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82 244 oil pressure guage

Murploid1

Murploid1

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Location
Houston, Texas
Hello,

I have an issue with my 1982 244 and its oil pressure gauge. As soon as power (electrical) is applied the gauge pegs itself to maximum. This has been an issue ever since I had the car, never got around to fixing it.

I recently purchased a replacement 5 bar gauge and NOS Volvo sender unit.

I replaced the 3 bar with the 5 bar and the issue is the same. I assume that there must be some sort of grounding issue. The harness was recently replaced in this car, that seems have included these wires - they are new. Previously they were all frayed and touching.

I haven't replaced the original sender with the new one I have - look's like a PITA, no space. Just screws out?

Anything I can or should be checking with a multi meter?
 
It sounds like the wires on the sender are reversed. The terminal marked G on the sender goes to the gauge (should be a green wire.). The one marked WK goes to the light (black wire).
 
The wires are not reversed. The terminals on the sender are different sizes, the smaller plug cannot be plugged into the larger terminal.

My replacement sender is marked “S” and “-” pretty sure the original is the same - the “S” terminal being the larger.

Any other thoughts? Can the sender be removed without removing the alternator?

Grounding issue with sensor itself?
 
Last edited:
VDO replacement senders are marked the same way as original senders. Which sender are you using?

vdo-360009_w.jpg


OilPressureSenderContacts.jpg
 
I'd check the wiring with my meter. Test the sensor wire to ground to see if it is shorted. It should be open to ground with the gauge disconnected. The other wire for the light will have low ohms to ground because you are testing through the light bulb. Another thought is to check the condition of the grounds on the engine. There is supposed to be a braided strap on the back of the valve cover. Sometimes if the engine isn't grounded well then gauges can read strangely. On the battery there is a smaller ground strap from the batter to the inner fender. The ground on the alternator could use a check as well.
 
The sender appears to have the correct ohm range but I've never seen one marked like that before. Do you know who made it?

Looking at the picture of the VDO sender and the one you're using, the terminals are reversed unless the internal workings are different. The post on the left with the large blade terminal is for the gauge. It should have the small blade terminal for the green wire.

RL1w3U9l.jpeg


vdo-360009_w.jpg
 
An OE sender would be made by VDO and marked G & WK.

Some senders that have an external or floating ground that require a separate ground wire. That could be why one terminal is marked "-". Those senders don't have a terminal for the warning light.

I found a sender with the same markings as the one you have. It's for a different ohm range but this is what it says about the connections.

Connections:

Connect "-" terminal to common ground
Connect "S" terminal to gauge signal input
Click to expand...

Do you know the part number of the sender you're using?
 
You might have a "floating ground" sender rather than the correct one which grounds to the block. That also would mean you just have one output instead of the correct 2 (gauge and light).

I'm also a little suspicious that it doesn't seem to be stamped VDO under the terminals, but maybe that's just the angle.

New senders are available still from VDO. The one I purchased for my '87 with 5 bar gauge was 360-009 for a bit under $50.
 
To be clear I haven't installed the new sender unit yet. Installed is what appears to be the original - but it looks just like the "new" unit pictured above.

I was interested in what tests should be completed before I take it out and replace because that looks like a PITA.
 
NOS VDO's have the 2 knurled nobs - that sender was an NOS one bought from a dealer in a Volvo wrapper....circa 1998. We had a 92 244 (wife's car) that had the complete factory gauge package that also had the S / - markings on it. Only issue we ever had turned out to be the harness had cracked / shorted wires where it bent / was clamped around the front of the block - so wasn't the sensor at all. Other than that, that particular S/- sender worked fine. Did VDO make it? Its Volvo so who knows.
 
I had another look at the sender in the car its the "g" & "WK" - wired correctly, the green plug on the G.

On the new sender ("S" & "-") I have swapped the connectors so that the smaller one is on "S".

Whats the easiest way to swap out the sender? Remove oil filter?
 
That's the first step in the installation instructions. You may need to remove the alternator belts and swing the alternator down to get a wrench on the sender. It's a good idea to get a wrench on elbow too as it can break if the sender is really tight.

Don't use Teflon tape on the threads. It can prevent the sender from grounding properly.

OilPressureSenderContacts.jpg
 
Yeah sounds like your sender is bad. Its not that bad to remove. It can be done without swinging alternator down but honestly that's the easiest way. Leaving the gauge pegged for long periods will eventually ruin it so be careful.
 
Murploid1 said:
Oh man..Not sure I am willing to spend all that effort to remove that stupid sender. Not this year anyway...
Click to expand...

15m job with power tools, 30m without, NBD :)

Come through if you ever need help, was this car once worked on by Weldy a couple years back? If so I think I may have seen it before.
 
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