Oil Pan Components
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 1 | Oil scavenge reservoir |
| 2 | Oil level and temperature sensor |
| 3 | Oil pick-up pipe |
| 4 | Oil level and temperature sensor connector |
The structural oil pan is fitted to the lower cylinder block to stiffen the base structure of the engine, helping to reduce Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH). The oil pan also incorporates an oil baffle plate to reduce oil foaming and splash.
The oil pan is secured to the cylinder block with 2 dowels, 2 locator pins for the gasket and 18 retaining bolts; 3 different lengths of bolts are used:
- M8 x 20 (9 off).
- M8 x 75 (1 off).
- M6 x 105 (8 off).
A gasket seals the joint between the oil pan and the cylinder block.
An oil pick-up pipe with integral strainer locates in the oil pan to provide oil to the crankshaft driven oil pump.
An oil level and temperature sensor provides an electronic indication of the oil level. This removes the requirement for the mechanical dipstick. An advantage in comparison with the static 'dipstick' method is that all marginal influences, for example vehicle being on a slope, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, are compensated for by averaging.
The values determined can be used to signal that the minimum oil level has been reached or to display the current oil level if required.
The sensor is mounted inside the oil pan where it sends an ultrasonic pulse vertically upward, it then measures the time for the pulse to be reflected back from the top surface of the oil.