Oil pressure light again 1.8t HELP!!

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Ryan360

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Hi guys, i know theirs probally been a few posts already on this but im wondering if someone can help me abit more.
Basically ive got a 99 agu 1.8T engine.. the oil pressure light flashes up on the dash and bleeps whenever i go round a corner above about 40mph, ive changed my oil, oil filter, dropped the sump & cleaned, replaced oil pickup pipe and also i have changed my oil pressure switch (today) but still the dreaded oil pressure light comes on.

Any ideas whats causing this, engine runs fine does not sound too tappy.

Help appreciated cheers
 
If it doesnt change thw sound of the engine then perhaps its a false warning and a sensor is dodgy. If you really did have low pressure your top end would sound like a bag of spanners, like, really loud and clangy
 
Hmmm on a few occasions it has sounded pretty tappy top end after a long drive but will sound fine again the next day when i start it up..?
Isn't the sensor same as the switch?
 
i talking about the one on the sump, oil level not oil pressure, maybe do a test on it to see if its working correctly?
 
if you have increased tappy sound at top end then the only thing left, and prob the most important one, is the oil pump. which is another sump off jobby
 
I agree with superkarl, if you have done all the oil pickup, sensor etc etc. the next thing i would do is oil pump. What oil are you using?
 
so neither of you would eliminate the oil level sensor first? the OP did say the light comes on when cornering, imo id check the level sensor was ok before buying and fitting an oil pump,

mine sounded a little noisey uptop before doing my pick up pipe and engine flush but has since quietened down,

just my opinion lads,
 
I wouldn't personally say it was the oil level sensor as Ryan has stated its tappy sometimes after a long drive, i could be wrong but i dont think it would sound tappy if the oil level sensor was faulty, it would just say the sump was empty when its not or visa versa. As long as there is enough oil in there it will circulate. Im sure after doing an oil change the oil would be on or near max. So the fact that its tappy means the oil isnt circulating properly.
 
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well im wrong, oops, just checked my owners handbook and the warning for low oil level or oil level sensor failure is a yellow warning not a red one.

sorry guys. oil pump it is then,
 
Hmmm yeh oil pump next i recon :/ I'm using 10w40 Castrol lee.
Oh ryt, i have looked before on my sump and there isn't a oil lever sensor there, there's a space for one...i presumed they were not on a3's that earlier but could be wrong?

Worth getting my car pressure tested at a garage before replacing the pump?
 
Does it ever sound tappy when its cold ryan? or always when its hot?

When it does sound rattly/tappy can you hear exactly where it is coming from? (maybe using a screwdriver to your ear to hear under the rocker cover)

I have been having the same problem as you recently, changed the sensor, oil pickup, oil pump etc etc, i did 3 oil services in one week using different oils to see if it would stop the tapping, hence the first question. 5w-30 and mine would sound tappy cold and hot, 10-40 and it was only when hot. Im now in the process of changing my head.
 
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No not really from cold, probably slightly tappier when warm, and SOMETIMES does tap quite loud after a little thrashing, but not very often.

Nah i haven't, next time it does it i will try, my mate recon'd it was the tappets? But tbh im not sure.

Oh ryt i used 10w40 cos its abit thicker and my car is on 150k.
 
I dont think your engine has tappets. If its coming from the right hand side of your engine it would point more towards cam chain tensioner, anywhere else it would point towards hydraulic lifters (if it is a top end rattle). BUT, i would probably rule out the oil pump first.
 
Oh ryt, ill have a good listen next time it does it. So yes looks like i will have to try the oil pump, i changed the oil pickup pipe around a month ago, is the pump a much harder job? or pretty straight forward, any specific tools i need?
 
No just take the sump off, there will be 3 10mm bolts to undo the oil pump, i found if you tilt the pump to an angle it comes away from the chain easier. There is also a tensioner inbetween the pump and side of the engine that you can push back to give some more slack if needed. Thats how it was on my engine, im assuming yours will be the same. May be worth getting a new oil pick up pipe again too.

Mileage is 150k dave
 
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Right ive fixed the problem guys. I cant actually believe what the real problem was all this time lol.

Basically, i accidently filled the oil above max yesterday, not too much about a cm, anyway drove it that night and i noticed oil pressure light did not come on atall all night.. i thought this was abit strange.
Today i was having a look in the engine bay and i noticed the oil dipstick housing was corroded and there was bits of metal missing of the top of it. What in fact had happened was my dipstick has been sitting too low this whole time, and saying the sump had max oil when really it was on min (as the dipsick seated around an inch lower then it should). What i suspect was happening is when i went round corners the oil that was in the sump pan was being sloshed over to one side of the pan and the oil pickup pipe was in the air for a few seconds not getting the oil needed!
Also come to think of it when i first done a oil change on the car i noticed it didn't seem to take as much oil as it should but didn't think that much of it as it was up to max on the dipstick (was in fact just about on min)
Soo ive now filled the oil up to 'max' and no oil pressure warning comes up what so ever :D
I just cant believe it was something this simple, but very strange. I just hope the damage on my engine hasn't already been done!! :/
(if only i had a oil level sensor!!)
 
Cheers :) Anyone know where i can get a replacement oil dipstick housing/funnel?
 
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