! Oil Pres ! What would you do?
Discussion
Its an Audi FFS, its been a known fact for the last 20 years at least, that their oil pressure warning sensors are crap and are faulty. Having said that i would never assume that the sensor was at fault because Murphys Law will always prevail and catch you out one day.
You really have to stop and check the level, but really that is not true indication that the sensor is buggered, you can still have level but no pressure, for a number of reasons;
Oil pump suction blocked
Oil pump relief valve stuck open
Oil pump relief spring broken
Mains and big ends gone
Etc.....
If the sensor sounds, STOP, check oil level, check for obvious leaks, (it will be a big one if you are dumping oil), listen to engine, is it rumbling, knocking, squeeling, if any untoward or unusual noise then stop the engine immediately and get car to nearest indie or dealer, or at least someone who can do the proper checks. If no noises and level is ok, then if youre feeling brave enough gently drive home or to a garage to get the sensor checked/changed.
I have owned 3 different Audi's over the last 15 years and this sensor is the only thing to let me down on many occasions, its well known on all of the Audi forums....
You really have to stop and check the level, but really that is not true indication that the sensor is buggered, you can still have level but no pressure, for a number of reasons;
Oil pump suction blocked
Oil pump relief valve stuck open
Oil pump relief spring broken
Mains and big ends gone
Etc.....
If the sensor sounds, STOP, check oil level, check for obvious leaks, (it will be a big one if you are dumping oil), listen to engine, is it rumbling, knocking, squeeling, if any untoward or unusual noise then stop the engine immediately and get car to nearest indie or dealer, or at least someone who can do the proper checks. If no noises and level is ok, then if youre feeling brave enough gently drive home or to a garage to get the sensor checked/changed.
I have owned 3 different Audi's over the last 15 years and this sensor is the only thing to let me down on many occasions, its well known on all of the Audi forums....
I would stop immediately, check the oil level, call either my breakdown service or Audi depending,
In fact when I stupidly got caught out by just the low oil warning light last time, I stopped the car and walked and bought some from a garage and walked back and topped it up, I just don't think low oil pressure is worth risking,
In fact when I stupidly got caught out by just the low oil warning light last time, I stopped the car and walked and bought some from a garage and walked back and topped it up, I just don't think low oil pressure is worth risking,
Switch the engine off immediately is indeed the correct answer. Nice to see most people now this.
!!!!!!Never ever ever confuse the low level warning with the low pressure warning !!!!!!
Running the engine with the engine oil level a little bit low (and low level warning on), will not do any damage unless its for weeks and weeks, you could certainly drive to the next services to buy some oil.
Running the engine with no oil pressure, will do major damage in under 30 seconds, continuing to the next services is not an option.
I've had no less than 4 customers tell me exactly the same story in the last 6 weeks or so. I'm doing an engine and turbo on one of them now.
Customer: - The oil light came on, so I drove to the nearest garage and put a litre of oil in, I started the engine and the light went out but as soon as I drove off it came on again. SO i put another litre in, the light came on again so I drove here (audi centre)
ME: - Did it actually need any oil, what was showing on the stick.
Customer: - No idea I just put some in, its making really funny noises now too.
We go over to the car , First i check the oil, looks about 2 litres over filled. and start the engine to have a listen.......................And very quickly switch it straight off again.
Me: - Oh dear, That will be a Turbo for definite and quite possible an engine, Will have to strip it and have a look.
Customer: - How much is an engine.
Me:- Depends I'd have to get parts to price it up and work out the labour, but basically turbo is £1000 engine may be £3000.
Customer: - .........Four Grand, b
ks!!!!!
Please read your handbooks and check the warning symbols so you can tell the difference. I know the oil pumps shouldn't fail, chains break and the strainers shouldn't get blocked, but when they do, you want to pay A few hundred ££'s for a new oil pump etc rather than a several thousand for a new engine.
PS if the cars under warranty, the phrash you want to use is,
"I couldn't stop immediately, But pulled over as soon as it was safe to do so."
!!!!!!Never ever ever confuse the low level warning with the low pressure warning !!!!!!
Running the engine with the engine oil level a little bit low (and low level warning on), will not do any damage unless its for weeks and weeks, you could certainly drive to the next services to buy some oil.
Running the engine with no oil pressure, will do major damage in under 30 seconds, continuing to the next services is not an option.
I've had no less than 4 customers tell me exactly the same story in the last 6 weeks or so. I'm doing an engine and turbo on one of them now.
Customer: - The oil light came on, so I drove to the nearest garage and put a litre of oil in, I started the engine and the light went out but as soon as I drove off it came on again. SO i put another litre in, the light came on again so I drove here (audi centre)
ME: - Did it actually need any oil, what was showing on the stick.
Customer: - No idea I just put some in, its making really funny noises now too.
We go over to the car , First i check the oil, looks about 2 litres over filled. and start the engine to have a listen.......................And very quickly switch it straight off again.
Me: - Oh dear, That will be a Turbo for definite and quite possible an engine, Will have to strip it and have a look.
Customer: - How much is an engine.
Me:- Depends I'd have to get parts to price it up and work out the labour, but basically turbo is £1000 engine may be £3000.
Customer: - .........Four Grand, b
ks!!!!!Please read your handbooks and check the warning symbols so you can tell the difference. I know the oil pumps shouldn't fail, chains break and the strainers shouldn't get blocked, but when they do, you want to pay A few hundred ££'s for a new oil pump etc rather than a several thousand for a new engine.
PS if the cars under warranty, the phrash you want to use is,
"I couldn't stop immediately, But pulled over as soon as it was safe to do so."
Edited by Tame Technician on Tuesday 25th August 18:46
Since low oil pressure can damage the engine in 30 seconds, I trust the warning light is:
a) Red, not amber
b) beeps/alerts driver that they must stop (let's face it, 99% of people don't read the manual cover to cover, let alone remember what all the lights mean. This is especially so nowadays when there's so many and so many false alarms that drivers don't know what to think.
a) Red, not amber
b) beeps/alerts driver that they must stop (let's face it, 99% of people don't read the manual cover to cover, let alone remember what all the lights mean. This is especially so nowadays when there's so many and so many false alarms that drivers don't know what to think.
Tame Technician said:
Switch the engine off immediately is indeed the correct answer. Nice to see most people now this.
!!!!!!Never ever ever confuse the low level warning with the low pressure warning !!!!!!
Running the engine with the engine oil level a little bit low (and low level warning on), will not do any damage unless its for weeks and weeks, you could certainly drive to the next services to buy some oil.
Running the engine with no oil pressure, will do major damage in under 30 seconds, continuing to the next services is not an option.
I've had no less than 4 customers tell me exactly the same story in the last 6 weeks or so. I'm doing an engine and turbo on one of them now.
Customer: - The oil light came on, so I drove to the nearest garage and put a litre of oil in, I started the engine and the light went out but as soon as I drove off it came on again. SO i put another litre in, the light came on again so I drove here (audi centre)
ME: - Did it actually need any oil, what was showing on the stick.
Customer: - No idea I just put some in, its making really funny noises now too.
We go over to the car , First i check the oil, looks about 2 litres over filled. and start the engine to have a listen.......................And very quickly switch it straight off again.
For added effect whilst reading this, fellow forumites, why not put a 13mm and a 17mm spanner in a large square metal biscuit tin, close the lid and then shake the tin as violently as possible.!!!!!!Never ever ever confuse the low level warning with the low pressure warning !!!!!!
Running the engine with the engine oil level a little bit low (and low level warning on), will not do any damage unless its for weeks and weeks, you could certainly drive to the next services to buy some oil.
Running the engine with no oil pressure, will do major damage in under 30 seconds, continuing to the next services is not an option.
I've had no less than 4 customers tell me exactly the same story in the last 6 weeks or so. I'm doing an engine and turbo on one of them now.
Customer: - The oil light came on, so I drove to the nearest garage and put a litre of oil in, I started the engine and the light went out but as soon as I drove off it came on again. SO i put another litre in, the light came on again so I drove here (audi centre)
ME: - Did it actually need any oil, what was showing on the stick.
Customer: - No idea I just put some in, its making really funny noises now too.
We go over to the car , First i check the oil, looks about 2 litres over filled. and start the engine to have a listen.......................And very quickly switch it straight off again.
istoo said:
i know it maybe difficult to say, but which engines are they?
My experience was a simple clean up of the pickup in a 2.8 12v
And a oil new pump, pickup in a 1.8T.
Can be any engine, (not just Audi's) the one in the story was an older TT 1.8T. Car may have been worth less than the potential repair cost. The one I was replacing at the moment was a 2.0TDI. My experience was a simple clean up of the pickup in a 2.8 12v
And a oil new pump, pickup in a 1.8T.
On the 1.8T's When the strainers get clocked, we give the customer the option to just replace the strainer and the oil pump, and see what is sounds like, offten they are OK but you do get one or two with turbos that from then on are very noisey and top end valve train noises that never go away.
The TDI's turbos all seem to fail without oil very quickly. And sometimes the chain that drive the oil pump brakes and does other damage. I've seen one where the chain got mangled around the crank and smashed out through the front oil seal housing.
Dracoro said:
Since low oil pressure can damage the engine in 30 seconds, I trust the warning light is:
a) Red, not amber
b) beeps/alerts driver that they must stop (let's face it, 99% of people don't read the manual cover to cover, let alone remember what all the lights mean. This is especially so nowadays when there's so many and so many false alarms that drivers don't know what to think.
It is red, a) Red, not amber
b) beeps/alerts driver that they must stop (let's face it, 99% of people don't read the manual cover to cover, let alone remember what all the lights mean. This is especially so nowadays when there's so many and so many false alarms that drivers don't know what to think.
and it does beep,
but it doesnt say stop.
Sadly its the same standard beep for everything. Even those silly speed warnings, people seem to set at 65mph.
phumy said:
Its an Audi FFS, its been a known fact for the last 20 years at least, that their oil pressure warning sensors are crap and are faulty. Having said that i would never assume that the sensor was at fault because Murphys Law will always prevail and catch you out one day.
You really have to stop and check the level, but really that is not true indication that the sensor is buggered, you can still have level but no pressure, for a number of reasons;
Oil pump suction blocked
Oil pump relief valve stuck open
Oil pump relief spring broken
Mains and big ends gone
Etc.....
If the sensor sounds, STOP, check oil level, check for obvious leaks, (it will be a big one if you are dumping oil), listen to engine, is it rumbling, knocking, squeeling, if any untoward or unusual noise then stop the engine immediately and get car to nearest indie or dealer, or at least someone who can do the proper checks. If no noises and level is ok, then if youre feeling brave enough gently drive home or to a garage to get the sensor checked/changed.
I have owned 3 different Audi's over the last 15 years and this sensor is the only thing to let me down on many occasions, its well known on all of the Audi forums....
... is the answer I would also have given. My current Audi is more advanced than most of stuff available now and actually tells me what's wrong , so no chance of confusing oil level with washer fluid.You really have to stop and check the level, but really that is not true indication that the sensor is buggered, you can still have level but no pressure, for a number of reasons;
Oil pump suction blocked
Oil pump relief valve stuck open
Oil pump relief spring broken
Mains and big ends gone
Etc.....
If the sensor sounds, STOP, check oil level, check for obvious leaks, (it will be a big one if you are dumping oil), listen to engine, is it rumbling, knocking, squeeling, if any untoward or unusual noise then stop the engine immediately and get car to nearest indie or dealer, or at least someone who can do the proper checks. If no noises and level is ok, then if youre feeling brave enough gently drive home or to a garage to get the sensor checked/changed.
I have owned 3 different Audi's over the last 15 years and this sensor is the only thing to let me down on many occasions, its well known on all of the Audi forums....
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