Oil Pressure Sensor Replacement

[David's8]

I started to get intermittent Oil pressure red warning symbol recently. Fortunately i was very close to home so gingerly drove back and parked up. The oil level was good and clean as I had done new oil and filter in November 2024. Due to the intermittent nature i suspected the sensor. Apparently - according to MJ - if the oil pressure IS low then the top end will sound like a "bag of marbles" on start up. So i ordered a new Febi sensor (around £8 delivered) and set to work to replace. Firstly, there is no way this can be done from underneath. It has to be approached from the top and the airbox undone and its various hoses and cables wrestled out of the way. As MJ has referred to in another post, the sensor is situated at the top end of the Oil filter housing and there is insufficient clearance to get either a deeply cranked ring spanner onto to it or for a standard socket to fit due to the length of the electrical connector which requires a long reach socket. However, a long reach socket needs to be less than approx 60mm in length to get between the sub-frame and the sensor - and that STILL wont allow a 1/2 inch socket wrench to fit on the end. My local indy lent me a 60mm x 24mm impact socket which was OK for length but the wall thickness of the impact socket wont fit due to the "shoulder" of the housing! in the end i bought a standard long reach socket (around 80mm) and cut 20mm off the drive end with an angle grinder. This enabled me to fit the socket onto the sensor and, using molegrips (locking pliers), to undo the sensor. Replacement - as they say - is the reverse - carefully wiping away the blood from catching your knuckles on the surrounding crimps etc.
In short:
1.Undo cover and remove the airbox cover and filter,
2. Undo the various screws/bolts holding the airbox in place and wrestle it out of the way.
3, Unclip electrical connector
4. Find/manufacture a long reach 24mm socket which is less than 60mm in length.
5. Use locking pliers or similar to grip the socket and undo the sensor.
6. job done

Part No_ 06A919081 A/D/J. Febi Bilstein 18904

[sarg]

I had to do mine last year, several times as turned out the plastic housing round the cable needed replacing too. I bought a new housing from ebay, which turned out to be the wrong kit, but seller quickly put it right and sent me two of the correct one, so now have spares too

I had a wrench cranked wrench that turned out perfect to loosen the sensor, then finished it off with an adjustable spanner, but did also buy a socket adaptor if they didn't work, but David is right in that it is very difficult to find a socket deep enough to go over the socket but short enough to fit in the gap past the chassis rail - I bought 3 such sockets and had to return all three, reverting to the good old fashioned wrench that got just enough purchase to loosen it.

Pics attached

[steamship]

Originally Posted by David's8

in the end i bought a standard long reach socket (around 80mm) and cut 20mm off the drive end with an angle grinder.

I'm a cheapskate, so doing this is against my principles (and wallet). Instead, I just used an open ended 24mm spanner, held at about a 35 degree angle, and it worked fine. It's also not torqued up that much, and so long as you put the spanner on properly, it works a treat.

[David's8]

You're right Sean - its not torqued up hard but i didnt have a 24mm open ended spanner! and a Sealey socket was around £8.