I now own a 61 Standard Bug. I'm having an issue with it though. I just installed an Empi Oil cooler and wired it up, cranked it and is running fine. I also have one of those oil dipstick temp gauges that lights up on the dash when it begins to run hot. Ever since I installed the cooler, the oil pressure idiot light now comes on and stays on constantly, even if the car is completely cold. I know the oil pressure switch is in fine working order, just not sure what i did wrong. I also have a VDO oil pressure gauge in the engine bay and it's reading about 42 psi when idling, so I know i have pressure, just the darn light stays on and won't turn off. Can anyone give me an idea of what's going on? I live in the Sugarland area and would be willing to meet up somewhere if needed.
thanks,

Sounds like the dipstick gauge may be grounding and causing the light to stay on.

I thought this too, but it's been working fine up until now. I inspected the wire, no exposed wires at all.

Remove the dip stick wire from the equation..

what kinda of sending unit were you using? if you can unplug the wire leading to the dash light from the engine compartment sending unit
and the light goes out.. then the sending unit may be the issue.. if not...then it is a pinched wire somewhere..

the wire is a ground wire to light up the dash idiot light..

was this an external oil cooler? with hoses and multi pass plate cooler? did you address the oil consumption that the system takes up and out
of the stock system?

a mech. gauge at the block reading 42 at idle is a good start.. I assume this is when the motor is cold..

Tommie, I removed the oil dipstick temp gauge and disconnected it from the oil pressure switch, the light remained on. Then I went ahead and removed the wire that goes from the dash to the switch, the light went off. My switch is a "T" for the sensor to work. One wire goes to the dash, the other to the dip stick. I did think of the fact that the cooler was empty of oil. I checked the dipstick, it reads "full", even though the cooler is empty...hmmm. How do I go about filling the cooler? I started the car and ran around the block, got home, rechecked the dipstick, still reads "hi".....

So where or when did you get the 42psi reading from?

First I'd post up some pictures from the install.. just for reference..

and a better starting point for over the internet diagnostics.

I got that reading from the car at idle just as I started it. The car had been sitting for a few days without my starting it, so it was cold. I connected the fan thermostat wire to the starter lug for power. There are 2 wire coming from the electric fan, one gets grounded, the other goes to the fan thermostat switch. The fan thermostat has 2 wires also, one connects to the electric fan, the other goes to power (in this case to the starter lug). Let me figure out how to compress my pics....

Well You are talking about two different issues.. I think I'm reading..

the idiot light is attached to a sending unit.. which grounds out with lack of oil pressure.. or in the case of the dipstick the top twist
under heat .. and twist around to ground out.. both ways cause the wire to ground and trickle the idiot light on the speedo..

The FAN is a two wire.. Power and ground.. and the thermostat and can be wired one of two ways.. (I THINK) as a ground or as a power.
meaning that when wired inline with either of the power or ground wires going to the electric FAN.. it completes the circuit and the fans comes on when the temp reaches 180degrees..

Not sure if that came out clear via typing

Tommie, that is exactly correct. I think I'm understanding it now. The idiot light on the speedo can tell me one of two things: (1) oil is getting hot or (2) low oil pressure, but cannot tell me both? On another note, could the pressure just be dropping coming out of the cooler? To increase the pressure, do I need to be sure the cooler is full of oil? If so, just add another 1/2 quart of oil?

I tend think more than half quart extra oil will fill that system.. heck.. I think a HP1 style filter will take alomst a quart itself..

the only thing I'd be worried is TESTING.. if there is something really wrong with the install and you keep firing the motor to "check" it out.
you are starving the bearings and something worse is bound to happen..