Hi all, I have a sebring series 2, same as pictured here, and I also have the orange light on the dash that you can see here. It lights up sometimes, often when I start. I do not know what the light means. Can anyone enlighten me? regards, Kimm. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Kimm, it looks to me like the Lucas fuel pump safety switch. If you can push it in, then it definetly is it. The safety switch turned off the fuel pump if the engine didn't start before a preset time. The light would turn on and you would have to push on it to reset the switch. The fuel injection distributor could seep gas pass the O-ring seal if there wasn't oil pressure to resist it on the other side. I think you are running Webers, so the switch shouldn't be relevant. Hope this helps, Larry
You're right, Larry. The same issue has been the object of this past thread, even if related to a 3500 GTI : http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=214142 In any case, if the car has been converted to Webers as it seems, the light/switch detects only a non relevant low oil pressure. Ciao Andrea
Thanks for your replies. My car has NOT been converted to webers, but I did replace the fuel-pumps last year to the Bosch retrofit sold by Bill McGrath. This light might be obsolete with the retrofit pump? Kimm S
I don't think so. The Bosch equipment is the same, like effect, as the Lucas one . But, however, it is normal to see sometimes the orange light on. For instance, which kind of motor oil do you use ? Do you normally let the ignition key switched on for a long time, before starting the engine ? When the orange light usually lights on? Cold or hot engine? Which is the oil pressure (see the gauge) when the orange light does light on ? Ciao Andrea
Thanks Andrea. I use straight SAE 50 as recommended. Normally I let the ignition stay on for a few seconds, after I turn on the fuelpump with a switch on the center column. The light comes on when I start, and sometimes random when warm. Sometimes I can just press the light and it will go out, but sometimes it will stay on. The oil-pressure gauge reads OK pressure when cold, but will go almost all the way down to 0 when warm. Driving fast (over 70mph) the pressure is about 1. I have been talking to Larry R. about the oilpressure-sensor, and he feels they almost always show less pressure than the oil really has. My mechanic put on a different kind of sensor, (a mechanic one) which read a lot higher than the Smiths on the dash. Do all Sebrings have the fuelpump-switch on the centern column? I enclose a photo of it. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The oil is correct, the same one I use. When the engine is cold the gauge should detect a pressure over 7, so the light is ever off. When the engine is hot and running at min., RPM little less than 1000, it's easy to see the orange light on. So the only thing to do to avoid the light flashing, i.e. when you are in a row, is to accelerate every 5 secs. (400/500 rpm, not more) in order to increase an oil pressure that might be on 1/2. I know that it isn't politically (and ecologically) correct, but it works... May be that Larry is right about the sensor, but might be also a misfunctioning of the oil pump . I don't know if the Sebrings have such a kind of switch. 3500 GTIs don't have it. I was told, but I don't know if it is true, that there is a screw regulator of the oil pressure on the oil filter. Ciao Andrea Image Unavailable, Please Login
Andea, first of all I three Maseratis and they all read low on the Smith's pressure gauge. I've changed gauges muliple times and have changed senders multiple times without satisfactory results. I then put an under dash mechanical gauge on one of the cars and I get 100psi cold and 60 psi warm, where I was getting 4 Kg/sm? cold and 1 warm. I would put a mechanical gauge on even temporarily to see what the engine condition really is. Also, there is a misconception about the pressure by-pass regulator in the oil filter housing. It does not increase oil pressure, but sets the limit on how high it can go. I don't think you want to be higher than 100 psi, maybe slightly less when cold. Hope this helps, Larry
Thanks for your input Larry and Andrea! Here's a recent photo of my Sebring on the road! Image Unavailable, Please Login
