Oil Pressure Indicator Light Question

 Honda Shadow VT600.

36 degrees out.

Went the 2 miles up to the coin-operated car wash to wash the salt off.
Waited for the bike to cool, then sprayed and brushed it down good.

Started it.  Walked away for 30 seconds, came back and noticed that the oil
pressure indicator was on (did not notice if it ever went out).  Stopped the
engine immediately.

Started the engine again, and noticed that the oil pressure indicator went
out immediately.  Stopped the engine to verify that the indicator came back
on (it did).

Started the bike and rode home.  I got the salt off pretty well!

What would cause the oil pressure indicator to come on (besides oil
pressure)?  Could spraying down the bike cause this?

Will check the oil on the next warm day (car wash was a bad place to do it).
I'm 99% sure it is OK, as I've never noticed a leak and it was filled
correctly at the last oil change.

Thanks.
--
David T. Ashley              (dta@e3ft.com)
http://www.e3ft.com           (Consulting Home Page)
http://www.dtashley.com       (Personal Home Page)
http://gpl.e3ft.com           (GPL Publications and Projects)

 
I would say, in a word, yes.   It is possible.  Those high pressure
sprayers can force water into otherwise well sealed wire connectors.

Everything I've read insists that motorcyclists should NOT use the
things.  I will admist that I have used them on occasion, but am VERY
careful around bearings, brakes, and electrical wiring and connectors.

 On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:42:48 -0800 (PST), "tomorrow@erols.com"


Me too. I try to pull the trigger doohickey only halfway back so it's
more of a heavy mist than the full power, and even then I try to use
"indirect fire" instead of spraying it straight at anything.

 

Since your motorcycle engine was only idling, it is possible that it
didn't suffer any ill effects. Consider how an oil pressure sensor
works: There's a diaphragm that flexes. Behind it is a spring and an
electrical contact. As the engine warms up, the spring changes its
characteristics slightly, so it may be more or less sensitive to low oil
pressure when it's cold than when it's warm. Moreover, the difference
between oil pressure light on and off is close to the engine's very slow
idle speed, and it's not a certification instrument. All it can tell you
is that if it lights up at speed, the engine has suffered damage.

The way the electrical contact works is that whatever's connected to the
sensor gets grounded when the oil pressure drops ... or when the contact
is shorted to ground by salt water. But I doubt that there would ever be
enough salt water for long enough to keep the pressure light lit for
that long, so I don't think that's the cause.

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq:  http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
Ten Steps to Fascism: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2064157,00.html

 
Might you have gotten some water/mist into the airbox causing the
engine idle to slow just a bit?