Oil Level gauge - 306 XT??

[pugilist]

OK guys...

What's the deal with the oil level gauge on my 306?? (its the one in the middle of the tacho with "mini - maxi" gauge) see attachment

Gauge illuminates when ignition is on - yet gauge doesn't move. When I start engine, lights go out and you guessed it - gauge doesn't move.

The oil level is fine yet the gauge is either stuffed, sender unit is cactus or other...

Any suggestions??

Cheers..

 

[batwad]

Quite normal I believe, since you can't read the oil level with the engine running (what with it sloshing around in the sump and all) the gauge cuts out when the engine's running. The lights go out to, er, indicate this to you

Alex

 

[tekkie]

Since the guage takes the reading from two different sensors I'd be somewhat surprised the sensors are cactus.

We/you need someone to confirm what controls the guage (ECU or the dashboard controller) to figure out which part is defective.

It sounds like a trip to service guys.

 

[brenno]

How long do you leave ignition on for before engaging the starter?

 

[pugilist]

Macquered, ignition is on for a second or 2 tops... I noticed this morning that the gauge actually moved a fraction whilst ignition was on, suggesting that it may actually be reading something??

Alex, obvious point about the gauge not being able to read the oil level whilst engine is running, who knows how inventive these french dudes can be?? ... sort of defeats the point of having a gauge at all! I will have a closer look at the oil level again and top up to see if it makes a difference...

Thanks

 

[JohnW]

Macquered, ignition is on for a second or 2 tops... I noticed this morning that the gauge actually moved a fraction whilst ignition was on, suggesting that it may actually be reading something??

Alex, obvious point about the gauge not being able to read the oil level whilst engine is running, who knows how inventive these french dudes can be?? ... sort of defeats the point of having a gauge at all! I will have a closer look at the oil level again and top up to see if it makes a difference...

Thanks

With ours (1995 XT) the gauge needle moves to show the level when the ignition is turned on for a second or so, then drops to the left bottom when the engine starts. This is what it has done from new and I've no reason to think this is not correct. It shows you if there is an issue when you hop in and start the car, if you wait and look.

I don't know where the sensor is but I'm sure the gauge doesn't work when the engine is running.

JohnW

 

[batwad]

With ours (1995 XT) the gauge needle moves to show the level when the ignition is turned on for a second or so, then drops to the left bottom when the engine starts. This is what it has done from new and I've no reason to think this is not correct. It shows you if there is an issue when you hop in and start the car, if you wait and look.

I think that's the idea, and I would never use this instead of checking the dipstick. I've noticed on mine that if I've only stopped for a minute or two and go to start again, the needle only springs up to just over halfway. First time it did it I nearly sh*t myself, checking under the car and taking readings from the dipstick. I concluded that the sensor read the oil level in the sump and so after a journey the oil is fully distributed about the engine. Leave it to settle for quarter of an hour or so and you start getting more sensible readings.

I agree with JohnW, in that I use it more as a warning light to notify me of problems rather than the actual oil level. Next oil change I'll see what happens when the engine's empty

 

[pugrambo]

Alex, obvious point about the gauge not being able to read the oil level whilst engine is running, who knows how inventive these french dudes can be?? ... sort of defeats the point of having a gauge at all! I will have a closer look at the oil level again and top up to see if it makes a difference...

Thanks

on the up spec models like the GTi-6 and i think the XSi it also is an oil temp guage which is handy

i can never understand why though they never seem to run oil pressure guages though to me that is just as handy or even more handy as oil temp

 

[GTI124]

I always found that it wouldn't work half the time. Turn the key back to off again and then to ACC and it'd work again. I had the instrument cluster replaced because of it and it didn't fix it.

 

[pugrambo]

mine has never failed from day one

and my old mans one in the diesel has always worked everytime as he watches it everytime he goes to start the car

 

[GTI124]

Every 306 I've been in works intermittently. Brenno's, Derek's, Jude's, ntrx's. I dunno...

 

[pugrambo]

Every 306 I've been in works intermittently. Brenno's, Derek's, Jude's, ntrx's. I dunno...

i must have a freaky one

from day one the guage has never played up. the bonus of having the car from new