I took delivery of my wife's anniversary present two weeks ago and gave it to her last Thursday. So Sunday, we decided to break it in a little and take a drive up to Auburn to visit friends and grab some lunch (approx 280 miles round trip) and had many interesting moments with the oil pressure gauge.
First after lunch, approx 250 miles on car, started it up and the OPG read maximum OP. So we drove on over to my friends house. When starting up again, even farther past the High level. So we head for the filling station for the top off run home, and fired it up after filling, NO OIL PRESSURE (Even after I just checked the oil level which was just fine), I immediately switched the ignition off. Restarted same NO PRESSURE, quickly switched it off again. Turned the ignition on and tapped on the instrument cluster above the gauge and it moved up in 16th inch increments each tap. I then started it and the gauge moved slightly past the mid point and stayed there for the entire trip home. Since that trip we have driven the car only once which yielded one normal OP reading going out and one NO PRESSURE reading on the way home. I phoned the dealership I purchased the auto from and they couldn't tell me if the car had a replaceable gauge, or the whole instrument cluster replacement. ???
What I hate most is having a tech monkeying around in the interior finding his way on my wife's new ride. We keep the car in a climate controlled garage, and while there it will be left out in the weather for the rotors to rust and the exterior of the car left for chance with all of the other cars to ding. I am taking pictures of the interior and exterior of the auto with the service writer at time of drop off for diagnosis. ****, I know, but I admit it.

 

that seriously stinks. thats smart that you are going to take pictures but you should ask them if they can do that in one day when your free and you can watch to make extra sure they dont screw with ur sweet ride.

 

dont worry to much, the gauge is an idiot light without the light.

beers

 

Assuming that your wife's anniversary present is an RX 8, you have a seriously bad gauge. I can believe that they don't know if the whole cluster has to come out for that. Take it in and get it replaced. I understand that your nervous about damage to the car, but unless you consider it a museum piece right now, it will some day be left outside. Enjoy that 8, and I hope that they fix it for you in short order!

 

I agree that you should get it checked out, but its true, the guage is a fake. It normally shows pressure at two ticks above center. If your oil is low, the light will come on.

 

The light will come on if your oil level is low, not your pressure - the binary gauge is the only indicator of pressure. Shutting the engine off is the only sensible thing to do until it can be determined whether the gauge is faulty or you really don't have any pressure.

 

At least they were honest, but that's pretty scary. I'd call a few other dealerships before having anything done.

 

Well lets be honest. I bet they haven't had to replace too many oil gauges on an RX-8 before.