The Lotus Grand Tourers

Just bought an 86 Excel with only 34000 miles. Oil pressure (VDO 5 bar) jumps to max when I switch on the ignition and engine is not running. When engine is running it stays there. When ignition is turned off the needle sticks until you tap the glass. No idesa what the oil pressure is. Should I fit a new gauge Also there is a clicking from behind the dash. Could it be the tacho cable
Thanks
Timtenor

Well timtenor, welcome to the mad world of Excel ownership and to this brilliant Forum. Someone will answer your oil pressure problem far better than I can. As to the clicking, are you certain that it is behind the dash? I say this because the petrol pump is in the front RH corner of the boot and audible: noises in cars are notoriously difficult to pinpoint.
Good Luck with your new motor!

Check that the wire from the sender is attached. If it comes off the reading will default to maximum.

Also there is a clicking from behind the dash.

Probably the speedo cable. Fairly easy to temporarily disconnect it - see here

hodders wrote:

Also there is a clicking from behind the dash.

Probably the speedo cable. Fairly easy to temporarily disconnect it - see here

Thanks Hodders. That was also a thought I had but the clicking is there anytime that the engine is running. Is the tacho cable driven.

Welcome

I'd be wary of the 34k mile claim if you don't have FLSH / full documentation / MOTS especially if the dash has been out causing instrument wiring /relay faults. Look for marks on instrument panel screws and scuffs on the leather in front of the instrument panel.

yes, speedo is cable driven. Does it read the speed correctly?
The oil gauge is supposed to go to max if the iginition is turned on and should go to the correct reading if the engine is running.
Check the cables at the oil sender, which sits under the airbox.

timtenor wrote: Also there is a clicking from behind the dash.

Does the clicking happen with the engine running and the bonnet open ?

If not - it's probably sound being transmitted through the throttle cable which is sitting in the wrong place due to missing clips - a bit of careful adjustment of how the cable lies will fix it. (DAMHIKIJKOK? )

Thanks for all your help. Oil pressure gauge problem now solved after fitting a new VDO sender unit. With new oil & filter the engine idles at 4 bar when cold. I'm relieved that there is not a more serious engine problem.
Timtenor

Lotus-e-Clan wrote:Welcome

I'd be wary of the 34k mile claim if you don't have FLSH / full documentation / MOTS especially if the dash has been out causing instrument wiring /relay faults. Look for marks on instrument panel screws and scuffs on the leather in front of the instrument panel.

probably 134k more likely... mine reads 12,000 ish, its done 112k

Exactly ^^^

Difficult to be sure about Excel mileage unless you have a complete and genuine Lotus document history. Not difficult for cowboy garages in the past to forge a complete set of old style MOTs with mileage adjustment to suit the second time around odometer. Not so easy now though.

Ill have a quid on the clicking from behind the dash being the Servo non return valve rattling ( white thing on the end of the pipe where it goes into the servo ). To find out, put your ear on the valve, or pull the pipe off while its parked and see if the noise has gone. Dont try driving with it off, you might find the pedal response to be rubbish.

Bash

I'm wondering if it's easy, or even possible to remove the oil pressure gauge with the dash in place ?
The gauge reads zero with the sensor connected and engine running. It still reads zero with the sensor wire disconnected, so I'm thinking it must be the gauge unless a wire has come loose on the back of it ?
Are there any other easy tests I could run ? The dash lights and coolant temperature gauges work so I'm thinking the earth should be ok ?
The engine sounds fine btw, so I'm not concerned about catastrophic failure

My oil pressure gauge is like this one.
Cheers,
Malcolm.

The gauge panel is one of the easiest things to remove. Not worth struggling from behind to try and take just the oil gauge out.
Removed the venier trim, remove the 4 screws. Push the Speedo cable from the engine bay into the car and the gauge panel starts to come forward. Just comes far enough to reach behind and unscrew the Speedo cable. Then just a big multi connector, but there's loads of cable lengths, so very easy to access.
Good luck.

You could try taking the wire off the sender and 'earthing' it, with power onto the gauge, I would expect gauge to then read max, which would then suggest gauge and feed to it and wire to sender are okay but sender is not.

Andy