Oil level gauge

[kevm14]

In the December 2004 issue of Car and Driver, it was written that "Squeezed in between are gauges for fuel, water temp, volts, and oil level," referring to the dash of the new Mustang.

In the March 2005 issue that I just received, I was reading through the letters-to-the-editor section and saw someone criticizing this potential error saying the author must have meant oil pressure. I thought so, too. The editor responded saying that they contacted Ford and were told it was indeed an oil level gauge.

This surprises me and I am still not convinced without more thorough proof. Interesting, no?

 

[Jelly]

 

[Jelly]

It is indeed an engine oil pressure gauge.

Link

 

[Ugly3]

I drove a foreign car back in the 80's that had an oil level gauge, not seen one since.

 

[shortyb]

Someone should contact that Ford person and tell him that the oil LEVEL guage is still under the hood. Funny looking skinny metal piece that most always gets oil on it's end

 

[ekpolk]

Pretty clear that the author messed up on that one. That said, I've long wondered why the car makers don't give us an oil level guage. As we've discussed a multitude of times here, probably half of the drivers out there will never bother themselves to open the hood and actually check their oil. An oil level indicator that stares the driver in the face would seem a pretty effective way of dealing with such drivers (who are, of course, customers of the carmakers too). Technical reason, like sloshing makes it difficult? Bean counters too cheap? Why?

 

[shortyb]

quote:

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Originally posted by ekpolk:
An oil level indicator that stares the driver in the face would seem a pretty effective way of dealing with such drivers (who are, of course, customers of the carmakers too). Technical reason, like sloshing makes it difficult? Bean counters too cheap? Why?

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After dealing with drivers as I have for awhile, its fairly evident that most still wouldn't even pay attention to that either. I'm sure if someone carved the oil level onto their arm with a dull knife, they would probably think, hmmmm.....why am I bleedin'?

 

[kevm14]

That's pretty funny. I assumed it was pressure. What's even funnier is that the C&D author got it wrong in Dec 2004, and the editor "spoke to Ford" and got it wrong AGAIN in March 2005. They must have talked to a complete idiot on the phone.

C&D: "So does the 2005 Mustang have an oil level gauge in the dash?"

Ford: "Yes, it has a gauge for oil in the dash."

C&D: "And it measures oil level?"

Ford: "Uhh....yes, it's for oil"

 

[Kestas]

That's because these people (both journalist and PR agent) are in these positions because they're experts in flapping their gums, not because they're automotive experts.

 

[cryptokid]

its a retro dash.

 

[eljefino]

I'd laugh if it was just a dummy gauge like they stuck in the explorer:

0-4 PSI, gauge to the left, oil light on.
4-100 PSI, gauge somewhere in the middle, oil light off.

 

[kevm14]

quote:

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Originally posted by XS650:
My dad's 1952 XK120 Jag had an oil level gauge. It also held about as much oil as a railroad tank car.

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Well that works out well considering how much oil that car probably leaked

 

[brianl703]

quote:

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Originally posted by ekpolk:
That said, I've long wondered why the car makers don't give us an oil level guage.

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My 1988 Mustang GT has an oil level idiot light that's supposed to come on when the oil level is 1 quart low.

It doesn't work, I think the oil level sensor is bad. Or it's missing the relay..there's a relay socket which I had identified via the electrical manual as being for the low oil level relay BUT it also shows connections to the low fluid level module, which is only on the GT.

It is unclear whether the low oil level relay is only needed on non-GT 5.0s because those functions are handled by the low fluid module OR if the low oil level relay is needed on both.

But why would someone remove the low oil level relay?

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by brianl703:


But why would some one remove the low oil level relay?

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To keep the $#%^$^% light from coming on

 

[Patman]

I remember sitting in a Porsche 911 at a car show back in the late 80s/early 90s and it had an oil level gauge in it.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by kevm14:

quote:

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Originally posted by XS650:
My dad's 1952 XK120 Jag had an oil level gauge. It also held about as much oil as a railroad tank car.

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Well that works out well considering how much oil that car probably leaked

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Funny thing is, that car didn't leak oil. It did leak electricity and water.

 

[Fuelrod]

Porsche, Ford and Jag NEED oil level gauges because in many of these cars, that gauge will decend faster than the fuel gauge!

 

[XS650]

Turn ignition on, don't start engine. Read gauge.

Start engine, read gauge. If reading increases from 0 to some significant amount, it's oil pressure.

If it decreases, it's oil level. Or if it's a diablically smart system, it will stay about the same.

That's a bit too sophisticated a test for C&D though, unless someone tells them how to do it.

My dad's 1952 XK120 Jag had an oil level gauge. It also held about as much oil as a railroad tank car.

 

[srivett]

Is that a British dash? The tach is on the wrong side.

Steve

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

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Originally posted by XS650:

quote:

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Originally posted by brianl703:


But why would some one remove the low oil level relay?

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To keep the $#%^$^% light from coming on

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How 'bout so as to reduce the car's IQ to approximately that of the owner. . .