Oil Pressure switch - Change out questions. (Does the oil have to be drained first)

[Judge2]

Hi, its the first time that I have ever changed an oil pressure switch.

So, I believe it is located right near the power steering reservoir.

From on top, it was hard to get a wrench on it without banging my hands and wrists. Then, I found a deep 12mm socket, on my 3/8 rachet w/ *bent* type handle worked.

1) Should I do this during the middle of an oil change, e.g. with the oil drained. I just changed the oil, then realized, I'm probably doing this in the wrong order, and if I pull out the switch, the oil may start draining out.


2) The replacement part I was sold is Beck Arnald. And rather than being 12mm, Its bigger than my 22 mm wrench. (Is that change going to create problems??)

[speedy25]

No you dont have to drain the oil to change the sensor. At the most it might drool a little. Make sure the sensor you are putting in matches what you took out. You dont want to mix up a gauge sensor with a idiot light sensor.

-SP

[Bitter]

I thought the oil pressure sender was on the front of the engine near the oil filter?

[speedy25]

I didnt find any docs on it but some cars can have more than one. One for the light and one for the ECM.

You can confirm you have the sensor for the oil light by disconnecting and grounding to make the light go on and off.

-SP

[Bitter]

12mm and back of the head sounds more like the knock sensor to me. OP didn't state year, make, model, or engine size so I don't know.

[Judge2]

Originally Posted by Bitter

12mm and back of the head sounds more like the knock sensor to me. OP didn't state year, make, model, or engine size so I don't know.

Bitter, and Speedy,

Big thanks for your comments. I'm thinking Bitter was right. I looked where he said, near the oil filter, and found a sensor that has the wire to it broken off, and it also looks more like the one the store was selling me, Eeek. (Well this 95 Corolla with the 1.6 lt engine is new to me, so I have some excuse for my errors. )

I guess the wire was just grounding itself most of the time, but sometime not.

THANK YOU BITTER.

THANK YOU SPEEDY

[Bitter]

If memory serves, yellow wire?

[speedy25]

In my years of repair work I have always had to find the REAL cause of the problem FIRST rather than just guess that a part failed. Stories like yours where a wire was damaged or fell off are common.

-SP