550 Oil pressure suddenly off the top of the gauge | FerrariChat

550 Oil pressure suddenly off the top of the gauge

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by Ghibli Cup, Aug 27, 2015.

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  1. Ghibli Cup

    Ghibli Cup Rookie

    Jan 27, 2013
    18
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Full Name:
    Stephen Baird
    #1 Ghibli Cup, Aug 27, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hi All,

    Firstly a little background. I purchased my 1998 550 Maranello in the UK just over two and a half years ago, and imported it to Canada. I have driven it for over 15,000 kms in that time with no issues, until this past week... We drove it down from Calgary to Montery for the FCA International meet. Before the trip, the local Ferrari dealer did a service and oil change, and everything was looking good.

    Everything was looking great, until we started the drive back home. I was driving along the highway at about 65mph and checked the gauges, to find the oil pressure pegged off the top of the gauge. I dipped the clutch and it came back down. Released the clutch and it came back up and off the top of the gauge again.

    This was about 2400rpm. When I slowed to 2200rpm the oil pressure was reading a normal 6-7 bar (the gauge goes to 10). On idle it was acting normally at 3-4 bar, and at anything less than 2200/2300 rpm everything was normal. The oil pressure gauge responds to engine revs in a nice linear way - it just doesn't stop when it reaches 7 bar.

    We then had two choices: play Russian roulette and hope to limp the car 2,300kms back to Calgary, or ship the car home before any further damage could occur. We did the latter with a one-way U-Haul rental, and now I'm trying to figure out what I need to do first.

    I am slightly sceptical that this is a sender / gauge issue, as the gauge appears to read correctly until the engine gets to around 2300 rpm. The car has 80,000 kms and has been faultless so far.

    So what do you think? Sender? Gauge? Oil pump pressure relief valve?

    Thanks in advance,

    Steve
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  2. atlshaver

    atlshaver Formula Junior

    Feb 21, 2004
    284
    Atlanta, GA
    #2 atlshaver, Aug 27, 2015
    2000 550 here and I dealt with the same issue a few years ago. After the sending unit was replaced (twice) and the problem persisted it ended up being corrosion along the way at some connectors. Those were all cleaned up and it has been flawless for the last 2-3 years.
     
  3. Juan-Manuel Fantango

    Juan-Manuel Fantango F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 18, 2004
    12,465
    Full Name:
    Juan
    #3 Juan-Manuel Fantango, Aug 27, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  4. Cribbj

    Cribbj Formula 3

    Jan 1, 2011
    2,295
    Cooke City MT, The Coolest Small Town in America
    Full Name:
    John
    #4 Cribbj, Aug 27, 2015
    This.

    Buy one of these: Ferrari Parts : 135940-B OIL PRESSURE SENDER COVER : Ricambi America. It's the cheapest, most cost effective Ferrari accessory you'll ever buy.
     
  5. varellas4

    varellas4 Karting

    Apr 9, 2015
    78
    Bay Area-SF
    Full Name:
    Lance Varellas
    #5 varellas4, Aug 27, 2015
    Stephen,

    I showed my car at the FCA event and so enjoyed meeting you and your wife. Very impressive to me how you picked up your car in Europe and continue to drive it so much.

    Your wife is wonderful and I really enjoyed the day with both of you.

    Fun that we all won a little something and what a spectacular day.

    Good luck with your gauge issue. I have no added value here, as I would take to my mechanic and let him do his magic.

    Hope the trip home was fun in the U-Haul. Kind of a neat story there.

    Lance Varellas
    2000 550 Daytona Black
     
  6. Ghibli Cup

    Ghibli Cup Rookie

    Jan 27, 2013
    18
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Full Name:
    Stephen Baird
    #6 Ghibli Cup, Aug 28, 2015
    Thanks everyone for the responses.

    So it sounds like I am pretty safe to try cleaning the connectors and start it up to see if that fixes the problem. Am I at risk from the problem being related to a failure in the oil pressure relief value, and having bits of springs and ball bearings being released into the engine?

    Lance - It was great to meet you as well last week, and congratulations on your award!

    Cheers,

    Steve
     
  7. ColGraves

    ColGraves Karting

    Aug 1, 2017
    100
    Cos Cob, CT
    Full Name:
    C.T. Graves
    #7 ColGraves, Apr 7, 2021
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    I was having same issue. Oil pressure off the chart, needle pegged beyond 140. I took the connectors off of the sender, sprayed the male barbs with electric cleaner and scrubbed them with a wire brush. Sprayed the female parts with the cleaner and used an extra male connector I had to work it in and out to “clean” the female contact. There was some oil on these parts. Reassembled and took it for a test drive, and it worked! Easy fix. I didn’t have to take my bottom protector off because a previous owner lazily had cut the breathing gates under the oil filters out of the protector.

    Oil pressure gauge working as it should now!


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
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  8. F456M

    F456M F1 Rookie

    Jan 8, 2010
    3,665
    Oslo
    Full Name:
    Erik
    #8 F456M, Apr 7, 2021
    I had to replace the sender myself. It worked but showed far too much!
     
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  9. rhern213

    rhern213 Formula Junior

    Jan 8, 2021
    576
    Miami, FL
    Full Name:
    Richel
    #9 rhern213, Apr 8, 2021
    I'm in the same process, my sender contacts were cleaned but it's still pegged at 140psi above 2,500 rpms. Just got a replacement sender and also just for sanity I bought ricambi's protective boot.
     
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  10. JC1720

    JC1720 Karting

    Jan 21, 2016
    102
    UK
    #10 JC1720, Apr 10, 2021
    Hi All

    Hope you're keeping well. I seem to have experienced same problem with my car when I took her out after her winter slumbers - showing 70 PSI on idle/no load, up to 140PSI at 3,000 RPM on load... I'm guessing/hoping it's dirty connectors, the only other thing I did was replace the battery but can't see how that would have affected anything.

    Plan to clean contacts as described above, does anyone know if the Ricambi connector cover or equivalent is available in the UK? I've had a look in the usual places but can't find anything. Thanks for any ideas!!

    Best
    John
     
  11. rhern213

    rhern213 Formula Junior

    Jan 8, 2021
    576
    Miami, FL
    Full Name:
    Richel
    #11 rhern213, Apr 10, 2021
    Ricambi has a UK based location and phone number as well. Check their site I'd try just giving them a call.
     
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