Cal Club Autocross Forums

I need a shift light style warning light so that I can actually see if my oil pressure light happens to blink at me. Anyone have anything the are willing to unload for cheap?

-Aaron

Better yet, find a 12 volt buzzer and hook it up in parallel with the oil pressure light:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-st ... R/-/1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Will Kalman wrote:Better yet, find a 12 volt buzzer and hook it up in parallel with the oil pressure light:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-st ... R/-/1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I certainly found audible warnings to be superior in getting your attention.

I studied human reactions for a report as a kid... Imagine that out of a drag racers kid.
We typcial react faster to sounds than sights.


Of course, who could hear a buzzer in a 914???

I thought we react fastest to motion, ie. blinking ... if it's in your sight line?

Might need a fairly loud buzzer wearing a helmet ... together with high revs, etc.

Perhaps a female voice?

Mako Koiwai wrote:I thought we react fastest to motion, ie. blinking ... if it's in your sight line?

Might need a fairly loud buzzer wearing a helmet ... together with high revs, etc.

Perhaps a female voice?

The buzzer I linked to is 103db and those piezo buzzers are quite annoying. The advantage to a buzzer isn't the reaction time but that you don't have to look at it. An oil pressure loss is going to happen at the apex of a turn when one is quite occupied visually, looking at the next element.

Forget the light and buzzer and just hook those wires up to your nipple. I guarantee you'd get the quickest reaction of all.

Kurt Rahn wrote:Forget the light and buzzer and just hook those wires up to your nipple. I guarantee you'd get the quickest reaction of all.

power it off the high side of the ignition

Reaction times in the average human...
1. Sound
2. Touch
3. Sight

Your eyes are slow...

Motion? Blinking???

Not sure about high voltage nipple stimulation... I tried to do that experiment in college. Fortunately, the sorority girls relented and didn't press charges.

Guy asks his blond friend to check to see if his blinkers are working ... "working, not working, working, not working ..."

Oh boy... I should have known better than to post here.



I'm pretty use to keeping an eye pealed for lights from my drag race days, but no reason why I couldn't do both! I have a trailer light that I got for free that I was going to hook up, but it's so dim it's almost useless... Where would I get a free or almost free 12V noise maker?

Mako Koiwai wrote:Perhaps a female voice?

He said he wanted a warning.... I guess the would depend on his marriage status. Might work if single, but the first thing ignored upon "I do".

Craig Naylor wrote:

Mako Koiwai wrote:Perhaps a female voice?

He said he wanted a warning.... I guess the would depend on his marriage status. Might work if single, but the first thing ignored upon "I do".

See, I was thinking Sister Mary Elephant.

/Cheech and Chong ref.

Aaron McKinnon wrote: I'm pretty use to keeping an eye pealed for lights from my drag race days, but no reason why I couldn't do both! I have a trailer light that I got for free that I was going to hook up, but it's so dim it's almost useless... Where would I get a free or almost free 12V noise maker?

But for all you know, you'll be looking out the "side" window when you're apexing a turn and lose oil pressure. In drag racing you're almost always focused straight ahead. Try checking your speedometer while at the apex of a turn while out on course - almost impossible (if you're doing it right).

If you can hook up a light, you can hook up a buzzer that costs less than $5 (and a blown motor).

Will Kalman wrote:

Aaron McKinnon wrote: I'm pretty use to keeping an eye pealed for lights from my drag race days, but no reason why I couldn't do both! I have a trailer light that I got for free that I was going to hook up, but it's so dim it's almost useless... Where would I get a free or almost free 12V noise maker?

But for all you know, you'll be looking out the "side" window when you're apexing a turn and lose oil pressure. In drag racing you're almost always focused straight ahead. Try checking your speedometer while at the apex of a turn while out on course - almost impossible (if you're doing it right).

If you can hook up a light, you can hook up a buzzer that costs less than $5 (and a blown motor).

i'd just hook up a relay to the ignition circuit and oil pressure switch. no oil pressure, no ignition. accomplishes the same engine saving goal without all the time delay of doing it yourself.

I've gone back and forth about doing that. Some say it's dangerous...

it'll probably make you spin as you're only going to lose oil pressure when the car has the highest lateral g's. at an autox it's not such a big deal to spin, on an off ramp...i'll let you decide.

the best idea would be to make it not lose oil pressure.

Marshall Grice wrote:the best idea would be to make it not lose oil pressure.

Would be my first thought also.

Bob Plante wrote:

Marshall Grice wrote:the best idea would be to make it not lose oil pressure.

Would be my first thought also.

Hence his desire to aquire the data! I really don't think he intended to put an indicator on the car so he can slow down when needed!

The car has a mini-sump (aka "Tuna Can") all ready which is suppose to get you 95% of the way there. I just can't see the idiot light behind the Momo steering wheel. I'd love to change that thing out for a bigger one... Anybody wanna trade?

Somewhere in my mess of a garage I probably have a box of interior piezo fire sirens. Used to install fire alarms when I was a freshman in college.

But this is cheap and will work....
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2062405" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow...102 dB would definitely get your attention.

I think the ones I have are louder. 109 maybe.

I would make a continuity tester out of them. Then hook up at the panel of a 24 unit apartment building, then walk through the project checking all the runs. No problem hearing the tester on the otherside of the building.

Those Radio Shack units look interesting. I'd probably put it on a switch or a pot (to turn it down) so I don't learn to hate my car before I start it!

Aaron McKinnon wrote:Those Radio Shack units look interesting. I'd probably put it on a switch or a pot (to turn it down) so I don't learn to hate my car before I start it!

Go back a category on the link Will provided, there's a volume adjustable one. piezo beeper w/ volume control

This is a great idea, thanks Will! I have never thought of using audible warnings. I think I'll have one hooked up to oil pressure & one to knock.