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Pilottonny

Well Known Member
Hello,
Has anybody thought about installing a ?low oil level? sensor? It seems very logical , but so far I have never seen one in a plane. Those days most cars have them, why not on a plane? Hey, on top of that my car has got a low coolant level warning and even a low windscreen washer warning! OK, OK, weight, I know.

Of course, of course, before everybody starts wining about checking the oil level during pre-flight, that is not the thing I want to skip! I was thinking of the fact that a low oil level is an indication of something really wrong and in some cases there may be quite a bit of time between the low oil level warning and the low oil pressure warning. The low oil pressure warning (after all the oil is gone) is probably ?engine-fatal? but if, for example, you had noticed a low oil level warning ten minutes before that, you probably could have made a precaution landing, to find out that your oil filter was leaking?., a hose was bust?., the engine had some mechanical problem and was using an excessive amount of oil?., you forgot to check the oil level during pre flight?.., etc. etc. But, you made it to the ground alright, that is what is important, right?.

I was reading the Dynon EMS manual. It has got several free to use inputs. I immediately thought of connecting a low oil level sensor to it. But, do our aircraft engines (I am installing an OX-320 ECI Titan) have any connections on the casing, or elsewhere, for a low oil level sensor at all? Or would it mean I would have to modify some automotive sensor and probably make some connection to fit it to my engine?

Is anybody out there using a low oil level warning?

Regards, PilotTonny.
 
Very good alternative!

That looks like a very good alternative if there is no other means of installing a sensor on a dedicated port of the engine casing itself!

Thanks for the tip!

Is anybody using this sensor? comments?

Regards, PilotTonny
 
Took a quick peek at the sensor specs. It looks like it should work on one of our "contact" inputs - which basically can indicate different states based on whether the input is open or grounded. You'd use it without any power connected, just connect one side to the contact input and the other to ground.
 
Is it that simple ?

Dynonsupport,

Does this mean all I will need is that sensor (the plug with the floater at the end) and connect it to the EMS? No need for the elctronics that normaly come with it?

Hey, if that is the case, maybe you should include one of these in your "probe" listing (can not cost more than $ 20,- ?). You will sell a ton of them and have an advantage over the competition!

Regards, PilotTonny.
 
Bought one of those and it wouldn't fit. Wasn't a problem with the sensor, but the exhaust interfered. The sensor will only mount in one hole (the other has obstructions) and it ran too close to the exhaust pipe. We modified the sensor so it would screw in further by threading it more and haven't tried it again as I will have to pull the exhaust pipes. The low level sensor is a great idea; I have had a leak while flying. Thankfully, we caught that one in time, but I wouldn't count on doing it every time.

Bob Kelly
 
But does it actually work?

with all the thrashing that goes on inside a crankase witll it actually give you a reliable read or is the ils slopping about so much that the thing would be going off all the time?

Frank
 
I don't think it would be a good substitute for checking oil as part of a preflight routine and I can not envision an inflight condition where this device would buy you much time. If you checked your oil before the flight and everything was fine, if this device goes off, you lost, and/or are losing oil fast.
So, yet another "thing" you can add to your RV to go bad or leak?
The best indication that your losing oil, before your oil pressure goes down or away - your nose!
 
JonJay said:
I don't think it would be a good substitute for checking oil as part of a preflight routine and I can not envision an inflight condition where this device would buy you much time. If you checked your oil before the flight and everything was fine, if this device goes off, you lost, and/or are losing oil fast.
So, yet another "thing" you can add to your RV to go bad or leak?
The best indication that your losing oil, before your oil pressure goes down or away - your nose!
Click to expand...

I agree on the preflight, and that probably MOST of the time it may not help. But the one time I had it happen was in an Ercoupe and we saw oil coming up over the cowl. We headed back and made it with oil to spare. What if we hadn't seen the oil? I don't know. Leaks happen, and they can be slow. I doubt if you can spot them all that easy. Some cars, the Jaguar XK-120 being one, had oil level as standard. Guess I'm giving away my age when I talk about renting Ercoupes and driving XK-120's.

BTW, one of my strangest memories of that early flying was the pilot putting down the doors, standing up and wiping the windshield before we landed while I flew the plane. Have no idea where the oil came from as it was a rental and it wasn't our problem. IIRC, we never smelled a thing. I hope to get ours installed at the 1st annual.

Bob
 
Unintended issues...

frankh said:
with all the thrashing that goes on inside a crankase witll it actually give you a reliable read or is the ils slopping about so much that the thing would be going off all the time?

Frank
Click to expand...

Probably why there are some electronics involved to dampen the reading.

I'm an old grump, but I really don't want a thin piece of wire and a float living in my oil sump. Could be some unintended issues when the wire fails and the float plugs something important.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
John Clark said:
I'm an old grump, but I really don't want a thin piece of wire and a float living in my oil sump. Could be some unintended issues when the wire fails and the float plugs something important.
Click to expand...

I agree... my "low oil level sensor" is my oil pressure and temperature gauges, along with looking out the window. My experience with oil leaks is that unless it's somehow all going out the breather, enough oil will end up on the windshield for the pilot to notice.

mcb
 
Other systems out there?

Hey guys,

I was actually looking for an automotive style sensor. I guess they screw in the side of the crankcase at the appropriate level, no floater or wire to come loose and jam anything inside. Weight is nearly nothing, just the sensor and a few feet of 20AWG wire, especially if you connect it to the Dynon, that is there anyway. Although, I think the floater may be a good alternative for anybody who wants the extra safety of a low oil level warning and is going to install it on an existing engine. It will obviously not fit to all engines, but that is clearly described on the website also.

By the way, I did say that the low oil level sensor does not mean you can skip the pre-flight! It is just an extra safety during flight, if you think about how many ways there are that you could loose oil, without noticing, jeez! :eek: I want to know if something is wrong, as soon as possible, even if it is only a few minutes, that may just be enough to get to an airstrip on time, or clear a build up area. And for those that are sure they will notice the oil loss anyway, even without a sensor: if you don?t, there is always the oil pressure warning some time after that, good luck! :rolleyes:

- Anybody using this, and does it work OK?
- Anybody using an other system than this?
- Dynonsupport: Can it be hooked-up directly? Or do I need the electronics?

Regards, PilotTonny
 
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