Oil Pressure Switch probs

[fritz]

My oil light isn't coming on with ignition. Have checked and I have continuity (ohms) between tang and earth (bike) so switch 'closed'. I have power (12v) to wire that plugs on tang. I have checked bulb and it's OK. I can only imagine I have lost a contact somewhere between switch and bulb (or is that handlebar on/off switch) and bulb.
Any thoughts ? Was working fine, but have been giving the bike a darn good clean in readiness for crating on Wednesday hoping I've just dislodged something. Likely I'm going to have to ride as is and sort in BA. Help

 

[Tarka]

I`d start from the beginning again....

Unplug the connector from the pressure switch,and touch it to a good known earth.
With ignition on,the oil light should come on.
If it does,you`ve got the all too common dodgy oil pressure switch.

If it doesn`t come on,you`ve got a wiring or bulb problem.

Regarding the bulb,I`ve experienced a 'good' bulb not working due to the small contact arms on the bulb holder being dirty,and also due to a bit of wear on the socket where the arms make contact.
Try cleaning these parts up,and applying a drop of WD40 or similar.
Also try turning the holder a little,to see if that makes the bulb work.

Wiring problems can be anywhere....look for any plug/sockets in the loom and clean them up first.

 

[fritz]

Cheers Tarka , I'll try the tip with grounding the wire.
Yupp the bulbs have a painful habit of not making contact, s'pose I could try for a reading there too. Spare on it's way anyway - small enough to carry, just a shame it takes a deep socket (that I ain't got) to fit !

 

[robbo]

Hi Fritz,
Don't know if its any help but I had a problem with my neutral light and oil light. I traced it eventually to loose connections and in particular the one behind the LH side panel on my PD.

Pete

 

[fritz]

Unplug the connector from the pressure switch,and touch it to a good known earth.
With ignition on,the oil light should come on.
If it does,you`ve got the all too common dodgy oil pressure switch.
If it doesn`t come on,you`ve got a wiring or bulb problem.

Well it's not the switch - no light on when eartking lead. The switch - if I remember correctly - has continuity when engine 'off', start it (with lead off) and continuity goes, turn engine off and continuity returns after a few seconds - ie switch working I assume.
Tried all the twisting bulb, changing for like that works in say high beam indicator, bulb works, but not in oil pressure tell tale. Cleaned contacts, used electrical contact cleaner to no avail. Bugger, must be a connection somewhere under tank I guess.

Hi Fritz, Don't know if its any help but I had a problem with my neutral light and oil light. I traced it eventually to loose connections and in particular the one behind the LH side panel on my PD. Pete

Pete where was that ? Mines a none PD so may be different - the fuses are behind left hand cover on mine - anywhere there ?

Anyway, she goes to be crated tommorrow (nice that the onlt rain for the week is morrow so it'll have to wait for sorting until Buenos Aires I guess - a useful little light to have working really.

Any last minute suggestions - stop it now - welcomed

 

[mikyh]

A general note..

I always carry in the bike toolkit a small circuit checking device.
With it youcan check stuff like this in a second, knowing where to look for the problem. In this case - connecting it to the switch and in an instant you know if the switch is good or bad.
miky

 

[robbo]

Fritz
Follow the wire up on the LHS from by thegear lever and it runs up the frame towards the battery. On the PD there is a connector which is just behind the LH side cover.
Pete

 

[fritz]

Fritz
Follow the wire up on the LHS from by thegear lever and it runs up the frame towards the battery. On the PD there is a connector which is just behind the LH side cover.
Pete

Pete - I found it that night - exactly as you say, the block connector, seems fine now

Mikyh - I might be paranoid, I carry LCD multimeter, 12v in line light and clips, and I have a volt metre fitted, phew - still have difficult finding the culprit though 'twas a time problem with this one, no resolved

 

[Ogmios]

Volt meter?!

glad you got that sorted

o.k - please pardon the hijack...
please tell me where to stick a voltmeter?*

*no - i mean how to wire what to where! - and any specific voltmeter i should look for?

Og.
(now paranoid about me lectrickery)

 

[Tarka]

o.k - please pardon the hijack...
please tell me where to stick a voltmeter?*

Across your battery terminals,with as few joints in the wiring as possible.

MATKAT`s got quite a cool one,which I wired up for him.

 

[Ogmios]

a dipstick replies;

Ta Tarka - your reputation preceeds you ,
is that via the ignition? (coz THATS what would confoozle me, the electrophobic )

tooo simple; just across the battery, surely?
Og
no ohm to go to.*
.
.
.
*i know - thats reVolting

 

[fritz]

Mines a standard BM one I've had for 20 yrs ( ) that was on my R80/7.
Goes in a pod on the GS (except PD perhaps ?). Bought pods s/h from Motoworks, fit on the tang on the indicator stalks. Wire through back of headlight and to 'spare instrument' wiring (cut off BM connector and add new for me to fit my old one). The spare connector has two sets of wiring 'live when key turned' and 'live when key turned and ignition on' choices to wire to. (plus for the instrument light)
Could try the breakers for the voltmeter s/h, or go with a bespoke option from Tarka. Handy to show charging when going, and you could rig up extension wire connections to attached pair of prongs or clips to to test on 12v on bike...but I'd use the multimetre for that

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

i might be wrong but...

warning light switches are wired like this.

switched live via ignition switch goes to one side of the bulb, then the other wire goes down to sensor - oil switch - which is normally closed - hence light on.

start bike - switch now off - light goes off.

voltage at the sensor means a faulty sensor ? ( ie not closing )

 

[Tarka]

Ta Tarka - your reputation preceeds you ,
is that via the ignition? (coz THATS what would confoozle me, the electrophobic )

tooo simple; just across the battery, surely?
Og
no ohm to go to.*
.
.
.
*i know - thats reVolting

Og....You`re embarrassing me....

And your jokes are an embarrassment.....


Ideally,yes,put a voltmeter straight across the battery.......no joints,no volt drop or misleading voltage readings.

BUT

I don`t like having any component permanantly connected (except a clock), so following on from Fritz`s post....use the spare switched live connector on the ignition switch....or connect to it if it`s already in use.

 

[Tarka]

i might be wrong but...

warning light switches are wired like this.

switched live via ignition switch goes to one side of the bulb, then the other wire goes down to sensor - oil switch - which is normally closed - hence light on.

That`s right.

The neutral and oil pressure switches 'make' to earth,and thus create the earth path for the relevant lamp,bringing them on.

 

[MATKAT]

Volt meter

Nippy Norman does that cool volt meter about £20 I think

Across your battery terminals,with as few joints in the wiring as possible.

MATKAT`s got quite a cool one,which I wired up for him.