<VV> Spyder Temp-Press light diagnosis - update

[Doug Mackintosh]

A new piece of information: Today I drove the car to run a couple of local errands. Total trip probably about 5 miles. Everything was normal until about the half-way point when the Temp-Press light came on and stayed on for the rest of the trip. At one of my intermediate stops, I pulled the connector off the Pressure switch while it was running, and the light stayed on (so it was not grounding through the switch). The engine temperature at this point was low (not even warmed up) and there was no buzzer. Before I shut it off after getting home it was still illuminated. Less than an hour later I went out and turned the ignition on (the light came on as it should) then disconnected the wire from the oil pressure switch and the light went off (as it should).
So it looks like it is a short to ground in the Oil pressure warning wiring somewhere between the switch and the dashboard, and it appears to be intermittant but "sticky", possibly temperature related, then un-shorting when it cools off. Next step will be to try to find where the wiring is shorting to ground. 
> On Dec 1, 2019, at 4:53 PM, Doug Mackintosh via VirtualVairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:>> OK guys, I am looking for some ideas or experience-based explanations for a problem I have had.> The car is my daughter's 1964 Spyder. Have been driving it regularly with no problems. I recently drove it to Farmville (a little over 1 hour away). When I drove back home about 10 minutes from home the Temp-Press light came on and stayed on.> There were no other symptoms. The temperature gage did not go into scary territory, there was no lifter clacking, loss of performance, problems idling at stops etc. The fan belt was still on. No noises. Oil level OK.> I continued driving home and switched it off (the light stayed on the whole time until I switched it off).> I figured it most likely was either a pressure sensor failure or a shorted wire. Today (5 days later) I did some diagnostics by testing the light status after disconnecting the pressure sensor wire, then after grounding the pressure wire and then the temperature warning wire heading to the dash. Based on my testing everything was working as it should with the engine off. I then started the engine and the light went off as normal after it started.> So at this point it seems to have "fixed" itself.> Ideas?

-- Doug Mackintosh Corsa member since 1996 Corsa/NC member since 1996, Virtual Vairs member Corvair owner 1969-1971 and 1996-on