Oil Pressure Sensor: Description and Operation
OIL PRESSURE SENSOR / SWITCHDESCRIPTION
The 3-wire, electrical/mechanical engine oil pressure sensor (sending unit) is located in an engine oil pressure gallery.
OPERATION
The oil pressure sensor uses three circuits. They are:
- A 5 volt power supply from the Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
- A sensor ground through the PCM's sensor return
- A signal to the PCM relating to engine oil pressure
The oil pressure sensor has a 3 wire electrical function very much like the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor. Meaning different pressures relate to different output voltages.
A 5 volt supply is sent to the sensor from the PCM to power up the sensor. The sensor returns a voltage signal back to the PCM relating to engine oil pressure. This signal is then transferred (bussed) to the instrument panel on either a CCD or PCI bus circuit (depending on vehicle line) to operate the oil pressure gauge and the check gauges lamp. Ground for the sensor is provided by the PCM through a low-noise sensor return.