Oil pressure sender unit replacement - DIY

Over the past week I found oil dripping from the right cam cover below the pressure sender unit, which was very wet around the base. Then the OBC began flashing "sensor failure" messages, along with momentary heart-stopping 0 psi readings on the oil pressure gauge. I searched this forum and found several references to similar situations, usually concluding with the dealer or indie replacing the unit. I purchased a sender from my indie ($55) and set about replacing it myself, as I wanted it done before the weekend. Here is what transpired: 1. The oil sender unit is located forward on the right side of the engine. In the first photo you can just see it behind the A/C hoses. The second photo is a closer view. 2. The base of the sender unit has a 19mm hex, and it was immediately apparent that a standard combination wrench of that size would never work in the space available (with the engine in place.) Thinking a crowsfoot wrench might be the answer, I headed to the local tool store. (For those in this area, Pat's Tools on El Cajon Blvd in El Cajon, CA, is a great resource for new and used tools of every kind.) The shank of a crowsfoot doesn't clear the base of the sender unit, so the counterman in the store went digging through boxes and bins for something that might work. He showed me the tool in photo #3, which I thought had definite possibilities, if I opened the end to the black mark so it would slip onto the hex from the side. It is 3/4", same as 19mm, and the 12-point fitting would facilitate working in a narrow confinement. They charged me $3 for the tool. 3. Back home, a few minutes of Dremel magic and a file to smooth the edges, I had a compact open-ended wrench that slipped onto the sender's hex. Photos 4 & 5. 4. I pulled the wires from the sender unit and, working by feel alone, with the tail of the wrench in the space towards the rear of the engine, easily (perhaps too easily) loosened the old sender and unscrewed it by hand. Replacing it with the new unit (which comes with a new sealing washer fitted,) I was able to get enough leverage for a secure mounting. I re-attached the wires - note: one wide and one narrow terminal, and cleaned off the dirt and oil around the base with a rag. Photo #6. 5. Ignition on, started the motor: normal readings on the oil pressure gauge, and a flashlight in the engine compartment to check that no oil was spraying around; so far, so good! My forearm wasn't entirely unscathed, however, as those tight confines have several hose clamps and other painful protrusions. 6. Like most enthusiast Porsche owners, I have been blessed with the necessary OCD, so, removing the right rear wheel, I proceeded to take off the coil shield and clean away as much of the accumulated oily crud from the cam covers and surrounding area as I could. It seems that the sender unit had been seeping for a while before the dripping made it apparent. After putting it all back together and doing a couple of hundred miles this weekend with no OBC messages, the bottom of the motor is bone dry! I hope this DIY proves helpful to someone who, now or in the future, may need to replace the oil sender unit -- it doesn't require a Porsche shop or $400 P-tool to do the job. If a regular Rennlister needs it, I'll be happy to loan them my "priceless" tool. PM me. P.S. Southern California + Early Summer + 911 Cab = HEAVEN!

Man, thank you for this. I needed it! Very clever with the tool mod.

+1 for tool tip !

What about one on these? Sears 19 MM Extreme Ratcheting Wrench

So how long did it take you... Just had it done on my car and the shop charged me 1.5 hours?

Once I had the tool modified, and not counting cleaning up the accumulated muck underneath, swapping the sender units took no more than ten minutes. Nothing else has to be removed to access it (except some skin if you don't avoid those hose clamps!) 1.5 hours seems rather "generous."

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Strike 2 on these guys!

Ian, nice job. I'm sure this will help others save some $$$$.

I am trying to do this job right now. It's super tight down in there and the wrench I am working with is cut down to about 5 or 6". Unlike the OP, the sensor on my car is in on very securely. I can't seem to get enough leverage to loosen it. I'm tempted to take pliers to the top of the unit and try to get it loose but am afraid I'll just crush it. Then it would still be stuck and I wouldn't be able to drive the car. Any ideas?

Remove the right rear wheel and then remove the heat shield. You will then have a little better access to the sender where you can place the wrench on the hex part of the sender and use both hands or tap the wrench with a hammer to loosen the sender. Tony

They have been using that design sender since at 1969. I wonder if it is the same part # ? Probably not the old ones were single wire.

I did finally get the unit loose using a wrecking bar wedged against it and using my body weight against it. However.... This is getting comical. I rigged a wrench like the OP did, basically cutting open a box wrench and shortening it so it would fit in the confines. I'd take a pic to show you but....it is now stuck on the bolt attached to the underside of the sending unit. It wiggles up and down and left to right, but I can't pull it off to save my life. I don't really know what to do about it. I tightened the unit back up and went to get new tires today. I am driving with a wrench in my engine bay. But believe me it isn't going to fall out.

OK folks here is the tools that makes this simple. A 19mm Crowfoot wrench. Use this with a 3/8" universal, extension and socket wrench and the removal is simple. Jack up the car, put in a jackstand, remove rear right wheel, slide the crows foot wrench in from the bottom, you need the universal to get the wrench on due to the angles around the spark plug shield. A little twist on the socket wrench and it loosens right up. the just spin it out from the top, spin the new one on and tighten it down with the crowfoot. Really easy and fast. Got the crowfoot at NAPA, here is a link http://www.napaonline.com/NOLPPSE/(S...cf19m&Ntk=Part Number&N=0&Nty=1&D=ncf19m&Dn=0&Dk=1&Dp=3 Probably available from other sources. Made the job incredibly easy.

Last night it happened to me .. The OBC signaled an 'Oil Failure' message and my heart also stopped upon seeing the Oil Pressure Gauge dive from ~5 bar to zero while speeding down the freeway! The Horror, the horror ... I knew something was screwy as the needle intermittently bounced back and forth from zero to 5 bar; temp was normal and I check the oil ritualistically. The Gauge started operating normally again at lower speeds and I didn't stop. Good thing for the search engine here. I do hope it's the sending unit. Time to see the dealer for some CPO warranty work! Thanks for the valuable info.

When you take it to the dealer it won't show any codes when the check and they won't be able to repeat it so their normal reaction will be they can't find anything wrong. I did this twice while the car was under CPO. Tell them exactly what happened and tell them you know from research it is the oil pressure sensor part # 996 606 203 02 that needs replacing.

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Thanks, deckman! Hopefully that's it and not the gauge, requiring a new instrument cluster like EB847 wrote about ...

remove and clean the electrical connections to the sending unit and see if that solves your problem. That worked for me. Put some dielectric grease on the connectors to keep them clean and prevent future corrosion from developing. I'd bet that a lot of failed sending units were just bad electrical connections.

I tried that first and would also recommend it. It didn't work for me but will for some others.

will this work on a 996 turbo? I have a 2001 that is getting the electronic failure. Dealer wants 600 to replace. I usually don't work on the Porsche myself. I have built many other motors but for some reason I have not messed with the 996. So if its this simple I may just do it but want to make sure that its the same on the turbo. Thanks.

For the last 2 days my oil pressure gauge has been intermittent... It's gone from a normal reading to pegging at the top of the gauge (above 5 bar), then dropping back down to normal at idle. I'll call my buddies at Suncoast tomorrow!

If anyone can let me know if its the same process on the Turbo that would be great. I plan on doing this soon as I find the service manual on line for the porsche. My issue is when I do the electronic check it says failure so can't read the oil level. NO issue with the oil pressure so its an electronic issue. any help would be really appreciated..

Andru, there is a different sensor for oil level... that might be what's bad on your car.

Ah, where was this thread when I had mine towed for the same issue while it was CPO. The stealership nimrods couldn't figure it out any better than they did anything else on the car. Mine still acts up every once in awhile. Bookmarked for my next maintenance week vacation!

I finally got around to changing that sending unit. It was a piece of cake!! It took more time to drive the car on and off the lift than it took to change it. Step 1: reach hand in and unplug wires Step 2: raise car Step 3: with a 19mm crows foot wrench and a wobble extension, loosen sender Step 4: lower car Step 5: reach in and unscrew/remove sender Step 6: drink beer and congratulate yourself for being half done Step 7: reach in with new sender in your hand and screw it in Step 8: raise car Step 9: tighten new sender with 19mm crows foot wrench on a wobble extension Step 10: lower car Step 11: connect wires (luckily they are different size plugs!) Step 12: drink more beer and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Only a 2 beer job...nice.

I am doing thsi job in the next week as the failure signals are getting too frequent and I am getting bored of them. For the record can guys confirm that there is no danger to anything if the unit fails altogether except an inability to monitor pressure remotely?

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100% correct.

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I have the same symptom happen on my Targa, the oil pressure stays in maximum level and all the sudden it will drop to 0 with failure indicator code show on dash display. I just ordered the oil pressure sender today and expecting to be arrive before end of this week. I wonder how do you know which wire goes to which plug?

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The 2 plugs are different size in my 996TT.

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Really? I pulled mine few weeks ago to clean it hoping to make the issue go away and remember it both plugs are the same size...

They were different size on mine. One was a skinny spade terminal, and one was a fatter one. You'll see on the new sender that there's a "G" and something else that's 2 letters - like "KN". G is the gauge and the other one is the idiot light.

Thanks. I will take a look once the new one arrived.

Check the last photo in the first post on this thread - the red/green wire goes to the "G" terminal, and they are different sizes.

I received the oil pressure sender just now and the plugs are in two different size. Got it thru thepartsbin.com for $58.40 shipped and it is a genuine porsche parts. =) Will find time to install it this weekend.

So I just dropped my car off at the dealer to have this fixed, as they needed to realign my car and they gave me a loaner, so I just told them to replace the sending unit as well for the quoted price of $213. They charge $85 for the part plus 1 hour of labor. Then I just got a call that said because I have a sport exhaust they have to remove the vacuum canister, and because of my aftermarket intake they need to remove that as well, so the cost now is roughly $300. I told them that they should be able to access the sending unit from the bottom of the car, but they said they don't know how, and that it's some special way that is not Porsche trained. So I'm going to order the part and put my car up on jack stands and replace it from the bottom. That way I don't have to mess with the intake and vacuum canister either. Just a heads up to anyone else that my have a sport exhaust which will make it very hard to replace from the top of the engine, rather than from the bottom. - Anthony

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Oh brother, that vac canister is like one bolt to move out of the way.... this isnt rocket science.... frikin stealers.

IS 996-606-203-02 the correct part number for an 04 C2? I think this superseded 996-606-203-00...

I guess is you want to try to do it from the top you could. And I have the sport exhaust and you would have to remove the canister. But it is so much easier to go in from the bottom with a crowsfoot wrench, why bother?

Just a note to everyone that Carquest can get this part. My cost was $56 and they will have it for me tomorrow by 9am for pickup.

my 5 cent contribution, crow foot design wrench didnt work on my car as it was tightened so hard i had to use hammer. anyhow, put new one in and it started reading 5 even on idle. connections doublechecked and correct (in any case it is impossible to confuse as the two connectors are different size). had to drive and rev it up to 7k before pressure reading started going up and down. now it is fine.

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Can I borrow your wrench? Has it ever come out of there? Maybe messing with it from the bottom would get it out of there. I imagine the wrench spread and started rounding the nut section of the sending unit making it a tight fit.

What is the exact location of that sending unit? Is it lined up with any of the intake runners, or coil packs? If so, which one? If not, which is it between? I've got a Boxster and want to add an aftermarket oil pressure gauge. I've been told that the same I can just remove the plug and install the sensor in the same location as the 996. I just want to make sure I'm looking at the right place before I go removing any plug on the cam cover.

Mike_Yi, If you can't see the pics in post #1 of this thread, join and then you will be able to see the pics. The sending unit is the shiny can with two connectors on top. The pic is a 911 showing the sender on the passenger side of the car toward the front. Yours will be on the drivers side towards the rear. Take off your service cover and it should be easier to get to than on the 911.

Mike, I don't know if you were successful in instaling the after-market system or not, it's been a couple of months since your post. But you'll find the oil pressure transmitter located in the same position as the Carrera - forward on the passenger side of the engine. Also, the transmitter has only one wire attached and is covered with a black rubber "boot". The existing wire goes to the oil pressure "idiot light". You would need to run a second wire from the second terminal on the Carrera oil pressure transmitter forward to the after-market oil presssure gauge. The oil pressure transmitter is easily accessed from the top of the car. Bill

Quick addition, I just completed this job today and it was a breeze. By the way, it was very easy to get it off from the top side, and on (although the bottom was easier). I used a 19mm Crow socket attached to a swivel, and several long extensions (for the top, only one for the bottom). Also, you don't have to remove the rear wheel at all, although removing the heat shield (2 10mm bolts) made the job so simple a cave man could do it, lol. PS for those of you who might do what I did, learn from my mistakes. You don't have to unscrew the top leads for the sensor, they just pull off. (I unscrewed one, and on the installation after cleaning broken it clean off). Ordered one from Pelican Parts, order was simple, shipping was fast, and installation took all of 15 minutes the first time.

this was a huge help! thank you. Will be doing mine soon.

Does anyone have the part number for the sender unit for a 2003 4S?

Same part for all 996/7 cars. Part number in post 15 & 37 996.606.203.02 About $45.

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Just making sure as some people mentioned different looking connections. I got quoted $52.87 plus shipping. I'm not going t buy it yet as I want to clean up the connectors first. Thanks!

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They are all standard quick connect wire terminals, but IIRC Porsche changed the connector "look" a little on the different wiring looms throughout the years. Still the same connector underneath.

just had this happen, will try cleaning otherwise it's crow's foot time

Thanks for the pointers on this thread, gauge has been reading 5 when cruising at 80mph and occasionally dropping to zero. Cleaning the contact connections first!

I just removed the connectors, sprayed the tabs with WD40 and replaced them, job done. Started the engine and got 5 reading even at tick-over. Switched off and back on and restarted the engine and the gauge was reading 4 - which gradually reduced as the engine temperature rose. Looks like it may have fixed it! I will know when it stops raining and I can do a full test drive.

I finally got around to changing that sending unit. It was a piece of cake!! It took more time to drive the car on and off the lift than it took to change it. Step 1: reach hand in and unplug wires Step 2: raise car step 3: drink beer Step 4: with a 19mm crows foot wrench and a wobble extension, loosen sender step 5: have another beer Step 6: lower car step 7: drinka 'hic' nother deer Step 8: reach in and screw the sender Step 9: drink beer and congratulate yourself for being half cut Step 10: reach the sender in hand and screw it in the um um 'HIC' 'fart' Step 11: avanover beer Step 12 raise the car up a bit then return to sender Step 13: tighten new sender with 19mm crows thing then wobble your extension Step 14: Drop the car have anover beer Step 15: connect wires somewhere Step 16: drink more beer and congratulate yourself on a job well done an go to the pub and get absolutly pissed out of your skull. Goodnight evy bloody.. I.m not under the affluence of Incohol as some tinkle peep I am....Hic.. You don't have to be crazy to drive a 996 but it helps lol....

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...=W0133-1799387 , The part # 996-606-203-02 is $66.25 here with shipping.

Cleaning the terminals was not a permanent fix for me so ordered the Sensor - 48 quid in the UK.

Ordered yesterday just before 12:00 noon. (ebay Porsche-apart in the UK just search for the part number, 48 quid.) Delivered this morning at 10:20 Fitted without problems in less than 10 minutes. Oil pressure readings are now what I expected them to be (pics later) photos soon. Note that the GT3RS version is fitted horizontally to the end of a metal tube with a bracket and it is much easier to fit a standard 0.75 inch spanner on it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261235864/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261235864/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261237106/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261237106/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261236290/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261236290/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261237862/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261237862/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261238262/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261238262/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr At tick over http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261558004/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261558004/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr at 3000rpm http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261558794/http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/7261558794/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/83374345@N00/, on Flickr

I think i�ve got the same problem on my 996tt. Can anyone give me a hint if the sender positioned in the same place as on the GT3 or ?? Metzger-engined as they both are... I just might have some more stuff in my way.

Hi all. This is my first post on the forum. Just got my first Porsche 911. A 2002 Targa. More to come later. Haven't taken a descent pic to post yet. About a week after closing the deal I started getting the failure alert and needle drop. Ordered a Porsche factory sending unit on eBay for $45 shipped and did the job yesterday with a buddy. I used the crows foot on a swivel attached to a one foot extension. I loosened it from the bottom of the car. I did not need to jack the car / remove tire. It was on very tight but I was able to pry it loose without using a hammer. After the install we cranked her up and monitored around the base of the unit to ensure there was no seepage then drove it about 10 miles. Still no seepage. Everything seemed to be working fine but then I noticed the failure alert again last night when I sat in the car and turned the key to the second click so I could roll up the windows. I cranked the car and it went away and the needle was responding as it should. Then I shut off removed key, put it back in and turned to second click to recreate the scenario and I got the alert again. Im not too concerned about it but I will continue to monitor today and post my findings. I just wanted this to be documented in case anyone else has run into this or does so in the future. This is a great DIY post and I look forward to working on / getting to know my car in the future with oil changes etc.

Welcome to the world of Porsches! I would try to figure out if there's some break or crack in the wires that connect to the sensor - perhaps that's giving the computer/dash a fluctuating reading. Otherwise, there might actually be something wrong that is really restricting your oil flow.

Thanks Van. I had no idea how intense 911 ownership was. What a roller coaster!

Thanks Hibisa. Worked just perfect though it did take me two hours. Anyone going to do this out there, it is easy. I did it. Make your tool out of an old 19 with the notch as shown, that is the handle offset in the same direction. I did not use the exact tool depicted, just dremeled an old 19mm wrench. Also, please note the nuts on the top of the unit are 7mm. I could do this again in twenty minutes.

Just did mine. With the 19mm/(3/4) crows foot it took me longer to get the car in the air and wheel off than to take this out and replace it. Thanks for the DIY. I also removed the spark plug shield (2 10mm bolts) to make it easier. Mie was on pretty tight and the swivel was not allowing enough torque.

Hi all. I'm getting ready to replace the sender myself. I went ahead and removed the rear wheel but taking the heat shield off is another story (it's like the easiest way to $2 million dollars: first, get a hold of a million dollars...). I'm going to try Dhar55's technique of manuevering the 19mm crowsfoot on the sensor. I take it all that required is removing the rear wheel. Excuse the 944 pic. I have to replace it with the 996 pic soon.

The heat shield is just 2 10mm bolts. Use a small socket. Once broken loose they came out by hand. Also remember when you are under there to unscrew the sending unit in the opposite direction. Once I figured out I was turning the wrong way, my old unit was on plenty tight

My 996 has the same classic symptoms...at first, an error message and no pressure (I checked for leaks, no leakage). second start up, needle hits max and stays there. When rpm drops to idle, pressure drops to 4.5 from 5 (max). I changed the oil pressure sender. Operation went well. I started up the car and no change, still maxed out. This is frustrating. What else could it be? Sorry for the 944 pic guys, have not had a chance t change it to my 996 pic.

Huh? On start up when the car is running at a higher idle the pressure will be up. Then drop to a lower level then idle comes down. Are you expecting the gauge to be at zero at idle? PS: Takes 25 seconds to change your 944 Pic

Cold startup idle at 5 is normal. After engine warms up, it should be around 2 at idle depending on the actual engine temp.

Btw, key ON engine OFF, pressure should show 0.

On the 5 bar scale, my oil pressure is at 5 at start up and drops only to 4.5 at idle after it has warmed up. It doesn't go below 4.5. This is after I put in the new oil pressure sender that I bought at the Porsche dealer. Before I replaced it, when it was working good, the oil pressure would settle in at bar 3. The oil level is is the proper level. No leaks. The only thing I have not done is taken the 996 out for an extended drive to see if it will sort itself out but that's like hoping for all the other teams to lose so your team makes the playoffs.

I just wanted to wrap up my issue on this forum with the oil pressure. After installing the new oil sensor, the needle was still maxed out a 5 bars all the time except at idle when it came down to 4.5, maybe. I was hesitant to drive it until I could feel confident I explored every source documenting the issue. Some had said it could be a clogged oil filter while another said it could be an malfunctioning oil pressure relief valve (I didn't know there was one). Before I started replacing components, I decided to drive to the dealer as is (7 miles) and monitor things closely. By the time I was half way there, the needle dropped back a bar and by the time I got to the dealer it was back to normal. The service manager said on new senders, sometimes the internal float needs time to adapt so its not unusal to require a few miles for normal operation. So, at least for me, case closed and things are back to normal (2.5 bars at idle and 4 bars, give or take at speed and acceleration).

Anyone using teflon tape / thread sealer on the new replacement unit? Is this a dunb question?

You can get the Crows foot from harbor freight tools for 9.99, you get a set of them for that much. Save you some cash..but they are cheap. http://www.harborfreight.com/#

Thanks to all that have posted here on the forums. You guys make it so easy to work on these cars. Step 1: reach hand in and unplug wires Step 2: Take off tire Step 3: Take off spark plug shield (2 10mm bolts) Step 4: with a 19mm crows foot wrench and a wobble extension, loosen sender Step 5: reach in and unscrew/remove sender Step 6: reach in with new sender in your hand and screw it in Step 7: tighten new sender with 19mm crows foot wrench on a wobble extension Step 8: connect wires (luckily they are different size plugs!) Step 9: Replace spark plug shield (2 10mm bolts) Step 10: Take for drive to test unit and look for leaks. Step 11: Drink a Crown and Coke. This was easier to do then installing a Double Din. That was nerve racking. Pull things off, cut stuff, drill holes, Grind things off or smooth... YIKES Merry Christmas.

Guys, Thanks for the run down. My motor is out for the coolant pipes. I will replace the sneding unit while I am in the neighborhood.

I'm glad I found this thread because it saved me some time and a few bucks. I am doing the 996 cluster conversion on my Boxster and according to Pelican's tech article, the sending unit requires a 24mm crowfoot wrench to install. I was just about to order one when I read this article and now see that it is a 19mm wrench, which I have.

On the same subject...I noticed on some freeway on/off ramps that the needle bounces around a bit even at steady RPM Could it be an indication of a failing pressure unit when the pressure fluctuates while cornering?

Just chiming in... I sourced the replacement unit at a local SF Bay area dealer for $67. Prices ranged from there up to $104, all from dealers. I was happy to buy locally, especially at that price. I found that I only needed a 19mm crowfoot (got a whole set at Harbor Freight for $10), and 3-inch extension, and I did it from the top, with just the engine lid open...no jacking of car, no wheel removal. It popped loose and then I was able to unscrew it by hand. Replacement screwed on easily, then tightened with aforementioned wrench setup. 10 minutes? Maybe 12. Took time to get a flashlight to assist, but otherwise, REALLY straightforward. Thanks for the help here, folks.

Tron- Thank you for pointing this out. We have corrected the tool size which will be reflected within the tech article as of tomorrow morning. Thanks again! Mark/Pelican Parts

FYI, the Sensor is up to $63 at Suncoast + S&H. I should be buying Porsche parts for resale, they go up faster than the stock market!

Useful post thanks! My "new" 996 C4 has a flicky needle so probably needs a sender. I look forward to doing the job now Lee

I had the heart-stopping (Oil Failure) message this morning. My Oil pressure gauge has been jumping for a while but now it was 0, then 5, then 0 then 5. Picked up a replacement at the local dealer(cheapest I could find incl online) Followed the instructions for working from below. I have a PSE and the only thing I could think of that is in the way of being able to deal with the send from above in part of the vacuum system(or so I think) It took a little less than an hour including assembling equipment, jacking up, switching units, lowering the car and putting everything away. Test drive produced nicely functioning sender(no leaks at this point) What a nice satisfying job.

Is there a specific torque spec for the unit? or are you guys going hand tight plus a quarter turn? Doing mine this weekend. thanks Brian

Not sure about a torque figure but it's only a small fine thread so my intuition says not much torque. Enough to squash the alloy washer a little to ensure it seals. Also tricky to get a torque wrench anywhere near it.

Thank you

My indy mechanic is telling me it's going to take 3.5 hours to replace... I told him to hold off as I think this is a 1 hour job... looks like I was correct. I should probably just buy that tool and do it myself.

Oh hell yeah.. Simple DIY really

Does anyone know the torque setting on the oil pressure sensor? I've combed the internet and found from 15Nm up to 30ft lbs. I know it shouldn't be too tight. I appreciate your suggestions.

I would not hang on the wrench for this as it's a relatively fine thread into alloy so like 25 ft.lbs and start by hand. I only used a 3/8 square wrench to do mine and just tightened it until it felt like the alloy washer was nicely seated. It never leaked.

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Thank you for the quick reply. I found this torque site, however it doesn't include 996 3.6 it ends with the 3.2 engine showing torque setting for various bolts and sensors. http://www.torkspec.com/torkspecme.aspx

So not far out with 25 ft.lbs and I think you will be fine.

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Thanks! However my torque tool was too big to use since I did it from the top using a Harbor Freight $8 19mm crowfoot tool and a 6" extension and took less than 15 minutes. I went by feel and works great without leak. It felt like a Porsche colonoscopy exam.LOL Price on these sensors have gone up from $50 to $75-$118. I purchased a Porsche 928 oil sensor for $25 back in 2003.

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And find yourself a new Indy mechanic. It's not rocket science, which might be why not to many rocket scientists switch career paths to automotive mechanics.

Thanks for posting this thread with pictures. This thread saved me a bunch of money. My oil pressure sensor has been acting up...pressure periodically drops to zero, then comes back up. I just ordered a replacement and will get it installed next week.

As previously mentioned try using low grit sand paper on the connector and thoroughly clean the connectors with alcohol following the sanding. Then paste a small amount of dialectric grease on both connectors. I did this and worked a charm��. It took maybe five minutes.

Symptoms were erratic pressure readings that were able to be reset by turning the ignition off and on. Temperatures were steady and no idiot light so it lead me to believe it was a reading fault. With a little help from this site and from the linked YouTube. https://youtu.be/KTEm9c5ANEc The YouTube instructions on grinding down the crows foot helped immensely as it's a tight fit. Also, I followed the instructions from Rennlist to remove the rear right tire and heat shield. Total work time :20

I just cleaned the connectors... seems like a smart first step. But I wonder, how many owners had a simple cleaning work? And how many had to change the sender unit?

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Tried that at first with mine. Light sandpaper, alcohol and electro conductive silicon. No luck on mine.

I got around to replacing the sender yesterday. Cleaning the electrodes on the old unit didn't work. The job to replace the sender wasn't too bad. The recommended claw foot wrench was very helpful. New one hooked up fine and works well.

good to know...may have to do this as well.

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Just replaced sensor this way. Backed car on to ramps and used crowsfoot from the bottom after disconnecting wires from top. Screwed in new sensor and torqued to 12 ft #. Replaced wires from top. All appears good now. (Old sensor didn't go to zero when ignition turned to 1st click and pegged at 5 when started. New sensor at zero when key at 1st click and normal pressure when started).BTW, set of crowfeet at Harbor freight - $8.00.

Just to get this right...the sensor is on the RIGHT SIDE? (Passenger side...US?)

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Facing the rear engine, the switch is on the right or passenger side US. driver side UK.

Tnx....what I thought...just making sure, gonna have a look as soon as I get the switch.... maybe , my old back will let do it....(sucks to get old)

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Yah I feel you, at 56 and a bad 3 level fusion in my lower back makes thing challenging. But, you can do this one!

808Bill My kids are almost as old as you...I'm 84....but still out there in my 996...AND LOVING IT

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Perfect, have one of them do it for you Seriously though, if money's not an issue and you don't feel like doing it, don't...Aloha!

Unfortunately, one lives 3 hours away, and the other is a computer person and drives a Pontiac small SUV (ugly little POS), somehow he escaped the "car" gene...he couldn't car less about the "damn" things.... The part is on its way and I will have a "looks see"....my worry is that I get it out and then my back gives out.....flatbed to the shop. Years ago who even thought that far ahead......

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I'm sure you could find a member close by that might be willing to help. I would if I where close by! Some mechanics will come to you also.

Hey ANYONE??? Beer and burgers on me.... And, anyone in the Ft Lauderdale area...we host a PCA Happy Hour the 3rd Thursday of every month 5 to 8 pm MOJO restaurant on Federal Highway

I just replaced mine and it was so easy. I did not jack up the car or remove the rear wheel. Just remove the 2 10mm bolts to the spark plug heat shield and you have easy access to the oil pressure sensor from below. I used the recommended 19mm crows foot. Very easy DIY.

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I used a Snap-On 19mm crows foot , 4" extension, stubby ratchet, Crows foor I bought off ebay for 8.00, I did it from top only, I removed the airbox and 2 wires going to sender unit. I think one key is crows foot needs to be think so it can get underneath sender head and top of motor block shell. 15 minutes start to finish. 78.00 repair w Porsche part and crows foot socket. Pictures if needed.

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No need for either. New part comes with a metal gasket.

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There really is no need to get hung up on torque specs. Once the part is threaded in try to make sure it is facing the same way the old part was as much as you can and you should be good. There is a point where it will stop and will not be able to be threaded any further. Also note the final resting position may not be exactly as the old part was. And the connectors are simple and can not be messed up. One is thin and the other is thicker. And I agree with the previous post regarding working from the top. Both ways are easy but from the top is much more easier and simpler.

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Yes - for values of "think" that include "thin". I had to grind my 19mm crowsfoot a bit to make it thin enough.

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Same here. See this post for photos: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post15926731

I just replaced the oil sending unit on my car today after couple of unsuccessful attempts. My unit was tightly screwed and it was difficult to remove. I would like to add couple of notes: In order to access the unit from under the car, the spark plug shield must be removed. It is an aluminum cover held in place with 2 10 mm hex head screws. The 19 mm crowfoot must be ground down to approximately 5 - 6 mm thickness in order to be able to squeeze it in there and get it onto the hex nut of the unit. It is recommenced to have a helper who is going to hold the crowfoot in place tightly on the hex nut of the unit, from the top of the car, while another person will unscrew the hex nut of the unit from under the car. This way any slipping is going to be avoided. Make sure you turn the ratchet in the Clockwise direction from under the car Mount the new unit from the top of the car and tighten it with your hand as much as possible. Do half more turn from under the car. Do not over tighten the new unit. Use the helper when tightening the new unit to hold the crowfoot in place I hope this helps.

Glad I found this post. My oil pressure always showed top of the scale. One time I noticed that just turning on the key pegged the gauge to max. I didn't think atmospheric pressure alone could do that, so of course I came looking here. New sending unit was installed (OEM part). The steering wheel still mostly blocks my view of it, but now I have a functioning gauge.

Also if you want the correct torque on the sender like I did - you'll need to invest in a digital torque adaptor as standard torque wrenches can't measure torque in reverse. 30Nm is whats required.

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A surprisingly useful item - IME much more so than a standard torque wrench.

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A great tool to have in the toolbox the only problem with it is size - if you're in a tight space it can be difficult to use. Otherwise - perfect

This 15 minute 1 beer job has me seriously questioning my mechanic skills. I'm at least 6 beers and 2 hours in over multiple episodes. What I have found on my 02 cab with sport exhaust: - cab engine bay must be smaller/more cramped. I cannot reach the unit or the wires from the top. Impossible. My hand will not get in there. - the vacuum canisters/muffler for the sport exhaust (Which totally make the car btw), take up all the space. I cannot remove the heat shield by the spark plugs/coil packs. Accordingly, I cannot reach up to the unit- it's not visible than it is from the top, but no less accessible by hand. So, I either take it to the shop OR pull the muffler off to get more wiggle room. The only problem with this plan is that the exhaust bolts are so rusted in, I'm sure I'll break a few, so I'll have to get new stainless bolts... Other ideas???

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I did it on 02 996 from the top using a Harbor freight 12mm crowfoot, an extension, and a flash light. Under 15 minutes, however I have long skinny hands.

((Sincere apologies for missing this as a 996 post and polluting your space with 997 woes.)) Resurrecting this one.. I noticed recently that my gauge reads 3-4 whenever I turn the ignition on. It's behavior when running never seemed off to me. 5 after start up, and once warm under spirited conditions, drops to 1-2 at idle and runs quickly back to 3 or 4+ under load. But I have the new sender and figure, why not... As noted above, the cab engine bay is certainly tighter. Like torture device tight. That picture of the bay which shows the wrench on the sender made my eyes bug out, because the same area in my cab barely allows my bony arm and hand in there. I can detach the wires, but don't think there's any way to maneuver a wrench in there from the top. So, I will try the bottom-up approach, but already sense this one will be more irritating and time-consuming than the motor mount replacement I did last night which required only a leisurely 20 minutes.

I just replaced mine, the biggest issue was the thickness of the crows foot wrench. Once I ground that down to fit it took like 2 minutes. Wasted 20 minutes pulling off the wheel, ground strap, and trying to get it from below. Super easy from the top once the wrench fits in there. Should be a 10 minute job as others have said.

Reading this thread as my pressure sensor has been sporadically dropping out. I tried pulling and cleaning the connectors but didn�t seem to make any change. New sensor is arriving in a couple days but got a little nervous from some of the stories here. So far so good� a Harbor Freight Icon crows foot fits just fine and though it�s a bit more cramped in the engine bay of a Cab it just took a sharp pull on the wrench to break the sensor loose and the crows foot slipped off. I was concerned the wrench had just slipped but I reached in and the pressure sensor turned by hand. Car is now down until I get the new pressure sensor as I�m not gonna bother tightening the old one back on but makes me feel better that the thing came off.

Boy did I get sent on a wild goose chase with C-GPT on this one trying to pinpoint sender location. It worked like a champ on the wife’s ’18 SQ5 intermittent seat belt warning yesterday, but, evidently, not enough information out there on the Mezger version 996 (GT3) so dropping this in a few places to help the cause. Saw 0 psi yesterday after a ‘Faulty Indicator’ caution (IIRC…something to that effect) and queried Grok and C-GPT on the sender location. It was all over the place, showing me engines that were clearly not 3.6 Mezgers and directing me to the space behind the alternator and below the oil canister housing. Dissy’d the air box/TA and still no joy. Looked on the right side and lo and behold, it stares right back atchya’. Couldn’t be any simpler although an adjustable crow’s foot (like a crescent wrench w/o a handle…found it on the SnapOn truck and had to have it) made for a simple effort. Probably took a whopping 30 inch/lbs of torque to break it so I guess that is where the oil vapor accumulation below it came from. Oil pressure sender location 996 GT3. It is smack dab in the middle of the photo with the two wires outboard (diff spade sizes so can’t screw up the reattach)