I've replaced the engine once in this car (not due to oil pressure), and will probably install a rebuilt engine next time it needs replacing (about $6000). It is very likely the next engine replacement will be due to something other than a catastrophic loss of oil pressure (probably just high mileage, again). I'm also sure I will buy another rebuilt transmission at some point. You cannot protect against everything that may harm your engine. If installing an alarm makes you feel better, go for it.

Yeah, that happened to my mum in her poor civic, although the light (pressure or level, not sure) just came on during cornering and she did have the sense to stop driving when she saw that. It did also need 2.5 quarts, but it's still running strong! 170,000 miles.

I can understand the alarm, too, although I'm already in the habit of checking the gauges regularly (never can be too often, though). But that's such a frill that it would probably come after preemptively replacing the oil pump chain and/or pump. Let's not forget that such a failure would also be quite paralyzing (you wouldn't even be able to drive it onto a trailer).

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

I like the alarm idea mostly for guest drivers who are not aware

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or wives (ducking)

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

: ) I was trying to say that without really saying it.... ha

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My daugther just got a Civic (so I could get my 92 back), noticed the oil light coming on when she pulled up to a stop. Added well over two quarts of oil.

I'm pretty sure on a Honda it's a pressure gauge. I'm trying to get my daughter to check constantly till she has a sense of the oil consumption rate. We'll see....

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

I have this nightmare pretty often. In fact I had it again last night... Is it Tylers car on the side of the road with oil everywhere? I have that image burned in my brain. Hard to shake that one. I keep waiting for the oil cooler or to blow or the power steering belt to take out one of the oil cooler lines. That was last nights nightmare. The power steering belt started shredding and whipping the hell out of the oil cooler lines. The pressure went to zero, oil everywhere... You get the picture... WAKE UP!! Oh whew...... Just a dream...

I watch the oil, engine temp. and fuel gauges more than the Speedo/RPM. Especially in the summer time. I'm just worried about my wife not being as vigilant when she drives the car.

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

I've lost oil pressure three times. First time was in my first car, a '73 Chrysler with an idiot light and no gauge. I had taken a railroad crossing too hard earlier in the day, creating an oil leak of which I was unaware. I was driving at highway speed, and the engine was knocking with a bad rod bearing when I pulled over. The idiot light never came on. This spelled the end for that car.

Second time was in my second car, a '72 Mercury that also lacked a gauge. One day I was driving, and it just stopped running. Some investigation revealed that a little pin that went through the distributor gear and held it to the shaft was broken. I replaced the pin and fired it up. Idiot light came on. I shut it down. Further investigation revealed that the relatively fragile little pin was there so that the distributor would stop turning if the oil pump (which is driven by a hex off the bottom of the distributor on a Windsor Ford) locks up, which is exactly what happened. Somehow, the oil pump was turning freely after the pin replacement, but still not pumping any oil. I let the kids in high school auto shop fix it for me (I was a student at the time, but wasn't in that class). One oil pump, one hotter than stock replacement camshaft, and some minor parts later, and I was back on the road. At least until it ate two more oil pumps in rapid succession and I gave up and junked it.

Third time was in a company vehicle at my job. The truck was an ancient Chevy cabover with a 427 gasser. I was driving at about 40 mph on a test track, getting ready to gather some data through a data aquisition system, when the engine sound changed. I checked the gauges and found 0 oil pressure. I shut it down and coasted to a stop. Turns out some valvetrain parts had come loose and found their way down to the oil pump, which locked up. The engine was able to be reused without a rebuild.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

The system looks for a lower pressure at the oil filter below 2000 rpm, and for a higher pressure at the cylinder head above 2000 rpm.

-Jason

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

I had a dream like this a couple of days ago!

It was one of those really scary vivid dreams where I woke up believing that it actually happened.

I watch the gauge like a hawk. I would be so sad if my engine died.

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

A growing percentage of people that own these models will experience the dream more frequently as the cars age.

Assuming we will catch the analogue oil pressure meter dropping fast enough is more than a little subjective. The time wasted for the mind to truly absorb what you are seeing is critical. A loud buzzer for some reason is reacted to instantly.

I have done no experimentation myself. I do find it unlikely that one can really pay attention to the road and the oil gauge on an almost continious basis. As with most things in life the event will occur at the time you are not watching. These engines are somewhat intollerent than some of oil pressure lost.

If you are not going to install a warning system make sure you know the age and condition of your oil cooler lines. The accessory belt is not really getting close to the oil lines either. Pull the lower oil pan and critically inspect the oil pumps driving chain and sprockets. It is always sad to lose an engine because of rejecting such a low expendature of time and money.

Remember many owners have already reported not much was left of the teeth on the sprockets. The higher the overall accumulated milage the more important to do something.

These are called "Idiot" lights...
There is a reason for that.......

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Do it right or dont do it at all!

Or it turns itself off !!!!

I have a freind who installed guages with the auto cut offs ones on the oil and ones on the temp. You can set them at what you want and forget about them. I dont know how they could be incorperated into the vacuum shut off system though. other down side is you need to press a button and hold until oil pressure builds to start the car . They're mainly used on heavy equipment.

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Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

You don't have to be an idiot to have an oil cooler line fail...

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1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

rcounts is right,
Could also be a oil pump drive chain break or a few other things. The average "idiot" would probably look at the light & wonder what it means while doing 65 for long enough to kill the motor. Fortunately all of us on here are not that silly and would take appropriate action quickly to try & save the motor.

soothappends,
What you are describing is known as a watch dog. For a vac operated shut down, they use an electrically operated valve in the line to the vac shut off.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving