Help! Low Oil Pressure Warning on 2.5 v6 TDi

[Peanutmnm]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if you could offer any thoughts on a problem which recently occurred with my A4. It's a 2001 2.5 v6 TDi 180bhp Quattro.

I was driving on the motorway to a friends on Sat and the oil warning light came up on the DIS. I slowed down to pull off and the light went away. I carried on at a snails pace and shortly before arriving at my destination the light came on again. The car still seems to drive absolutely normally and there are no bad noises.

I left it over night and checked the oil level this morning which was fine. I took it for a short spin round the block and the light came back on after a couple of minutes. I hooked it up to VAGCOM and the only fault code it threw up was the following (which it's had for a while):-

Chassis Type: 8E - Audi A4 B6/B7
Scan: 01 02 03 08 09 0F 11 15 16 17 18 36 37 45 46 55 56 57 65 67
69 75 76 77

VIN: Mileage: 183340km/113922miles
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine Labels: 059-907-401-AKE.lbl
Part No: 8E0 907 401 B
Component: 2.5L V6 TDI G000SG 0002
Coding: 02015
Shop #: WSC 63351
Part No: 00001059
Component: 130 106HC150_1.R76449008091
WAUZZZ8EZ1A014577 AUZ6Z0Y0013851
1 Fault Found:
00542 - Needle lift Sensor (G80)
30-10 - Open or Short to Plus - Intermittent
Readiness: N/A


I've parked the car up and haven't driven it since. I know that there are issues with sump sludge on 1.8t's but couldn't find anything relating to problems with 2.5 diesels.

Does anyone know if this is likely to be a dodgy sensor or the start of something more serious?

It's currently parked outside a mate's house in Oxford and I live in London. Obviously I need to get it looked at but I'm not sure if it's worth the risk of driving it to a garage or if I should bite the bullet and get it towed by the breakdown guys.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[quattrojames]

That fault code is obviously for the needle lift sensor which is on one of the injectors to help to measure/regulate fuel pressure, I cant see it being responsible for oil pressure problems.

I have never heard of sludge issues on the 2.5, but you can never say never. I have had a pressure sensor fail in my sump, so they can go wrong. But I think to make sure the safest way is to bite the bullet and get the car recovered to the garage.

 

[fjtwelve]

The first thing i knew about my oil pump failure was the low oil pressure warning - the one where the whole DIS panel goes red noisy and worries the wotsit out of you. I pulled over checked the oil no problem, no leaks, no nasty noises, nothing visibly broken, car started and ran ok. I foolishly assumed a sensor **** up and drove on. I got about 5 or 6 miles before the nasty noises started, you appear to have got further. I had also noticed that the oil temp gauge had stopped reading, i'm guessing that this may have been because no oil was passing it as the pump had failed.
I strongly recommend you get the car lifted (don't tow a quattro) to a garage to get it sorted before driving it. I would hunt around for a recommended independent garage, it'll cost you £200 for the Audi techs to even look for the problem.

Believe me, the cost and inconvenience of getting it checked and fixed does not even register on the scale of repairing your oil-less knackered engine. While they are at it get them to take a look at your cams, you are unfortunately in the right age range for those to have started to wear.

 

[aragorn]

Yep, As folk have said, either get it recovered, or if you have the kit, remove the oil pressure switch and attach an oil pressure gauge in its place and see whats going on.

What does the engine oil look like. Is it nice and golden, or rank black and sticky?

 

[Peanutmnm]

Thanks for the advice guys.

From what you've said I'm not going to risk driving it so will just have to sort out the logistical nightmare of getting it recovered to a garage in Oxford whilst in London.

aragon, not really in a position to do any investigation myself so it'll have to be the garage. Oil looks pretty black and sticky. The DIS reports it needing a service in 60 days or 4000 miles so it could probably do with a change.

Does anyone know any good indies in the Oxford area?

fjtwelve - why can't you tow a Quattro? Obviously I know you can't lift the front/back.

Thanks again

 

[fjtwelve]

Received knowledge is a) it says so in the handbook; and b) i think it causes the central diff oil to overheat as the drive shafts are spinning but theres no oil cooling going on. You'd probably be ok towing it across Oxford but i wouldn't tow it to London.
Cheapest way to move it will be to join the RAC/AA or similar. My membership of the AA hauled me from Middleborough back to Carlisle for nothing. I then paid £lots to get it up to Star Performance for a second opinion (yep its fecked) using a local recovery company.

 

[pjmspeedy]

MRC are in Banbury so that's not to far from Oxford.

 

[NHN]

Chassis Type: 8E - Audi A4 B6/B7
Scan: 01 02 03 08 09 0F 11 15 16 17 18 36 37 45 46 55 56 57 65 67
69 75 76 77

VIN: Mileage: 183340km/113922miles
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine Labels: 059-907-401-AKE.lbl
Part No: 8E0 907 401 B
Component: 2.5L V6 TDI G000SG 0002
Coding: 02015
Shop #: WSC 63351
Part No: 00001059
Component: 130 106HC150_1.R76449008091
WAUZZZ8EZ1A014577 AUZ6Z0Y0013851
1 Fault Found:
00542 - Needle lift Sensor (G80)
30-10 - Open or Short to Plus - Intermittent
Readiness: N/A

1st thing to check would be the actual code with RT's site & it says:

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/index.php/00542

00542 - Needle lift Sensor (G80): Open or Short to Plus

Possible Symptoms

• Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) ON
• Pre-Glow Indicator Light ON

Possible Causes

• Wiring and/or Connector(s) from/to Needle lift Sensor (G80) faulty
• Needle lift Sensor (G80) faulty

Possible Solutions

• Check Wiring and/or Connector(s) from/to Needle lift Sensor (G80)
• Check/Replace Needle lift Sensor (G80)

The 1st thing that it tells me on open/short errors is wiring issues, 2nd would be faulty item, so check the sensor location & the wiring going to it, without checking elsawin I cant be specific myself atm, but good start would be as above before you start lifting cars anywhere as that is inherently expensive.

 

[quattrojames]

The wire from the needle lift valve is routed from the front of the block and runs across the top of the cam shafts. They are very prone to wearing through when the wire rubs on the cam cover.

 

[Peanutmnm]

Hi All,

Finally got the car sorted and thought I'd share in case anyone experiences anything similar.

Got the car recovered to a VAG specialist called Autotechnic. They did some investigation and it looks like the fault was as a result of a previously bodged repair on the wiring to the oil pressure sensor and temperature sender. At some point before I got the car someone had cut this wire and replaced the connector with a spade connector, they then strapped the wire to a turbo hose and over time it had worn through and snapped.

£20 for a new wire and 20mins labour and it's running great again. Just glad it wasn't something more serious like the oil pump.

Thanks for all the previous advice though.

 

[Broken Byzan]

Did you get the black oil changed at the same time?

 

[Peanutmnm]

Nope, but it's booked in for a service at my usual garage next week.

 

[JohnboyC]

The wire from the needle lift valve is routed from the front of the block and runs across the top of the cam shafts. They are very prone to wearing through when the wire rubs on the cam cover.

Anything that can be done in terms of preventative maintenance for those who have not experienced that failure James ?

 

[quattrojames]

Anything that can be done in terms of preventative maintenance for those who have not experienced that failure James ?

From memory there isn't enough length in the cable to reroute it, so the only option would be to reinforce the cable with something where there is potential for rubbing. I will check it out