[Steve]

Both needles on the oil pressure/temp gauge starting fluctuating at the same time from normal readings to very low readings. The sending units and incoming signals were constant (did not fluctuate). I traced the problem to a pair of dirty contact points within the guage itself. I lightly sanded the points and the problem when away. After about a month, however, the problem came back. Has anyone else had this problem and fixed it permanently? Why after 26+ years would the contacts need to be cleaned so often? Is there an underlying problem that I have not uncovered?

 

[jeff]

If the contacts are cleaned improperly they will be damaged permently. Don't use sand paper of any sort. Use the finest grint emery cloth and then run a piece of paper through the contacts to clean out the left over grint in the contacts.
Also it seems funny to me why both guages would act up at the same time. Sure the signals are entering the guages in different paths but the whole guage has a common ground. I'd check to make sure you have a good soild ground connection.

> Both needles on the oil pressure/temp gauge
> starting fluctuating at the same time from
> normal readings to very low readings. The
> sending units and incoming signals were
> constant (did not fluctuate). I traced the
> problem to a pair of dirty contact points
> within the guage itself. I lightly sanded
> the points and the problem when away. After
> about a month, however, the problem came
> back. Has anyone else had this problem and
> fixed it permanently? Why after 26+ years
> would the contacts need to be cleaned so
> often? Is there an underlying problem that I
> have not uncovered?

 

[jeff]

If the contacts are cleaned improperly they will be damaged permently. Don't use sand paper of any sort. Use the finest grint emery cloth and then run a piece of paper through the contacts to clean out the left over grint in the contacts.
Also it seems funny to me why both guages would act up at the same time. Sure the signals are entering the guages in different paths but the whole guage has a common ground. I'd check to make sure you have a good soild ground connection.

> Both needles on the oil pressure/temp gauge
> starting fluctuating at the same time from
> normal readings to very low readings. The
> sending units and incoming signals were
> constant (did not fluctuate). I traced the
> problem to a pair of dirty contact points
> within the guage itself. I lightly sanded
> the points and the problem when away. After
> about a month, however, the problem came
> back. Has anyone else had this problem and
> fixed it permanently? Why after 26+ years
> would the contacts need to be cleaned so
> often? Is there an underlying problem that I
> have not uncovered?