steel

How do i remove the panel to replace the oil bulb light on my 85 olds ? Unfortunately i have no oil, coolant or alternator guages.

MDchanic

If you can't just reach up behind the cluster and remove the bulbs, then you will need to remove the cluster.

If your car is anything like the '81, then these instructions ought to be right.

Pry off left and right trim covers (on either side of cluster)
Remove 7 screws attaching cluster pad to panel
Remove 6 screws attaching cluster bezel to panel
Remove 4 screws attaching steering wheel trim cover
Disconnect gearshift indicator clip
Remove 4 screws holding cluster to panel
Pull cluster toward you, reach behind it, and disconnect speedo cable clip
Remove cluster.

- Eric

joe_padavano

An 85 Olds WHAT??? The procedure for a Delta 88 is different from that for a Firenza.

Allan R

Seriously? If it's just an idiot light I'd be more inclined to just check the oil regularly instead of pulling the whole dash apart. The only time you're going to see that thing under normal conditions is when you start the car.

I looked at your home page and there's no indication of what car (as Joe said). On any of them however I believe you're going to have to dismantle the front of the dash at the very least. Even my 83 Regency was a bit of a PITA to replace burnt out lights. Do NOT lose any of those little screws or over tighten them putting them back in.

MDchanic

Exactly. but he has no oil pressure gauge and no way of knowing whether the oil pressure on his car is any good.

He's driving around every day and has no idea whether he has oil pressure or not.
Sure, he'll know soon enough if he's got none , but it'd be nice if he had a bit of a warning first.

I couldn't possibly drive around in a car with neither a gauge nor a light.

- Eric

Allan R

I have NEVER in the history of driving all my cars had the oil light come on except for starting. Fluid checks should be a part of routing mtce on a regular basis (like every week or so with older cars, or more often if you know it leaks. That's how I was raised). Unfortunately this is a dying culture with today's high tech engines 'that just don't need checking for 60,000k miles??

I get it Eric, it's really up to steel on how he wants to do this. Curious to find out what kind of car it is. Might have a 260; in which case I'd leave the oil light burnt out

MDchanic

Just a couple on months ago, I was driving around town in my Delta.
I had taken a similar course to your advice above and had never changed the oil since I had bought the car (though I did make sure there was enough in there) - who cares if the 260 blows up, right?

It was a hot day, and as the car warmed up, every time I let it idle in gear, the oil light would come on. After a while, the light came on even when idling in neutral.
I bought some 20W50 and a filter, and put them in when I got home.
The old oil came out like water - I assume it was 5W20 or some similar thing.
No more oil light, but I would never have known there was a problem had I not had the light connected.

- Eric

Allan R

I'm shocked! 1. Always change the oil on a new acquisition so you know what's in there and how fresh it is. 2. You need a real V8 in that Delta and you just prolonged the agony.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

not sure what eric is looking for, but there's a guy in northern NJ selling a taken-apart 455 that looks pretty good.

Check the wanted adds, if i had 400 dollars i'd buy it, but unfortunately my car needs a painjob more than a new motor.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...gine-sale.html

MDchanic

Thanks, Tony. but I've already got a 425 and two 350s all taken apart (each of which needs a few parts, a little machine work, etc., etc.).

Problem is I don't have the time and the facilities to get one together right now.

- Eric

MDchanic

Even on a 260?

Be honest now.

- Eric

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Why not make a V8 Coffee table!

MDchanic

'Cause I prefer to sleep indoors, and I hate when I come home and find all my clothing on the lawn.

- Eric

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I thought it looked sharp,

Mind you, i also thought the Over the Air digital antenna looked good over the Mantle.

I slept on the couch for that one.. But we get 13 channels!

Allan R

Truth is yes. Only I would have asked a heavy discount on the car price with that squirrel cage in it.

MDchanic

Much cheaper and he would have paid me to take it.

- Eric

steel

I didnt expect so many replys. Im a member on a few other olds & auto forums websites & this is the best site yet (very informative). I have a 85 olds delta 88 royale brougham. Thanks for all the replys. I also like all the classic cars. As far as the oil bulb goes its a bitch to remove the panel to get to the bulb so ill just leave it be.

MDchanic

Fine. Be that way.

But it's very satisfying to disassemble your entire gauge cluster, clean all the crap out of it, and replace light bulbs that you didn't even know were there.

- Eric

Allan R

Actually it's not that big of a deal. Just time consuming. I did that for some burnt out lights on my 83 Ninety Eight. The screws and small bolts are in plain sight. 2 screws on the outer panel - the rest is held in by pressure clips. The headlight **** also has to come out - that's easy; you can feel the pressure release reaching under the lower dash. After that the panel is really open to screw removal - the silver trim plate and under that is the cluster. IIRC you also have to unhook the speedo cable to get to the light panel. They are pretty much all 194s I think.

steel

My olds was manufactured 11/84 & has the basic options such as a/c, pw, pdl, pds, tw, cruise (dont work), ps, pb, am/fm stereo cassette (cassette dont work). It doesnt have a rear window defroster & guages for oil, water & alternator. The blue interior is clean except for the headliner & sunvisors. The paint & vinyl top is shot & i have a long crack in the passenger side windshield.

Allan R

Now I want to see this car. Sounds like a plain old Delta 88. Any chance it's the Royale? They were a decent riding car and for its day the 307 4bbl and 200R4 got decent mileage. Not a hot car off the line by any stretch but a glamorous grocery getter

Lady72nRob71

If you ever want to get the cassette deck working, I would be able to help you with that...

Allan, he has the 307 and 200R4 in it.

Allan R

uhhhh

must be an echo (echo echo echo) in here.....

joe_padavano

That's a 215, by the way...

steel

My car does not get decent gas milage. I have the OD trans & i only get a lousey 14 or 15 mpg combined. A barrel of oil is $90.00 & i paid $4.00 a gal yesterday. We get screwed big time here in ca & not only on gas prices. LOTS of corruption in the not so golden state. The tape deck has been shot since the mid 90s so ill just leave it + i would have to remove that nasty panel to remove the stereo player. Ill pass.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Montreal Gas price is 5.48 per gallon last week...

Enjoy the 4$/gal while it lasts...


You have an overdrive transmission and are getting 14 to 15 MPG? That seems a bit low.

Allan R

We're right up there with you Tony. $5.30/gal for regular. You figure it out? They're only paying 105.8/litre and we're getting hosed.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

It makes me sad,

I actually buy ALOT of gas down in the states, i drive down to plattsburgh, get my groceries down there for the week/month. And try to save a little bit of change.

How far are you from the boarder? I'm about 45 minutes, it's almost worth it to drive down just for the 30 dollars savings in gas.

Allan R

The border? For me? Ah, ha ha ha ha ha ha ..... you get the picture. (check it out)

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I think we may have hijacked another thread...

I keep forgetting how north edmonton really is.

In other news, those oil bulbs changed yet??