BikerBill

The oil temperature gauge in my 2000 A4 2.8L Quattro is acting eratically. It will read as high as 300 degrees but then it will drop 50 degrees in 10 seconds. I suspect the sender is bad. Two Audi dealers and two online parts sellers indicate the temp sender is on the front of the engine near the crank pulley. Two respondents on AW to my earlier post think it's integrated with the oil level sender on the bottom of the oil pan. I tried to locate the sender on the front with my inspection mirror but I couldn't find it (but I'm sure it's not easy to spot).

So I decided to disconnect the wires to the sender on the bottom of the oil pan after getting the engine up to temperature. Initially the oil temperature reading was the same as before I disconnected the wiring, but after about a minute it dropped to zero. If I reconnect it, then after a little while it's back to a mid-gauge reading. So I thought, great, that must be temp sender also. But I get no low oil level light either, and with the sender disconnected I certainly think I would. Also, when I look up that sender online it's indicated only as an oil level sender, not a combo level/temp sender. What gives? My oil pan sender is made by Hella and has the following identification: 6PR 008 079-02 and 1J0 907 660 B. Can anyone tell me the function(s) of this sender? My engine code is ATQ if that helps.