MGL Avionics User Forum

The stock oil pressure sensor is 5bar (72psi) I'm using a 10bar. Is there a way to configure the range on either the RDAC or the EFIS MX1 to calibrate this higher?

Thanks,
-Bruce

Wait, NVM... I think I found it. Oil Pressure Setup, Probe measure range. That was easy!

So I tried changing all the values and I couldn't get the oil pressure to read higher than 12psi on a Lycoming O-320 (should be about 60-75psi). I purchased a VDO 360004, maybe that will work better. Stay tuned.

For the VDO 10bar sensor, use the Probe Type: "automotive sensor" setting on the oil pressure config screen

For the VDO sensors select the 150 ohm type (this equates to the active range) which is roughly 30-180 ohms. Also select resistance increases with pressure.
Note that the VDO sensors have pretty large tolerances so if you get a reading of say 5.3 bar - it could be anything around that value +/-20%.

One issue we find with these senders - depending on where they are plumbed into your engine's oil system they can wear pretty fast. They are mechanical devices - a membrane via a lever moves a wiper across a wound resistance wire. If the pressure remains fairly steady there is no real issue but of the pressure fluctuates rapidly (say affected by engine RPM and oil pump - usually a bit unsteady at low RPM) the wiper wears itself to death. We have had these things failing in the field in as little as 100 engine hours.
The symptom is that your oil pressure reading tends to be fine at most RPM's you don't use often but at those you do the reading goes to maximum (which means there is a disconnect) - this first tends to be intermittent and finally permanent.