Oil Pressure Gauge or Oil Pressure Idiot Guage?

My 1997 Miata has an oil pressure guage at the top of the instrument cluster and it pops right up when the engine is started. That seems to be a good thing, but is it truly showing pressure or is it just showing that there is oil inside the motor? Somewhere I have read that it is just another version of an "idiot light" and should not be trusted! Anyone with definetive info on this please chime in. If it is and idiot light/guage, can it be changed out to a true pressure gauge and hard hard is that to do to someone not all that task-friendly? Thanks

Here you go: http://www.miata.net/garage/opg.html

First paragraph explains it better than I would do in my own words:

The early Miatas ('90 through '94) were built with genuine, working oil pressure gauges. It had real PSI markings and the needle actually indicated the oil pressure of your engine. In '94, Mazda replaced the gauge with an "idiot gauge" which looks like an oil pressure gauge, but in reality only has two possible needle positions - just like a light but less useful since it gives the false impression of showing a reading. The good news is that it can be replaced with an earlier gauge to give genuine oil pressure readouts.

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In the garage section there are several other articles about the oil pressure gauge on Miatas that you can check out too: http://www.miata.net/garage/garageinterior.html

Figures that WillD would have the answers I needed! The sender unit doesn't sound too scary but tackling the instrument cluster does intimidate me a bit. I don't have the air bag since changing out the steerting wheel but removing that cluster WITHOUT messing things up concerns me. The costs involved are kind of high as well but you've got to "pay to play" with these great cars so I will start adding more funds to my "goodies" stash right away. Thanks to all who replied on this one.

Yeah I've read every article on the M.net garage so I just know where to find the information. I've never been overly impressed with the oil pressure gauge on my '91.

As far as removing the gauge cluster, it isn't as hard as it may seem. Revlimiter wrote up an awesome set of instructions on how to make it happen: http://www.revlimiter.net/mods/gauge_install.php

WillD hits another Jackpot with this one! What a great site and product line. Good God man, I am really going to have to build my "goodies stash" alot faster. What are the odds that my Social Security check will get larger? All of you still working for the all mighty buck, Thanks and keep up the good work. We who are collecting that SS $ need you to keep contributing so we out of work seniors can get out checks!