How to Test an Oil Pressure Sensor with a Multimeter (3 Steps)
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If your car uses a mechanical oil pressure sensor and you notice that the warning light is on, we recommend that you check what the problem is. You may need to service or completely replace it. While a red warning light may be disturbing, you have nothing to worry about.
This is because you can fix the problem easily and quickly. Sometimes you may only need to replace the gasket and not the entire derailleur.. An oil pressure gauge is an instrument used to measure the oil pressure in a car engine.
It is an important tool that can protect the health of a car's engine. The sensor helps to control the oil pressure gauge in the car. When there is an oil pressure problem, the sensor will illuminate as a warning.
This will indicate the problem and tell the vehicle owner what the likely problem is. Some problems that the pressure gauge may show include oil leaks, low oil pressure, or that the engine is consuming more oil than normal. If the sending unit is also faulty, the engine oil pressure sensor may also signal a problem by illuminating.
You can test the oil pressure sensor with a multimeter in three easy steps. Block the engine. Check the resistance with the engine off. Check the resistance with the engine running. Before you begin, check what type of oil pressure sensor your vehicle has.
3-step guide to test the oil pressure sensor with a multimeter
Before diving into the steps to test an oil pressure switch with a multimeter, let's take a quick look at what a switch is. So what is an oil pressure sensor? This is the car's oil pump switch. The oil pump is connected to the oil filter housing and the oil pressure switch is activated. (1)
The sensor is designed to stop the oil supply when the oil pressure falls below a certain level. It is built right into the oil filter housing, valve cover or engine block. The oil pressure sensor is an important component of a car engine.
Now let's see why we would use a multimeter to test it.
A multimeter is an electrical test device used to test an oil pressure sensor. It is worth mentioning that The approach to testing a faulty oil pressure sensor depends on the type of switch or sensor.. Switches or sensors come with one, two or three contacts. Each one is tested in a completely different way, as outlined in the steps below:
Step 1: Block the engine
Make sure you block the engine before testing. To do this, disconnect the battery from the vehicle. You don't need to remove it from the car. Just disable it and move on to the next step.
Step 2. Check the resistance with the engine off.
Now set up your multimeter to measure the resistance level or check if there is a closed or open circuit. To check resistance, connect one lead of a multimeter to the test light terminal on the engine oil pressure sensor. Then put the second wire on the sensor housing.
If the pressure sensor is working properly, the meter will read 0 ohms. Then connect the wire to the metal case or the engine oil pressure sensor terminal. The meter reading should indicate that the circuit is open.
Step 3. Check the resistance with the engine running.
The next step is to check the oil pressure sensor with the car engine running. To do this, connect the switches. If the sensor is good and there is oil pressure in the engine, the multimeter will show infinity at the switch terminal. This indicates that the circuit is open.
Testing process of various types of oil pressure switch
As already mentioned, there are three types of oil pressure sensors. These are single contact, two contact and three contact switches. Let's take a look at each of them and how each is tested.
Single contact oil pressure switch
For a single contact pressure sensor, you must connect a multimeter between the pressure sensor body and the contact. This is because it only has one connection per pin. The other connection is through the switch housing which leads to the engine block.
The connection between the motor block and the switch housing acts as a ground. The switch opens when the engine is running and closes when the engine is turned off. (2)
Two-pin oil pressure switch with one pin as ground
This type of switch does not use the body as a ground, as it has two pins. The same process for testing a single contact switch applies to testing a two contact pressure switch. All you need to do in this case is connect a multimeter between both pins. The switch opens when the engine is running and closes when the engine is turned off.
Dual contact oil pressure switch with one normally open contact and one normally closed contact
This type of oil pressure sensor will have one of the contacts closed and the other open when the oil pressure is low. The pin will change its position when the oil pressure in the engine increases.
Three-pin oil pressure sensor
It has two contacts that alternate positions, like a two-prong oil pressure switch with one open and one closed contact, and a standard connection such as a housing. It's a little tricky to check the oil pressure in the three pin connector compared to the other two.
You must know the specific pin that needs to be open, the one that needs to be closed, and the one that needs to be grounded before you can test it. When you are sure about these three points, you can connect a multimeter between the common pin and the normally closed pin. Ideally, the circuit should be open when the engine is running and closed when it is turned off.
F.A.Q.
How to reset the oil pressure sensor?
You can reset the oil pressure sensor to make it work more efficiently. The good news is that it is easy and quick to reset. Follow the steps below to get it done quickly:
Step 1: Insert the car key into the ignition and turn it on. Do not start the engine while doing this. You will see that the engine pressure sensor light is on.
Step 2: Slowly press the gas pedal about three times to reset the oil pressure sensor.
Step 3: Now turn the ignition off and on again to make sure the reset was successful.
Summing up
Keeping your oil pressure switch in optimal working order is critical to the safety of your vehicle and the lives of all drivers. Like other car parts, the oil pressure sensor requires regular maintenance.
Without it, it will be difficult to monitor the oil pressure in the engine. We recommend checking the oil pressure sensor regularly. If the oil pressure in the car is low, it can lead to friction between several parts of the engine.
This, in turn, can lead to a significant reduction in engine performance and eventually engine damage. In this post, we have covered a detailed step by step guide on how to test an oil pressure sensor with a multimeter.
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- How to check a knock sensor with a multimeter
- How to check the stove pressure switch with a multimeter
- How to check the crankshaft position sensor with a multimeter
Recommendations
(1) oil pressure - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/oil-pressure
(2) body functions - https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/
body/functions.html
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