If you want to keep a close eye on your engine’s oil pressure, you might be interested in installing an oil pressure gauge. These are inexpensive, easy to install, and can warn you of potential problems before they become a serious problem that could damage the engine. This article deals with the installation of an Autometer how to install oil pressure gauge, but this guide should still come in handy for those who are looking to install other brands of gauges as well.
To start, disconnect the negative battery cable from your car’s engine. Next, connect the red wire from the gauge to a positive 12 volt ignition source. This can be either the fuse panel or any other positive power source that turns off or on in connection with the vehicle’s ignition switch. Before you start putting things together, make sure that the gauge has the proper operating range for your application; most gauges will have a chart on the back of the instrument to help you determine which range best suits your needs.
Locate the factory oil pressure sender, which should be located down by the oil filter with a push on screw connector and 1 wire. Remove the connector and pull out the sender. Now it’s time to install your new gauge. You can use the same oil line that was used for the stock gauge, but you should consider using a higher quality one as it will have a smaller hole to allow more oil flow through the hose. A high quality hose will also resist vibration better, which can cause the readings to fluctuate.
Obtain the appropriate gauge kit for your vehicle from an automotive parts store or online. The kits will include the oil pressure gauge itself, a tubing adapter, and all of the necessary mounting hardware to mount it in the engine bay. Choose where you would like to mount the gauge, preferably somewhere it can be easily seen while driving the vehicle. Most gauges can be mounted in the dash or in a separate panel, such as an A-pillar, that will be bolted to the dashboard.
Once you have the tubing adapter connected to the oil pressure gauge, run the tube down through an existing grommet in the firewall. Be careful not to route the tubing over something that will get hot or rotate, as it will tangle up and prevent proper operation of the gauge. Secure the tubing to itself with tie-wraps and route it around other parts of the engine bay, being careful not to place it in any areas that will get hot or rotate.
The last step is to ground the gauge’s black wire to a suitable ground point. You can either use an existing ground wire on the chassis of your vehicle, or you can run a wire from the gauge’s light socket to a suitable location and fasten an eyelet to the end of the gauge wire with a screw.