pressure sensor:
Brass Adapters
1 1/8" male to 1/4" male
1 1/4" male to 1/8" male
1 45 degree angle w/ 1/8" fittings
1 1/8" T-fitting w/ 1 male and 2 female ends
Female
|
|
T-Fitting: Male---------Female
You also want to use lock tite to seal the fittings. Use the lock tite on all connections, but only cover 2-3 threads of each fitting. You want it to seal the joint, but you don't want to use too much, because you may want to remove it someday.
The OEM oil pressure sensor is located on the driver side of the front cam housing. It is screwed in slanted, between the two cams. You should be able to locate it easily by locating the connector to the IDI cover, and looking almost directly under that, and between the cams.
Disconnect the IDI cover's wire harness, and the connector to the OEM oil pressure sensor.
Place a few paper towels under and around the OEM oil pressure sensor. A little oil may leak out, but this shouldn't be a problem.
Remove the factory sensor by using Channel Locks. It shouldn't be too tight.
Install the 1/8" male to 1/4" male fitting into the hole where the OEM sensor was.
Screw the T fitting into the adapter, which is now on the cam housing, and tighten it. Make sure that the middle female end of the T fitting faces directly up, and that it is tight.
Screw the 1/4" male to 1/8" male adapter onto the OEM sensor.
Screw the sensor, with adapter, into the side fitting of the T adapter, the one that faces the driver side fender, and tighten.
Screw the 45 degree angle fitting onto the middle, or top, opening on the T fitting. Make sure the opening of the 45 degree adapter makes a 90 degree angle to the driver side fender.
Screw the Autometer oil pressure sensor into the opening on the 45 degree angle adapter.
Run the sensor wire from the grommet over to the Autometer oil pressure sensor, and attach it to the terminal on the sensor.
Here is how the setup should look:
Assembled Fittings:
Autometer Oil sensor
/---/
/ /
| |
|---|
|---|
Cam ---||- |----| |-| ---||-
Housing || | | || Original Oil
---||- |----------| ---||- sensor
Installation is now complete
Check the sensor
The sensor should light up when the ignition is on, and it should make a reading as soon as the engine starts.
Make sure that none of the fittings are leaking. This should be checked somewhat often, until you are sure that it isn't leaking. You should also check this periodically.
The oil pressure should read somewhere between 75-100 psi when the engine is still cold. This is because the cold oil is thick.
The oil pressure should be around 25 psi at a warm idle.
The oil pressure should be around 25-60 psi under war conditions, and when the rpms are high, 2-3000+ rpms.
You should be able to see the oil pressure rise as the rpms rise.
Now, go play with your new gauge. Your done.
