Installing oil pressure gauge
 

Okay so after 5 hours of reading through old threads on how to install oil pressure senders, I went outside to look under the hood of my car and see if I can find it. NOPE, no luck here. I also noticed that I have a hole (threaded) next to my oil filter (on the right side). I am taking it that this hole is where the knock sensor should be??? Am I correct?

If anyone can help me out on this thank you. I have the 2.4L DOHC engine and can't find where i need to put the new oil sender unit.
-Smurf-

That is correct on the 3400, don't know about the 2.4

The sending unit is under the cover that says 2.4 on the front cam housing driver side. and i belive the knock senser is on the back side of our moters.

Ok, call me RETARDED, but why the hell would the oil pressure sending unit be under the IDI cover (the thing that says 2.4L Twin Cam)?

Ken, what is correct? LOL
-Smurf-

ken has a V6, but you have a V4 lulz

(no i was not at ass FOAD)

I know this Nate, however what is a foad?
-Smurf-

^^ Aleroracing's typing of the word "Ford"

Sorry, Smurf that I didn't think of this sooner:

I looked in my Alero Manual and yes the oil sending unit is under the IDI cover.

It is mounted on the front camshaft housing on the left (driver's side) of the engine

Attachment 7059

eff off and die

(thats what it is, im not telling you to... lol)

Ken, THANK YOU SIR.......YOU are a GOD!!!! Now can you find me a picture of the place where to install the trans. temp., LOL?

Nate, if you are not telling me too then why did you post it??? Are you trying to play games with my head as it is late and I ALREADY have a headache...LMAO
-Smurf-

coming from a "christian"

:lol:

sorry.=]

I did not say that he was God, I just said that he is one.


Ken, you are a GOD(des) risen told me too!!! LMAO
OK, Fixed

Okay so what I have learned is that yes I AM RETARDED because the sending unit is under the IDI cover and that it is SUPRISINGLY easy to hook up the power to gauges if you run them to the wires from your radio, (thanks Ken)!
More to follow as I am trying to hook up the oil sending unit to the car as soon as I get off here. My question is what to do with the old one, Should I just cut it off the wire and tape the wire up or what?
-Smurf-

Unplug the harness and cable tie it up someplace. That's what I did when I replaced the stock oil pressure sensor for a turbo oil feed hose.

Chris,
Thanks for the info. Will I be throwing a code for this?
-Smurf-

No, nothing happens. Not like you needed the stock sensor anyway, it trips a light when you have < 5 psi of oil pressure.

Okay, another thing I learned while trying to change the sender unit, it is the wrong freaking size. The one they gave me is threaded smaller. Does anyone know the correct size thread that we need for the LD9?
I did get power to all of them and playes with all seven colors and the two functions that fade between colors and changes between colors, I like it. However, of course they are stuck on the blue background with the red pointers. LOL
-Smurf-

P.S. For those of you that will probably say it, SCREW YOU, I am tired and didn't take any pics. LOL I will later tonight when I come back to work.

just go to a car parts place, and get an adapter for the next size bigger. they'll know what your talking about. (take the sender with you)

any plumbing supplier or machine shop should have what you need.

Smurf, I sure can (assuming that your tranny probe will fit the hole. It will be above the pass side axle)

http://www.grandamgt.com/transtemp.html

Nate, you need a lot of help with yours. You should be nicer ;)

1/4" NPT

smurf got a hardware store and get an adaptor. you probably got 1/8npt on your new sending unit but the thread in the cam tower is 1/4npt. make sure to use telfon tape and remember the cam tower is alum. so don't over torque.

Thank you to all who responded. I did go to autozone today before work, and did exactly what Cherry said (without reading his post first). I took the new sending unit in and told the guy that I needed an adapter to fit in my car. He said okay, bent down and came up and handed me the adapter and teflon tape. I think I am not the only one that has done this as he NEVER went to the back or anywhere else, it was like he knew what I was coming for and had it already waiting for me.

I do plan on doing this tonight as the wires for the new sending unit were ran last night (Cherry would be SO proud...I went therought the grommet instead of the door). LMAO.
I am also tired of looking at a voltmeter that works, a transmission temp that reads 100 degrees (not hooked up) and an oil pressure gague that reads 100psi (not hooked up at the current time).
-Smurf-

^^^^^DONT EVEN. LOL I got your number, Wait a minute and come back to this thread. ROTFLMAO
-Smurf-

Going thru the door is the ghetto way of doing it ;)

Chris (Ion),
this is how your fuse box should look like AFTER you get through installing things. ROTFLMAO
-Smurf-

Yeah... I forgot all that stuff was even in there. A massive array of wires, tap splices, and electrical tape are spiderwebbed where my fuse panel once was. :lol:

Redoing it soon... and getting a fire extinguisher.

For those of you that wanted to see the pics, Here you go.
-Smurf-

Chris,
That is go to know that you are AT LEAST getting a fire extinguisher. LMAO.
I wish you luck on the project of redoing it all.
Also forgot to say thanks for the info and help regarding the magnaflow as a resonator. I think you will be quite surprised to know that I NO LONGER sound like a horny bumble bee in a coffee can. LOL
-Smurf-

w00t!

Looks pretty good

Okay,
So to CONTINUE the what I learned (I really believe the "What I learned" should be an IMPORTANT part of anyone trying anything); I learned that if you go to Autozone and just say "I need an adapter to make this fit in my car," is NOT going to work! You need an adapter with a something like a 45 degree bend, otherwise your sending unit with be rubbing against the camshaft housing, along with the fuel line diaphragm sitting on top of the unit.

I have ALSO learned that not only is Scott (Oldsman) the guy who puts together A.S.S and the president of the Alero Chapter of the O.C.A; He is the guy to call and talk to when your car has problems. He work voodoo over the phone (somehow; I don't know so don't ask!) and scares your car straight. After talking on the phone with Scott (and possibly fixing my P0171 code) I take out the new sending unit and replace the old one. Get in my car and start her up just to make sure nothing is wrong. She cranks at the first turn...I look down and ALL of my lights (warning lights, remember i had the wheel hub lights (SVS, ABS, and TRAC off)) are gone. I QUICKLY pick up the phone and leave Scott a message to, "keep doing the voodoo that you do doo." LMAO
-Smurf-

no way.........LOL. See I am THAT DAMN GOOD...........lol

damm smurf you got that shxt hooked up quick! LOL

send me pics of install.... Im, so! gunna do what you did just to save myself sometime, money, and look kool while driving my ho...

also.. for anyone else who reads this thread...

DO NOT CONNECT AN OIL PRESSURE GAUGE UNTIL THE OIL SENDING UNIT IS INSTALLED.

connecting it to power can mess up its calibration. Its why I have a new one. My last was fubar'd for driving around with it not connected to the sending unit, put connected to power.

@smurf
how'd you remove your trim in the first place? Im afraid Im going to break mine..(Im super strong!) I have pry plastic pry tools, might they help?

Just pull it off it won't break its stuck in by clips like evrythin else in our cars

Hok,
I wanna look cool driving your HO...Oy yeah the car.ROTFLMAO!!!
Yeah once you get the know-how and where to hook the things up it's easy as shit and it took me maybe 15 minutes to run the power to them. I ran all three red wires together, All yellow wires together, ALL black wires together, and hook them into the stereo harness. I have an aftermarket radio so the harness has the same three colors with the same function as that of the gauges. After that I attach more wire to the sender wires of the Oil pressure and the transmission temperature gauge and then poked a hole in the firewall and ran the wires through into the engine bay. Then hook those wires up to the sender unit (for the oil pressure gauge) and I still have the other wire for the trans temp sitting in the engine bay but its wrapped up arounf the brake fluid resovoir, waiting till i get the temp probe into the transmission. after that it is going to be easy. Hook up the power and then ground the temp probe and Voila, I'm done.


As far as the original a-pillar, start at the top near the roof. Pull out just enough to slide in your fingers, run your hands down the a-pillar while prying away just a little. It does take a little muscle, so (FOR YOU) just breathe on it and it will fall off. LMAO
If you have a plastic pry bar, that might help. I have one but didn't use it.
-Smurf-

Okay,
So now that I have had a couple of days to figure shit out (life), I am back in the game and going to let you guys know that I will be trying to get my transmission temperature gauge hooked up tomorrow. I will be spending ALL day on it if that is what it takes.
At the same time I will be taking pictures for the write up and how-to "installing gauges on the 2.4L." I am going to be doing the write up for the oil pressure/ transmission temp/ and volt meter along with pictures and better DETAILED instructions that I received from some of the members on here.
I am going to bed now and will post tomorrow. Later
-Smurf-

Okay, So after almost a week of messing around. I finally installed the tranmission temperature probe and it was SO easy, AR offspring could do it. LOL!!! Just playing alero racing.
I have included a picture of where the temperature probe needs to be installed on the 2.4L; If you can change your own oil then you can install this, as the location for the transmission probe is adjacent to the oil drain plug.
-Smurf-