Oil Light doesn't come on

[Periwinkle]

My 1973's oil light doesn't even light when the key is first turned on.  Is this normal? I've checked the fuse, the connections and I know the dash indicator light is good.  Thoughts?

[Simeon]

Pull the connection from the oil pressure switch at the back of the head and ground it directly. The oil lamp should then come on. If not, you have a fault in the wiring. If it does come on then I would suspect the oil pressure switch or even its connection to ground (through the thread).

 

Can I ask how you ‘know’ that the lamp is OK?

[Mike Self]

Those oil pressure switches do fail--and sometimes when they do, they burst and you'll lose your oil in less than a minute at highway speeds.  Cheap replacement--and a good excuse to add a proper oil pressure gauge. 

 

When your SNOP (acronym for "Sorry, no oil pressure) light illuminates (at 7 psi), you've already messed up your engine!

 

mike

[Periwinkle]

Good advice both of you!  I know the dash light is okay because I pulled the instrument cluster and put in a bulb I know works (from the battery light.)