adding a buzzer
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
I never thought about it. Off the top of my head I'd say, "T" in a idiot light oil pressure sender along with your factory gauge sending unit. Like Ford part number D4AZ9278A. It is meant to allow 12V to pass through it when the pressure is low. It grounds the idiot light circuit when the pressure is low. So you would have to use a Bosch style 4 pole relay in between the buzzer and pressure sender. Wire switched 12V to terminals 86 and 30. Terminal 85 goes to the terminal on the D4AZ9278A. Terminal 87 would go to the buzzer. Then ground the buzzer.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,477
Likes: 7
From: NAMPA, ID.
You wouldn't need a relay. A two terminal buzzer of any kind will work, just run 12 volts to one terminal and the other to a conventional idiot light type oil sender switch. This is exactly the same circuit as the idiot dash warning light.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
I'm not so sure about that. A buzzer is bound to have more of an electrical draw that a small light bulb. The oil pressure sensor would see that draw if the oil pressure got too low. That sensor would be what grounds the circuit. And it was designed to ground only a light bulb. Which is about the same draw as a relay.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,592
Likes: 10
From: **** hole San Jose ca.
I installed a sensor when oil psi drops to 17lbs the red light comes on.
also have a gauge it lites up ign. not running so your know it's working.
And for the engine temp a gauge plus another sensor 215* that trips a red dash light.
Please no dang buzzer for me
!Orich
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 226
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I never thought about it. Off the top of my head I'd say, "T" in a idiot light oil pressure sender along with your factory gauge sending unit. Like Ford part number D4AZ9278A. It is meant to allow 12V to pass through it when the pressure is low. It grounds the idiot light circuit when the pressure is low. So you would have to use a Bosch style 4 pole relay in between the buzzer and pressure sender. Wire switched 12V to terminals 86 and 30. Terminal 85 goes to the terminal on the D4AZ9278A. Terminal 87 would go to the buzzer. Then ground the buzzer.
I always liked having those idiot lights in my old air-cooled VW and want them in this vehicle as well. Of course, in a VW if the generator wasn't running then the cooling system wasn't running either so it was really critical to know if I'd thrown a belt immediately. It's habit for me to glance down there for them still to this day.
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Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
I'm adding 'ALT' and 'OIL' warning LEDs on my gauge cluster, and a tee was what I'd come up with for the oil sender too but without a relay. I'm going to open the light assembly and use a sharpie on the back side of the LED bezel to mark them. I'll have gauges too, but a bright red light should make for a nice attention getter I think.
I always liked having those idiot lights in my old air-cooled VW and want them in this vehicle as well. Of course, in a VW if the generator wasn't running then the cooling system wasn't running either so it was really critical to know if I'd thrown a belt immediately. It's habit for me to glance down there for them still to this day.
I always liked having those idiot lights in my old air-cooled VW and want them in this vehicle as well. Of course, in a VW if the generator wasn't running then the cooling system wasn't running either so it was really critical to know if I'd thrown a belt immediately. It's habit for me to glance down there for them still to this day.
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Rabbit-Hole Researcher
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 466
Likes: 6
From: Middle of Ohio
As an aside, and another option:
A piezo-electric buzzer will get your attention quicker, and will run on tiny currents that would not light a bulb. I ran one side-by-side on a troublesome engine, and found it would start chirping with low or foamy oil, before the incandescent bulb would light.
LEDs are faster than filaments, and gets past the warm-up issue, but the flashes can be too fast to notice with the eye.
I used both an LED, and an inexpensive buzzer from Rad10 Sha<K. Of course, it does blare at you every time you start it up, but that might have some anti-theft benefit. Put it where you can place your thumb on it, to reduce annoyance.
(A piezo-electric buzzer is not like an old electro-mechanical buzzer that uses a lot of juice. You can easily run both at the same time, in parallel, so if one dies, the other still works. No problem for a stock oil pressure switch.)
A piezo-electric buzzer will get your attention quicker, and will run on tiny currents that would not light a bulb. I ran one side-by-side on a troublesome engine, and found it would start chirping with low or foamy oil, before the incandescent bulb would light.
LEDs are faster than filaments, and gets past the warm-up issue, but the flashes can be too fast to notice with the eye.
I used both an LED, and an inexpensive buzzer from Rad10 Sha<K. Of course, it does blare at you every time you start it up, but that might have some anti-theft benefit. Put it where you can place your thumb on it, to reduce annoyance.
(A piezo-electric buzzer is not like an old electro-mechanical buzzer that uses a lot of juice. You can easily run both at the same time, in parallel, so if one dies, the other still works. No problem for a stock oil pressure switch.)
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Feb 23, 2003 02:02 PM