Oil Pressure always @3?

[jagr]

Hi,

When the engine is running my oil gauge is always on 3.
Can anyone point out where the sensor is located and if there is a way to check it is functioning correctly?

Car '94 E280 W124

Thanks

 

[shrekky]

First off,when you turn the ignition on,just it go upto 3 straight away or only when the engine is running ?..........it if does it when the ignition is on but engine isn't running then its knackered,if it only goes to 3 with engine running,i asked a MB mechanic,a very good and honest one,his answer if engine runs fine dont worry about it, only worry about it if it drops.because mine(new sensor) cant make up its mind,sometimes on tick over its at 2.5,sometimes on 3,as soon as i pick the accelerator up though its straight to 3.
The sensor on my 2 litre deisel(dont know if they are the same) is on the bottom of the oil filter casing.and btw to replace it costs £43 +vat

 

[DITTRICH]

My oil pressure sensor (e300d w124) used to go up to 2 on starting from cold at idle. Blipping accelerator from 700 rpm to 1,300rpm took it to 3 . Suddenly started to go up to 3 immediately on starting from cold at idle. Once engine warmed up would fall to 2 at idle. I thought something was wrong - but apparently not. Current behaviour of mine is correct ie 3 on cold start (idle) and later falling to <3 (idle) as oil warms up.
As soon as revs increase, it should be on 3 all the time.
Les

 

[Karl]

Before starting the oil pressure gauge should read Zero.
On startup from cold it will read 3bar on tickover, after warming up it will drop to 2 or 2.5 bar depending on engine temperature but should increase to 3bar with engine speed above 2000 rpm.

The manual states oil pressure above 0.3bar on tickover is OK. So I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[jagr]

Thanks for the replies.

It only goes to 3 once the engine has started it.
I guess I have nothing to worry about.

I am going to get an oil change done. Can anyone confirm that it should
only have 7litres and not the 7.5litres the handbook says?

 

[mustard]

Digging up an old thread I know, but similar issue on my E220,

Oil pressure gauge is always reading 3 (never seen it anywhere else) BUT the needle goes to 3 with the ignition on (ie before the engine is started)

Is it the sensor as per the above?

thanks

 

[neilrr]

Read your Owner's manual, it's all laid out there & is perfectly clear.

 

[mustard]

doesnt in mine, basicaly says in neutral pressure decreases and if pressure drops below 1 the damage can occur

 

[fredfloggle]

Digging up an old thread I know, but similar issue on my E220,

Oil pressure gauge is always reading 3 (never seen it anywhere else) BUT the needle goes to 3 with the ignition on (ie before the engine is started)

Is it the sensor as per the above?

thanks

Could be sensor but I would expect it to go FSD ( up to max) .

Old trick years ago on a car with dodgy oil pressure was to wire the alternator (charge) light together with the oil pressure light.

No more low oil pressure.

 

[Dragon]

Can't remember seeing the oil pressure gauge since my W201. If it hasn't got one in W202, W170 and W211, does it means I don't need to worry about it other than to ensure the dipstick is topped up?

 

[television]

Digging up an old thread I know, but similar issue on my E220,

Oil pressure gauge is always reading 3 (never seen it anywhere else) BUT the needle goes to 3 with the ignition on (ie before the engine is started)

Is it the sensor as per the above?

thanks

'
You do need to find out what is wrong,, more than likely just a sesnsor parcially S/C

 

[television]

Could be sensor but I would expect it to go FSD ( up to max) .

Old trick years ago on a car with dodgy oil pressure was to wire the alternator (charge) light together with the oil pressure light.

No more low oil pressure.

I used to do a far better job for the Jaguar dealers around me, it was a well known fact the all of the engines ran on a low pressure, nothing wrong but it made the cars hard to sell.
Cure was to shunt the oil gauge with a resistor, you could do it to the point where it showed a slight reading when the engine was off, but as we said then, who looks at an oil gauge with the engine off

 

[fredfloggle]

I wish my old Jag had an electric gauge, my copper capillary broke behind the dash, and I ended up with a warm wet feeling.

 

[television]

I wish my old Jag had an electric gauge, my copper capillary broke behind the dash, and I ended up with a warm wet feeling.

The Mk 11, 10's and S type had electric gauges,, I think they were the first, anyway nothing wrong in being well oiled

 

[Roger Jones]

I am going to get an oil change done. Can anyone confirm that it should only have 7litres and not the 7.5litres the handbook says?

From the MB Technical data passenger cars (October 1993), the 280 is grouped with the 320 as an M104, and I think that the official reduction in recommended oil fill applies across the M104 range. You won't get 7 litres in; I start with 6.5 in my M104 and then check the dipstick.

Ah, here's confirmation:

"Mercedes Dealers:
Technical Service Bulletin : TSB-#00/134 and TSB #18/45
11/94
Effective Immediately:
All 104 engines
Oil capacity reduction:
Oil/Filter capacity reduced from 7.5 ltr to 7.0 ltr"

 

[bolide]

Oil pressure gauge is always reading 3 (never seen it anywhere else) BUT the needle goes to 3 with the ignition on (ie before the engine is started)

I've seen this on a couple of cars. I've also seen temperature gauges that wander about then shoot up to maximum before falling again. On one car with the temp gauge fault the temp sender had been replaced twice, according to the service history, so my money is on a dodgy gauge or dodgy voltage stabiliser in the binnacle

Personally I'd ignore it completely. At this age if the engine was going to blow up it would have done it already

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[mustard]

Just been reading through my bills a bit more thoroughly, three years ago (26k miles ago) it was reported 'Fault with oil pressure gauge' although no real diagnoses as regards parts/costs

Unusual for the previous owner not to have had it corrected, because he did have everything and i mean everything fixed!