The dreaded 3 beeps of death!

NineNails

NineNails

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Bad luck visits me once again friends.
I got the big red oil can on the way home the other day, although only for a few seconds. I looked to pull over but it cleared. All was fine for a couple of days then it did it again but once again it cleared before I could stop. It only seems to happen between 1600 and 1800 rpm. I can clear it by blipping the throttle past 1800rpm So I'm guessing this is only a partial blockage to the oil pick up SO FAR!!
I thought seeing as it wasn't too bad at the minute I would give it a flush and some oil and filter. I used Forte engine flush but it's not made any difference, still getting an intermittent pressure warning at low revs. I believe the sensor doesn't work below 1300rpm is this correct ?
So I'm guessing it's a sump off job, I'd like to replace the pump and pickup pipe. How hard is it with basic tools and basic know-how? Is there a guide I could follow anywhere?
Also does an AJL have a sump gasket or just some sort of sealant?
I'm not sure I'm able to tackle this on my own. Does anyone have any idea how much a garage would charge for the job if I supplied the parts?
Thanks for reading. Feeling very anxious about this just now. Also have mot and tax due end of the month and I've still noit managed to fit the new downpipe for the mot yet!
Cheers Si
 
Yeah the sensor only works above a certain rpm cant remember exactly and the sump has a gasket yes, theres a write up on here somewhere it can be done but is a time consuming job and can be a bit off a **** to clear the subframe, as for labour costs it depends on how competent the garage feels some will charge over the odds.

forte engine flushes and the likes arent worth it in my opinion you could try half n half mix of diesel and oil, personally the light is on for a reason that the pickup is blocked, you really should just do it right first time and replace the pump whilst its off but a couple of flushes before you do it wouldnt go a miss ready for when you throw in a new pump.
 
Do you maintain the oil properly?

You've had the car a while, so unless your running silly oil change intervals i cant see why the pickup would have become clogged?

I do my oil every 5k, and on my old 1.8T which WAS sludged up and had low oil pressure for 40kmiles of my ownership was spotless inside when i finally took it apart, simply due to regular oil changes. The pump on that engine was just knackered though, perhaps from sludge damage, perhaps from age.
 
I use the transporter size k&n filter and also change the oil every 8k approx, if the car is left idling when warm for 5-10 mins then the top end starts to tick quite bad due to lack of pressure im presuming if i raise the revs to over 2k and hold it it ticks pretty bad but then goes as the oil gets to the top end but ive never once had the light on.
 
yeh my old 1.8T did that too.

Oil pressure at idle when hot (ie in traffic or left idling like you describe) was about 8psi! Lift the rpm's to around 1200 and it would come up to 20psi ish then climb with the revs from there.

New oil pump time!
 
Engine rebuild time is my plan just need to find an AEB or AJL for the right money well thats my plans theres an aeb stripped on ebay on 99p but its at the english channel so to far to travel lol may see if the breakers i use have one he can do me for a steal !!

did a 50-50 mix do the pump/symptoms any good or did you not try a flush ??
 
Check the actual oil pressure ax mine turned out to be just the sensor as oil was leaking through it
 
aragorn said:
Do you maintain the oil properly?

You've had the car a while, so unless your running silly oil change intervals i cant see why the pickup would have become clogged?
Click to expand...
Yes Kev, oil changed roughly every 5k with 5/30 fully synth and the big filter too. Car is run every day and I do about a thousand miles a month with about 250 of that being motorway speeds. I've had it nearly 3 years now and it's on 178k
When I took the cam cover off to do the chain tensioner last year it was very carboned up in there and I ended up with quite a pile by time I scrapped it all out. I'm thinking even back then there may have been a problem as the old tensioner had worn away to virtually nothing so it may have already been struggling to raise enough oil to the head. I've done my best to look after it but previous owners and Audi may not have.
The low pressure has got more frequent today so I've stopped driving it now. Its going to the garage on Friday for new pump/pickup. 380 quid all in with genuine parts and the guy I spoke to seems to know what he's on about so not too bad I don't think.
 
I've not actually had the oil pressure manually checked but the mechanic said he would do that first as a matter of routine. Be mad if it were just the sensor failing but I'm just not that lucky lol
 
at 178k, its likely just a worn out pump tbh.

Running it on 30weight oil wont be helping matters either, its too thin.
 
Really? I've always thought that was the correct oil, Jeez my bad then. So should it be 40?
 
£380 aint all that bad and if thats genuine parts there about £120 for the pumps alone thats if he is using genuine parts that is.

And yes 5w40 everytime !!
 
He said 214 for the pump and about 12 for the sump gasket Brad. Will go for the thicker oil :)
You sure that pump price is right? I could possibly supply the pump cheaper but he would offer no warranty on that then
 
If he supplys a warranty then it may be the best route as if you supply the pump you will only get 12 months warranty on the part, where as he supplies the part he should supply the warranty on the labour side of things aswell.
 
Bradderz_1988 said:
Engine rebuild time is my plan just need to find an AEB or AJL for the right money well thats my plans theres an aeb stripped on ebay on 99p but its at the english channel so to far to travel lol may see if the breakers i use have one he can do me for a steal !!

did a 50-50 mix do the pump/symptoms any good or did you not try a flush ??
Click to expand...
Hi there, sorry about your missfortune, if it's of any help i am breaking a w reg, 134k aud a4 1.8TQS, the car is running and has no sludge issues...the engine can be heard running and even taken for a drive with trade plates ! Drop me a pm if you're interested in the engine...Regards,
Chris.
 
Just to update...
New pump fitted and all is well again :)
The old pump was just worn out the mechanic reckons. The strainer and sump were clean as a whistle. He said that someone had been in there before and showed me the old pump. What someone had done is snip away all the metal shroud around the gauze on the pickup pipe. Was quite a neat job I must say but why do that??
Oh well, all done anyway. He said hot idle was now around 25 psi, hot 2k rpm around 50 psi, and hot 3k rpm about 70 psi. Cold readings were 70, 80, 90. Idle with the old pump was below 20psi when cold (he didn't test further)
Thanks for all the help once again lads, much appreciated as always :)
 
Glad to hear you got a decent job and they actually checked the oil pressure after fitting !!
 
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