Low Oil Pressure Alarm and Defective Panels

[PHILIP H EASTMAN]

After purchasing two remanufactured Cummins 6BTA engines, wiring harnesses, exhaust risers, engine isolators, and panels….nothing but problems.  Worse yet, Cummins refused to honor their 2 year warranty, despite 7 independent and timely claims.   Even the Cummins dealer, Carolina Marine, falsely certified the engines BEFORE the sea trial.

 

The most serious problem was false low oil pressure alarms at low RPM.  Apparently, this condition is a common defect in Cummins reman engines and Cummins panels.  Changing sending units, harnesses, and gauges does not correct the problem.  Cummins is aware of the defect and has an alleged correction with a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to install a resistor.  A resistor does not correct the problem, it only changes the ohm readings artificially suppressing an alarm.  Unfortunately, even the TSB does not correct the problem.  A review of the forums and online community reveals that this is a common issue with many Cummins engine-types and Cummins panels.

 

Cummins not only is aware of the problem, but refuses to correct the deficiency, EVEN FOR WARRANTY ITEMS.   Cummins engineers have privately informed that the problem is so pervasive that Cummins now installs non-Cummins panels in lieu of their own.

 

Apparently, the Cummins panels ARE NOT marine grade despite being installed in commercial and recreational vessels for 25 years.  The Cummins panels were not designed for the open saltwater environment, but designed to be enclosed in either a housing, genset enclosure, or equipment (i.e. frontend loader) cabin.

 

With a defective product, common knowledge of Cummins, Inc., and refusal to correct the deficiency, Cummins can be described as disingenuous as best.  A plaintiff or class action lawyer would do well with such a case.  If service is required, seek a reputable Cummins independent dealer and avoid Cummins-owned service centers.  In any event, avoid Cummins reman engines and Cummins panels, or caveat emptor. 

Topic

[Clark Leighs]

WOO asks a good and valid  question.

Where do you maintain the oil levels?       You should have two marks, one for full and one for add.    Which one do you maintain the level at.

I ask because these engines often have a shallow pan.    If the oil level is maintained at the high level and you have  much of a tilt to the engine mounting the level can be whipped into a froth by the crankshaft,  bubbles  can which  can cause this problem.     They get sucked in and disappear  in the system untill they hit the oil pan on return.     Then the bubbles will reform causing low oil pressure and alarms.  

Drop the oil level to 1/2 way between the Full and Add marks and try again.

TOny has written about this MANY times.  I will leave it to you to look but in TOny’s tips I think I remember an article also about this very issue.   This problem was very common untill people took Tony’s advice and lowered the oil level.

Actually these pans TOny strongly said no more than 13 Qts when empty and do not try to factor in filter capacity.    But find his article and read it.

 

As an aside my very different engine, Cummins V555 of 1976 mfgr.,  had the same problem.      As I reduced throttle abruptly may alarms would go off and the pressure guage would drop precipitously.     A few seconds later all was well.

I figure out my dipstick was mismarked with a 4 litre range between Full and Add.     I now fill 1/2 way between those marks and no more alarms or dropping oil pressure.   TO boot my engine no longer fill the bilge with copious quantities of oil, a double win.

 

So try NOT filling to the Full mark  but rather 1/2 way between   the two marks.

 

[Woo]

Are your low oil pressure alarms sounding when briskly coming back to idle rpm’s after high/cruise rpm situation?

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