Audi A2 oil warning light coming on but oil in car, HELP

[Decibel]

Not sure where this goes, so please move if in wrong place

looking for some advice

Yesterday the oil warning light came on my audi A2 1.4 tdi (2000 edition)

When i let it cool down (had just finished driving to gig in Manchester from my home in Newcastle) I checked the oil level and it was fine, but i gave it a small top up just to be sure.

It was last serviced 1500 miles and 3 weeks ago.

Now on the drive to Manchester today it came on again.

It doesn't come on and stay constantly on, it flashes on and then turns itself off again. This is not at a constant but at random intervals. Sometimes going 30 miles before flashing again.

I noticed that the temperature gauge on the car didn't move once on the whole drive from Newcastle to Manchester (150 miles) I checked the aircon (had it off to save fuel) and it held a hot and cold temperature perfectly but the gauge still didn't move from its 60 degree starting point.

I'm not sure if i should risk driving back to Newcastle after my gig in Manchester tonight or call the AA? Any advice?

Also thanks in advance for any help.

[chris1roll]

Is it the level warning, (usually orange with wavy lines under it) or the pressure warning, (Red).
If the latter don't start or drive it! Get the oil pressure checked out.

If its the level warning, it could quite easily just be the sensor playing up, my company octavia did that at about 40k, skoda replaced it under warranty.

In my MR2 the level light was always on so I just took the bulb out. I'm quite capable of checking the oil level myself at regular intervals...

[Decibel]

Its the red one for oil pressure, looks like I'm calling out the AA then...

[cptsideways]

Possibly just a dodgy OP sensor, get a gauge on it & see what the actual OP really is & go from there.

[Pappa Lurve]

Not sure this will be any help but I sad something similar on my S8 (97). Oil level fine but pressure warning kept coming on and then turn off. Very annoying as it also kept beeping loudly! This was the situation when I went to look at it prior to buying. Revved the hell out of it on the test drive and my mechanic mate who came along was fairly sure it was just the sensor. He was right and one £20 part later the problem is solved and I got the car for silly money ;-)

No idea if all engines are the same in the way the sensors are set up but seems like they should be! I would imagine any garage would check that anyway before they do anything expensive but anyway, HTH.

[Zingari]

Sounds like a faulty sensor - if its at the correct level on the dipstick (warm engine, left ground, engine off for at least a minute) then there should be nothing to worry about. Might need to put it on VAGCOM device to check.

The water temp gauge is a common fault on earlier A2 so need a new sender unit (likely less than £20)

Also make sure you run the air con regularly if you dont you run the risk of a leak as the gas has a lubricant in it that needs to circulate. I leave my climate control in AUTO all the time and find it has a minimal affect on fuel consumption. If you are getting less than 55mpg general running around in a A2 Tdi you're doing something wrong! 74.9mpg is my record. And I run 3 of them in the family!

(Lots of help/assistance on www.a2oc.net/forum. If you are close to Manchester Mike (forum name- Skipton) is your man)

Edited by Zingari on Monday 25th April 00:17

[Negative Creep]

Pappa Lurve said:

Not sure this will be any help but I sad something similar on my S8 (97). Oil level fine but pressure warning kept coming on and then turn off. Very annoying as it also kept beeping loudly! This was the situation when I went to look at it prior to buying. Revved the hell out of it on the test drive and my mechanic mate who came along was fairly sure it was just the sensor. He was right and one £20 part later the problem is solved and I got the car for silly money ;-)

Cheap or not, I must say you're brave to buy an A8 with a potentially knackered engine!

[XDA]

I had the exact same fault, but on a Ford Focus TDCi. It turned out to be a faulty sensor.

Sounds very much like a sensor to me.

[Decibel]

Zingari said:

Sounds like a faulty sensor - if its at the correct level on the dipstick (warm engine, left ground, engine off for at least a minute) then there should be nothing to worry about. Might need to put it on VAGCOM device to check.

The water temp gauge is a common fault on earlier A2 so need a new sender unit (likely less than £20)

Also make sure you run the air con regularly if you dont you run the risk of a leak as the gas has a lubricant in it that needs to circulate. I leave my climate control in AUTO all the time and find it has a minimal affect on fuel consumption. If you are getting less than 55mpg general running around in a A2 Tdi you're doing something wrong! 74.9mpg is my record. And I run 3 of them in the family!

(Lots of help/assistance on www.a2oc.net/forum. If you are close to Manchester Mike (forum name- Skipton) is your man)

Edited by Zingari on Monday 25th April 00:17

Yeah i travel minimum 500 miles a week DJ'n and as i'm not a superstar (yet) i don't get my travel costs paid for.

My record is 60mpg and I average 55mpg. I also check my oil every 2 weeks cos of the mileage i do.

Didn't know that about the aircon, I'll leave it in auto econ mode from now on.

Thankyou everyone for your help

Edited by Decibel on Monday 25th April 01:14

[Pappa Lurve]

Negative Creep said:

Pappa Lurve said:

Not sure this will be any help but I sad something similar on my S8 (97). Oil level fine but pressure warning kept coming on and then turn off. Very annoying as it also kept beeping loudly! This was the situation when I went to look at it prior to buying. Revved the hell out of it on the test drive and my mechanic mate who came along was fairly sure it was just the sensor. He was right and one £20 part later the problem is solved and I got the car for silly money ;-)

Cheap or not, I must say you're brave to buy an A8 with a potentially knackered engine!

Nope, a combination of luck, a very honest seller, a very good mate who is an ex Jag engineer and knows a thing or two, some PH advice and a little negotiation. First Audi and that engine is lovely :-)

[Decibel]

Like to thank everyone for their help.

Got it towed back to my house by the lovely people at the RAC, which was great as it meant i could have a few drinks when DJ'n for once.

Turns out it was a dodgy sensor and the engine is fine, only cost £25 to fix.

Thanks again

[varsas]

Decibel said:

Didn't know that about the aircon, I'll leave it in auto econ mode from now on.

I may be wrong, but doesn't the econ mode usually leave the compressor switched off? When the guy said 'run the aircon' (which is quite right, all the seals dry up otherwise) he meant actually use the air conditioning system; run the compressor, get the gas and lubricant circulating etc. Not sure the econ mode will do that?

[Negative Creep]

One thing I have found about cars is that the simple solution is usually the correct one. Most things are caused by a dodgy earth, bad battery, split vacuum pipe or dodgy sensor.

[Prince Jefri]

Great little cars those. I good friend of mine had a courier company that used to deliver computer components to Europe daily (mainly Rome, Milan, Barcelona and Madrid - from London). He brought 2 new and they would average (with 2 drivers) 6000 miles - 8000 miles a week (they rarely stopped). He would service them every month himself and never had a problem. I'm not sure how they ended up, but the were over 300k in the first year!!

I guess 99% of the time they were sitting at 80mph - 90mph on the motorway and so wear and tear on clutches, brakes, gearboxes etc, etc...was all minimal.

Good luck with yours.....