I want an Oil Preasure Idiot Light w/ my Factory Oil Preasure Gauge

[68 Suburban]

I purchased a gas gauge from one of the bigger trucks that has two idiot lights on it. One for the 2 speed axle and the other for over reving.

I was wondering how difficult would it be to use one of these lights as an Oil Preasure Idiot Light. I would also want to keep my oil preasure gauge functioning. But, I have never been comfortable with just a gauge. Especially where the gauge is located in our trucks. It is hard to keep an eye on.

Any ideas how this could be done? Thanks

[John Fabris]

Could you just add a Junction at the block to have a fitting that fits both the dummy light sender, and the oil tube?

Might take some time at the hardware store to make sure you have the right fittings....

[busterwivell]

Yah, that should work. the idiot light doens't know what sensor it is hooked to.

[smitty62]

Yes, it does. You will need both the gauge sender and a light sender. The first says how much and the second only says there is some. No biggie with an oil line "T".

[shortymac83]

I've got a similar setup on my 83 olds. I've got a tee going into the block, then the top of the t goes to the gauge, and the arm of it is hooked to a 3 prong sender. the odd prong (not parallel to another one) goes to the light (which I'm assuming would just allow you to wire it to the light you're using), another goes to my electric choke (that way, it heats the choke only when there's oil pressure - IE the motor is running) and the other one I cut off. I believe that the sender is from an 80's buick 231, but I'm not sure. It's the same one that was on buick GN's. That'd be an easy way to have the light light up when there isn't any pressure, because the loop on teh sender closes when the pressure reaches 2-3 PSI.

[Longhorn Man]

If you were to look in the wrecking yards, some small blocks are equipped with the T fitting already for computer aplications. Grab one of them, then get a dummy light sending unit and a fitting for the guage on the other end of the T. The sending unit (dummy light one) will ground out the light when the oil goes below 'X' psi, so you'll need power at the light, and it'll be grounded when you run out of oil.

[StingRay]

If you look at a normal gas gauge it has one idiot light spot in it that is not used when you have a full gauge dash I think the other is for brake and is always used by the proportioning valve pressure switch. If you have an old idiot light wire harness you can remove the wire that ran to that light and add it into the harness in the same pin locations on the dash plug and the fuse box. Then take the underhood wire that ran into the fire wall plug and insert it into that plug into the correct coresponding location. Take both the temp and oil pressure senders from an idiot light truck. Use a tee at the oil pressure tap by the distributor so you can have gauge and light and take the temp sender and insert it into the other head that doesn't have the gauge temp sender. Run wires donated from the idiot light harness from the previously mentioned wire that now leads to the single dash idiot light and connect the three together ( both senders to single idiot light). If either the oil pressure or temp reaches it's set point the one idiot light will light up. These senders are simply ground triggers that close a circuit. You won't know which condition exists from the light but you will know to look at your gauges and figure it out. I have this on my truck and it works perfectly. I have the best of both worlds.

[Rakort]

Stingray you hit the nail on the head. I considered doing the exact same thing with my harness when I merged an idiot light harness with a gauge harness for the dash I put in my truck. There is an unused light and open places on the firewall connector.