Idiot oil light just lit after intake swap.

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JCMini30

JCMini30

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Just put a new intake manifold and carb on my 76 Duster with the 318. The idiot light on the dash has never lit since I bought the car. Now since the intake swap its been on constantly. The car had a aftermarket oil pressure gauge attached under the dash when I bought it.

I know where the oil line hooks up for it is cause I had to replace the line when it blew up on me one day. I have good oil pressure according to the gauge. Is there a sending unit for the idiot light? I got rid of the EGR system in the swap and obviously got rid of the factory electric choke.

Just wondering if I disconnected a wire to a second oil sending unit or something. Any ideas?
 
What you have to do, if you want the idiot light, is put a tee below the sender and hook mech to that. Wait, need pics.
 
green1 said:
What you have to do, if you want the idiot light, is put a tee below the sender and hook mech to that. Wait, need pics.
Click to expand...

Sorry Green1.. Had two of those sentences worded wrong. I don't know where an electrical sending unit would be located...
 
Where is the sending unit for the gauge? It should be right at the back of the engine. Is it possible you pinched a wire somewhere?
 
Badsport said:
Where is the sending unit for the gauge? It should be right at the back of the engine. Is it possible you pinched a wire somewhere?
Click to expand...


The gauge is a mechanical gauge so there is a line that runs from the engine to the gauge. The oil line attaches to the engine next to the distributor hold down. Guess I will just have to trace the wire from the instrument cluster back to the sending unit...
 
Oh, just find the wire in the engine bay, and maybe, get it un-grounded? I can't remember how they work. I always tee for mech, and keep the elect sender, in case I'm not paying attention.
 
Diagrams from My Mopar IN THIS CASE ARE INCORRECT

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1976/76ValiantA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1976/76ValiantB.jpg

On diagram A, find the oil pressure switch down near bottom left. Follow the gray wire up and off the page to the right.

Pick the gray up again on the left side of diagram B, and follow it over to terminal 11 of the cluster PC board connector

THESE DIAGRAMS DO NOT SHOW what terminal of the bulkhead connector the thing goes through.

In any case there should be a grey/ gray wire coming out of the bulkhead connector in the engine bay. You PROBABLY somehow got it connected to ground, either caught underneath something, or just moved it "just right" when wrestling with the intake.

If you find the wire, and want to run both a gauge and light, you have to T off where the gauge is hooked up, buy an oil press. switch (original for your vehicle) and hook it to the grey wire.
 
67Dart273 said:
Diagrams from My Mopar IN THIS CASE ARE INCORRECT

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1976/76ValiantA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1976/76ValiantB.jpg

On diagram A, find the oil pressure switch down near bottom left. Follow the gray wire up and off the page to the right.

Pick the gray up again on the left side of diagram B, and follow it over to terminal 11 of the cluster PC board connector

THESE DIAGRAMS DO NOT SHOW what terminal of the bulkhead connector the thing goes through.

In any case there should be a grey/ gray wire coming out of the bulkhead connector in the engine bay. You PROBABLY somehow got it connected to ground, either caught underneath something, or just moved it "just right" when wrestling with the intake.

If you find the wire, and want to run both a gauge and light, you have to T off where the gauge is hooked up, buy an oil press. switch (original for your vehicle) and hook it to the grey wire.
Click to expand...

Yea this confused me. I was using these same diagrams. I still couldnt find a grey wire but I didnt look at the connector blocks at the firewall all that well since the diagram didnt show the wire going there. Will try that tomorrow. I may get the T fitting and a OE sending unit. I always like the idiot light as a backup. Especially when the oil pressure gauge is down out of the line of sight Thanks guys you all have been alot of help. Is the T fitting a standard automotive product or somthing I would need to buy at the hardware store?
 
It's a flat connector that fits over the tip of the big bell shaped thing (oil sending unit) at the back of the engine next to the distributor. You probably knocked the wire off of the sending unit for the gauge and didn't realize it.
 
It might be dangling down behind the back of the motor grounding out, that female spade connector or if it's been cut and tapped up is grounding somewhere. Try wiggling the wire harness that goes to the alternator, it's located in there originally and comes out at the area of the valve cover next to the sensor location, it may have been cut off there and now grounding against the head, block or valve cover. Chilton or Hayes electrical diagram should show it also. Does go through the bulk head.

I like the idea of having the idiot light functional, I'm going to hook mine back up, just need to add the T fitting and un-tape the connector from the harness.
 
Well found the idiot light wire. My buddy who wired up the carb used it for the choke 12volt supply. Idiot light problem solved.... Now to find a wire for 12 volts to the choke.
 
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