Oil warning/alternator warning lights

[Paul Fraser]

Need some help with my 01/86 oval dash 944.
On the right hand guage, oil pressure/voltmeter, do the oil-can and battery symbols light up when the ignition is first switched on. If not where are the low oil level and low voltage warning lights please (are these the lights at the bottom of the scales?)
I've just replaced my oil pressure sender as I expected the oil-can icon to light up and it hadn't been, but nothing changed (wish I had known this before trying: it took me over two hours and I eventually had to disconnect the oil filter, distributor cap and the engine manifold radiator pipe to get poor access to it, grrrrr).

 

[Riverside]

Oddly enought I've just had my oil pressure sender replaced too, although I had a look, wimped out & got an indy to do it []

The lights below the two right-hand gauges are for oil pressure & alternator as you correctly assumed, the oil can light on the left-most 'pod' is for the oil level indicator. If it's working correctly it'll come one when your level dips below about half-way on the dipstick along with the central warning light.

The oil pressure sender has two signals, one digital (on/off) for the oil pressure light, the other is analogue for the oil pressure gauge, the oil level sender is in the sump on the inlet side I believe.

 

[Paul Fraser]

What year is yours, I don't have an oil can light on the left most pod...
A replacement unit I bought (my odometer had packed up) had a "engine oil" light at the very bottom of the lefthand gauge with a dipstick to the right of it -- I assume this is what you mean...? This didn't extingush when I tried it so I swapped the speedos over and stayed with the original unit. I suspect this is because my model doesn't have an oil level sender. I'll try and take a pic today, worth a thousand words!

 

[Riverside]

ORIGINAL: Paul Fraser

What year is yours, I don't have an oil can light on the left most pod...
A replacement unit I bought (my odometer had packed up) had a "engine oil" light at the very bottom of the lefthand gauge with a dipstick to the right of it -- I assume this is what you mean...? This didn't extingush when I tried it so I swapped the speedos over and stayed with the original unit. I suspect this is because my model doesn't have an oil level sender. I'll try and take a pic today, worth a thousand words!

We're talking about the same light I think, mine says 'Oil Level' at the bottom and only stays on after you switch on the engine if the oil level is low.

 

[Paul Fraser]

Is this normal?

 

[Riverside]

I think it looks normal. Mine has an additional light on the right pod for ABS which I guess your '86 car doesn't have, and if your car has (or should have) an airbag there should be a light for that in the right pod too which goes out after 5 secs or so.

From memory my old 2.7 lux didn't actually say 'oil level' on start up or when the oil was low, it just illuminated the central warning light. With hindsight I guess it was because the bulb had gone or something on that car as my current turbo has it. It only checks the level at start up & stays on if needed, I've never seen it come on while driving (which makes sense when you think about it). You may be right that your earlier car doesn't have the level sender, I don't know but as long as you regularly check the dipstick it won't matter anyway []

All the lights should go out once you have started the car, if any light stays on the central warning light will come on too (except low fuel).

 

[Paul Fraser]

There are some unused lights on the dash iirc. ABS is one I think (fairly sure I don't have it, early offset car). Servo is another one, don't know what this is used for... No airbag light.