After the drive home last night, my oil pressure idiot light went on, and I noticed oil on the back window. Opened the engine compartment and there's oil everywhere. Looks like the oil pressure sender on the top of the engine is wet.

Is this my likely problem? What size MM socket does it take?

Thanks,
R

25 mm. 1" works too.

If it is just the oil pressure sender it will be an easy fix. I had the same problem-oil everywhere-and found the problem something else.

On the front of the engine there are a number of studs (four, I think) which are used to hold the fan housing to the engine case. These are behind the fan. One of the studs are near the top and extend into the oil filler section of the case. On my engine this stud backed out and allowed oil to be blown out onto the fan. The fan than flung it all over the engine, rear window, rear hood and roof. The stud backed out to the point that it started rubbing on the fan and cut a nice clean gouge in to it. The bitch of fixing this is you can't fix it without dropping the engine.
I hope this isn't your problem. Lesson learned=LOCKTITE IT!

URY,

I have heard of some weird 914 engine problems (and caused quite a few) but yours takes the cake. I never knew that one of the studs went into the case like that. GOOD ONE.

Rob,

Now might be the time to install the remote sender kit for a gauge.

B

Check/replace the oil filler gasket. Its a rectangular gasket that is clamped on. Easy fix. I had that go on mine after i replaced the oil cooler seals. was driving me nuts trying figure out where all the oil was comming from.

When the oil sender is still in place and has not lost its center wiring plug, it is unlikely that it is the cause of the problem.

Another option might be that one of the 10 or so little aluminium carter plugs has departed your engine... I did suffer from such a problem when one blew out behind the flywheel (with a new high density oil pump); the engine vomited 3 liters of hot oil on the street within half a minute Let me tell you that it is not good for your reputation

Where the plugs for the oil pressure relief valves are exactly located I don't know; could also be the cause. I think an oil cooler blow-up should produce another kind of mess, i.e., more on the bottom of the car.

Good luck.

Don't rule it out though. I've had two oil pressure senders do this to me over the years. They look fine other than being a little wet (like everything else around them) and don't show any signs of leaking and in fact didn't leak at all at idle, so looking for the leak with the engine running did no good... But as soon as the revs and pressure came up oil was going everywhere - it can be deceiving because the oil will also run down over the oil cooler and filter making you think it's the cooler or the distributor seal, or the filter seal, etc. My money's on the oil pressure sender.

-Ben M.

That is a good thing to know, Ben! It just didn't seem very likely to me because the oil spots in Rob's car got as far as the rear window. Your suggestion of revving up the engine while inspecting it sounds useful.

BTW, the part number of the oil sender is 021 919 081 B; I ordered one at the local VW dealer for about 8 Euro.

Rob,

Your oil pressure problem does not appear to have prevented you from driving your 914 to work today. I think I saw it in the parking lot. Cool placement of the Porsche shield on the engine lid and full "PORSCHE" script on the rear panel. I'm going to do something similar but I'm going to put the "PORSCHE" script on my front hood: 550 Spyder style.

Douglas

Hey Anton,

Good to see ya posting here!

cheers,

Jeroen