Discussion
This morning on the way to work my car started making a new noise. Just had my mechanically inclined coworkers take a look and a listen. They think that my oil filter (note: i meant oil pump, see below) has gone. Just got to keep it full of oil till i can get a new car, i dont think its worth replacing it. Its a shame because i really like driving that car but a newer one has been on the cards for a long time. Its had a good life, 14 years on the road and 181 thousand miles on the clock. Part of me would love to fix it up in my spare time but i dont have the tools or the space. I just hope my engine doesnt sieze until i can get another car. Apart from that, i need to say goodbye to a close friend...
ed: i know its kinda off topic but i normally only post in this section. I suppose there is the legal issue of driving an unroadworthy car that i should really ask about, any thoughts?
>>> Edited by sadako on Wednesday 18th August 11:40
>>> Edited by sadako on Wednesday 18th August 12:10
ed: i know its kinda off topic but i normally only post in this section. I suppose there is the legal issue of driving an unroadworthy car that i should really ask about, any thoughts?
>>> Edited by sadako on Wednesday 18th August 11:40
>>> Edited by sadako on Wednesday 18th August 12:10
Oil filter gone ???
Do they mean blocked ?, if so a replacement is less than a tenner, and fitted in seconds. Make sure your oil level is correct after fitting it.
By the sounds of it, your engine may have already suffered some damage (noise), and with all due respect it doesn't sound like your colleagues are too knowledgable. I'd advise getting a pro to have a look.
If it is dropping oil, please don't take it out on the road.
Phil
Do they mean blocked ?, if so a replacement is less than a tenner, and fitted in seconds. Make sure your oil level is correct after fitting it.
By the sounds of it, your engine may have already suffered some damage (noise), and with all due respect it doesn't sound like your colleagues are too knowledgable. I'd advise getting a pro to have a look.
If it is dropping oil, please don't take it out on the road.
Phil
Sadako,
If your oil pump has gone, you aint going anywhere (well not very far).
First things first. Has your engine got oil in it ? if so, does the oil light go out when you start the engine ? if it does, when does the engine make the noise? What sort of noise is it, and roughly where from ? ie tapping noise from top of engine, or heavy clunking from bottom of engine? If it's from the top, you might be able to sort it fairly easily. If it's a heavy thud thud from the bottom, you're buggered !
Get back to me
Phil
If your oil pump has gone, you aint going anywhere (well not very far).
First things first. Has your engine got oil in it ? if so, does the oil light go out when you start the engine ? if it does, when does the engine make the noise? What sort of noise is it, and roughly where from ? ie tapping noise from top of engine, or heavy clunking from bottom of engine? If it's from the top, you might be able to sort it fairly easily. If it's a heavy thud thud from the bottom, you're buggered !
Get back to me
Phil
Sound is sort of a metallic rattle. Filled oil this morning, my car has been burning oil for a while and it was almost out. At first when i descrived this my coworkers suggested the big end bearings had gone but there is a delay between revving the engine and the pitch of the rattle changing. Oil is still full. The noise is also loud enough to be noticable. I am also getting no oil warning lights. I needed tog et to work this morning and drove 60 miles at low speed, deliberatly not stressing engine. The noise only started this morning but I drove from near Portsmouth to Tamworth and back on saturday at motorway speeds, probably the last nail in the coffin
If you've been losing oil for some time, that would explain part of the problem. Oil is burned when it gets past the piston rings into the combustion chamber. It can also get down past the valve oil seal on a very worn engine. Either way, it is unlikely that the rest of the engine would be in a good condition. If everything is worn, oil can slip past bearings easily, and doesn't "float" the big ends as it should. Sorry to say, it does sound like it's on its last legs.
A word of caution, if you really must drive it like this, do not stress the engine at all. Do NOT use anything other than lane one, when all pressure finally disappears the engine will eat itself. It doesn't take many revolutions of the engine to chuck a con rod, timing chain, or whatever. When this happens the engine siezes VERY quickly ! not what you want in lane three at 70 Mph.
For me, I wouldn't take it on the road, but like I said if you have to, wait until 3 am when you won't inconvenience anyone else.
Phil
A word of caution, if you really must drive it like this, do not stress the engine at all. Do NOT use anything other than lane one, when all pressure finally disappears the engine will eat itself. It doesn't take many revolutions of the engine to chuck a con rod, timing chain, or whatever. When this happens the engine siezes VERY quickly ! not what you want in lane three at 70 Mph.
For me, I wouldn't take it on the road, but like I said if you have to, wait until 3 am when you won't inconvenience anyone else.
Phil
sadako said:
Sound is sort of a metallic rattle. Filled oil this morning, my car has been burning oil for a while and it was almost out. At first when i descrived this my coworkers suggested the big end bearings had gone but there is a delay between revving the engine and the pitch of the rattle changing. Oil is still full. The noise is also loud enough to be noticable. I am also getting no oil warning lights. I needed tog et to work this morning and drove 60 miles at low speed, deliberatly not stressing engine. The noise only started this morning but I drove from near Portsmouth to Tamworth and back on saturday at motorway speeds, probably the last nail in the coffin
What car is it?
Big ends make a kind of hammering noise more than a rattle, and they tend to get much worse as the engine is loaded and with higher RPM. Unless they are absolutely knackered they are usualy quiet at idle.
If they are that far gone you will normaly get the oil pressure warning light on as well, especialy with a hot engine.
Well had a bit more of a diagnosis now i'm home, Been prodding round the engine with my ear on a stick. Noise seems to be coming from the altenator. Couldnt get the stick anywhere near the oil pump as its under the crankshaft sprocket though. Hopefully this means the car isnt dead yet, been a bit scary though. Booking the car in to be looked at.
We tried the stick on the water pump, nothing. Definatly coming from around the altenator or very near there. Would like to have disconnected it but the tensioning bolt is on the underside and I have no trolly jack or axle stands to work underneath. I have booked it into the garage for tomorrow.
Heres what to do :
The Oil pressure light is operated at only 5-10 psi on the rover and is therefore no good at diagnosing problems.
Locate the oil pressure sensor. This is on the oil pump housing by the crankshaft, and will be a brass thread with a wire running to it.
Borrow the garage's, or buy a cheap TIMS capilliary oil pressure gauge 0-100 psi.
Connect the sensor, wih enigne off there is no flow.
Pressure should come up to around 60psi when cold, and should rise when you rev the car up to 90psi ( don't do this much when cold, and dont go over 90psi )
Pressure should be around 30-40psi hot, and should again rise with revs.
If you have no pressure : your pump has gone. But I doubt this, as it is only two very strong parts, and tends to degrade rather than disintergrate.
If you have very low pressure, either the pump is degraded or the main bearing is worn, and is out of tolerance.
The Rover hydralic tappets need the right level and grade of oil in order to fill. If they dont have this, then the strike the tappets rather the runup built into the cam lobe.
So running with low oil can cause damage to the camshaft. The hardened metal of the cam tends to do a great deal of damge to the main bearings and oil pump, making the problem worse.
10-40 synthetic is the right stuff to use, and you should NEVER let a Rover engine run low on oil.
Hope this helps.
The Oil pressure light is operated at only 5-10 psi on the rover and is therefore no good at diagnosing problems.
Locate the oil pressure sensor. This is on the oil pump housing by the crankshaft, and will be a brass thread with a wire running to it.
Borrow the garage's, or buy a cheap TIMS capilliary oil pressure gauge 0-100 psi.
Connect the sensor, wih enigne off there is no flow.
Pressure should come up to around 60psi when cold, and should rise when you rev the car up to 90psi ( don't do this much when cold, and dont go over 90psi )
Pressure should be around 30-40psi hot, and should again rise with revs.
If you have no pressure : your pump has gone. But I doubt this, as it is only two very strong parts, and tends to degrade rather than disintergrate.
If you have very low pressure, either the pump is degraded or the main bearing is worn, and is out of tolerance.
The Rover hydralic tappets need the right level and grade of oil in order to fill. If they dont have this, then the strike the tappets rather the runup built into the cam lobe.
So running with low oil can cause damage to the camshaft. The hardened metal of the cam tends to do a great deal of damge to the main bearings and oil pump, making the problem worse.
10-40 synthetic is the right stuff to use, and you should NEVER let a Rover engine run low on oil.
Hope this helps.
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