Part ID

This morning after driving about 10 miles, I noticed a strong oil smell, so I park, and I check the dipstick and it was bone dry :banghead: ...yesterday it was completely full. Now I'm thinking the motor is shot, so I figure that I'm going to try to make it home, so I add a few quarts and I'm on my way. When I get home, oil is dripping steadily off the subframe, so I trace the leak (gushing out rapidly when the car is on) to a component that is attached to the engine block located over the starter and under the exhaust manifold. This component consist of a female plug (black & gray) with an orange or red wire and it plugs into a black male piece that has a hex part at the base (I assume for replacing). I'm going to take a guess and call it an oil sending unit but I'm not sure. What do you guys think? I never thought some sort of electrical looking device would have oil gushing out of it until I saw it with my own eyes. I looked in my Haynes manual and I can't find any info or name for this part so any help (special tools needed, procedures, torque, etc.) would be greatly appreciated. Also, the female plug is covered in oil, should I spray it with some sort of cleaner? I know this may sound really dumb :screwy: but I've heard that electrical connections can be cleaned with WD-40 or Corrosion-X...is this true? Almost forgot, 96 Lumina 3.1 with 115,000 miles. Thanks!

That's the oil pressure sending unit, yes. Grab a replacement and be sure to clean up the oil around the threads and put some sealant on them, then install. I'm pretty sure Haynes has some kinda info on the thing, but I'll get some specs for you when I'm on break this afternoon.

Yes, electrical connections can be sprayed with WD-40 and the like, but I'd clean off the oil first best you can. Hope you can get that thing fixed, oil leaks suck mightily.

Cadgear, I would like to thank you so much for taking the time to reply and I look forward to hearing from you later on today. Thanks again.

The torque spec is 115in-lb or 13Nm

Since you'll be around the starter, I'd suggest unhooking the neg battery cable for insurance.

Just to make sure I didn't lead you astray, is this the sensor on the right, above the starter? There should be another one-wire sensor above the oil filter, to the left of the oil pressure sensor. Just making sure I got the right one, it -was- early when I made my previous post...

Cadgear, definitely above the starter...I did notice the sensor by the oil filter also. Would you happen to know what size deep socket I'll need to buy or will I REALLY need a specialty socket like the one the auto parts store wants to sell me? I would rather buy a socket that I'll get more use out of instead of a tool that I'll probably never use again. Once again, I greatly appreciate all the help. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

I -think- its a 21mm, but I'm not definitely sure about that. Best way to find out is buy the sensor and then roam the store 'fitting' sockets until you can find one that does the trick. It'll be metric, of course, but I don't know if the connector will pose a clearence issue or not. If it does, you might have to drop to an offset open-end wrench to pluck it out with.

Cadgear, I went ahead and picked up the specialty socket at Pep Boys (8.99). I'm not sure if I really needed to, but the part seems to have these little indentations and I did'nt feel like screwing something up for a few bucks. Thanks again for all the help....greatly appreciated.