Oil Light on

/ Oil Light on #1  

shovelrider

Silver Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
183
Location
USA
Tractor
YM1700 w / fel
I know i've seen somewhere about this, but can't find it. Anyways, was running ym1700 scraping some under brush. Temps around 88/93 index outside, and i am in shady area mostly. Oil stick is on full mark(clean oil), oil / filter change awhile back, haven't used tractor but 2-3 times since. And this morning it came on and hasn't turned off. Was pushing pretty good size loads of brush/dirt/logs etc.. It did however, try to stall a couple of times when running low rpms(1200). I mostly run around 16-1800 while pushing heavy loads or running bushhog. The oil sending unit is about 2yrs. old, maybe light indicator? What say ye' grand Yanmar wizards ??
 
/ Oil Light on #2  
I wouldn't run it anymore without confirmation of correct oil pressure. Trying to stall is a good indication the light is telling the truth.
 
/ Oil Light on #3  
It may be your current sending unit has gone bad, or maybe it has a piece of trash covering the hole inside blocking a good pressure reading. If you pull the sending unit and can't see anything, then I'd screw in a mechanical gauge and see what that says. The fact that the light is on is telling you that either you have low oil pressure or that the sending unit is bad.
Hopefully it's the sending unit, but a decent quality mechanical gauge will tell the story
 
/ Oil Light on
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Had another unit, installed it lights off WooHoo ! Going to town tomorrow and get a mech. gauge, what is press. need to be approx.? Like to be able to read press., not wait on a light bulb to tell when it needs some attention paid to it. Thanx Jim
 
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I would just call it a fix and move on unless you just want the extra work. Nine out of ten times it's the pressure unit. It transfers at about 4psi. A gauge requires a different pressure unit.
 
/ Oil Light on #7  
I would just call it a fix and move on unless you just want the extra work. Nine out of ten times it's the pressure unit. It transfers at about 4psi. A gauge requires a different pressure unit.

Hoye's sight shows same pressure sender for 220 and 1700. Manual for 220 states light on below 14.2psi.
 
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I installed a mechanical oil pressure gauge along with voltmeter for giggles. It's always good to know what the engine is doing.



 
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No doubt I am probably in the minority but do favor oil lights for the simple reason one is likely to notice a red light come on. Unless you constantly monitor your gauge you could have 0 oil pressure before you even notice the gauge. Just a thought. It is important to assure they are in working order.
 
/ Oil Light on #10  
Here's a longwinded thread I wrote when I had the same experience. Summary: Install the $6 sender that is common for 70's Honda, Subaru, Nissan and get on with life.

Low oil pressure? No, bad sender!


Here's a photo in that thread showing a water pressure gauge I mounted temporarily for diagnosis.

144606d1257399170-low-oil-pressure-no-bad-p1550937roilgauge-jpg
 
/ Oil Light on #11  
No doubt I am probably in the minority but do favor oil lights for the simple reason one is likely to notice a red light come on.

I found it hard to tell if it was on or off in sunny conditions where the gauge can be seen at all times, even when its dark as the gauges illuminate :D
 
/ Oil Light on #12  
Glad it turned out okay, but....
Do most people consider driving around with your low oil pressure light on, hoping it's just a bad sensor or light, a pretty big (huge) gamble?
Especially if engine then acts abnormal, like it wants to stall?

In this situation, other than adding a gauge, how does one know if engine, top end, turbos, etc.. are getting enough oil?
 
/ Oil Light on
  • Thread Starter
#13  
I am pretty sure it bogged down because of the load i was pushing, and was at around 1400rpms. Didn't make it to town cause of Doctor Appt., Did however go to O'riellys web site and seen a gauge similar to MesaAZguys, but it had more hash marks on it to be more exact on press. $19-$20, then have to get reducer fitting to metric. I just don't know about how they use the plastic line w/oil in it to meas. press.. Have done it to my ol' 68 Jav. & Chevelle, but would have to becareful of line route is all. I tend to get into the brush a lot, don't need it to get broken off. Unless there is an electric type sensor w/gauge? Jim
 
/ Oil Light on #14  
They do make electric oil pressure gauges, most OEM vehicles that have instruments use them. The senders are much more expensive and need to be matched to the gauge. The best option would be to install a T so that the NC pressure switch for the oil light ground can still be used in conjunction with a pressure gauge, that allows monitoring the actual pressure, and irregularities if there, without having to give up the annunciator light. That would be predicated on having a fitting configuration compact enough not to create a vulnerability hazard.
For the plastic oil lines, maybe run it through some metal electrical conduit; there might be room for a few wires as well to protect multiple things if the routing allows it.
 
/ Oil Light on #16  
But if a limb catches copper of plastic most likely it will pull it off. Just tie wire which ever you can or clamp it safely often.
 
/ Oil Light on #17  
See that splice in my photo above? That's where I snagged a branch. Driving back to the barn with the red light on was unnerving despite low probability of a real problem. Snag a plastic tube and break it, the same way? - not so simple to work your way out of that problem and get back to work. I like the simplicity of how Yanmar designed these.

Also - that temporary, testing-only 'T' in the photo extends the plumbing out beyond the oil filter. I wouldn't run like that, it's sure to snag on something. After some thought I never installed the gauges I bought for this tractor. The simplicity of the warning lights is fine by me.
 
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My oil line is protected by the cowling and is kept away from anything hot or moving in the engine area. I used gauge pods to make the installation neater. I agree with you Winston, but I prefer both means of oil warnings. That said, I have my gauges in a high visibility area and I am constantly watching them. I am used to doing that from owning British cars.
 
/ Oil Light on #19  
That's why I went for an electric gauge for mine for reasons stated above. Cheap from China works fine on both my tractors. Benn on there for years and work well.
 
/ Oil Light on
  • Thread Starter
#20  
found a marking on the oil sending unit that reads (0.3bar), which if i am correct is 4.35 psi. Remember this is a 79' ym1700, do these numbers mean that its to low of press. for a unit or satisfactory for one? This lil' tractor has done waymore than i thought it could, and for what i need (use) it for has surprised me. Even with the Rice patty tires on it & in the sandy soil we have around here. It has the Radiator change over done to it and everything works on it, I just don't wanna have something like oil press. screw it up. As anything else that i own, when something starts to show signs of worry, i'm on it to get it fixed (the right way). Thanx for all the input and suggestions, will be working on it today after rain stops. Jim
 
 
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