Help! Red Oil Pressure Light

CTR

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Hoping someone can help guide me here with my 2.0 tfsi which now sounds like a bag of spanners and the dreaded red oil pressure warning has popped up.

Last weekend I did an oil and filter change, since doing so I took it for a drive and all was running well and smooth until after 10 mins the above happened, now i dont know if its coincidence but this all happened on a steep incline, do you think its oil pick up related and me doing a oil change has disturbed something in the pan?
 
Don't drive it, or could be toast, research the forum as it's been an issue for fair few people.
 
The suction pipe gauze can get and does get blocked with these engines but to what degree varies.
Whether it's the cause of your engine issue is questionable without further investigation to be honest, maybe just coincidental.
If you have not experienced any prior indicators to the oil/filter change such as low pressure and warning or excessively noisy engine then it could be the suction pipe .
The same applies to this really, just doing an oil change would not always be enough to dislodge particles in the gauze and if it was a blocked gauze to the point it was restricting a lot of oil suction you would have had issues prior.
what is the mileage and any history of engine work prior?

These engines do have oil pump etc issues but normally there will be an underlying cause, which leads to failure, albeit just mechanical failure due to age/milage or poor maintenance/repairs.
 
The car to the best of my knowledge and as far as I can tell from its history has not had any major engine work before. Its done 175k and has full service history including belts etc.
But no issues prior to me doing the oil change was running perfectly well before with no oil pressure warnings.
 
Hi Cameron

It's already been said but will reiterate it. Don't drive or run the engine now. Like at all.

Until you get it checked out at a garage by a knowledgable technician.

It will need towed or recovered there.

If there is any chance to save it. Do not run the engine at all from this point on

Tim
 
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just one more, when you say steep incline , how steep are we talking about.
Is it quattro or 2wd.
 
Quite steep not like a gradual incline, and its a 2wd (does this make a difference in how the sump sits?)
 
Some time ago there was a spate of engine failures attributed to loss of oil pressure in Quattro's when on steep gradients, I don't think it was really ever proven to be a contributing factor but the longitudinal layout in the B7 and the tfsi engine did seem to indicate lack of oil supply could occur on steep gradients if the oil level was very low.

There was a revised part that guys fitted that had a bypass suction hole that should the gauze become clogged oil could still be drawn into the system.
But that's assuming the gauze has become clogged to the point suction has been reduced to a very low point, hence why the relevance of the angle of the engine sometimes.



Anyway, unlikely to be that as you had done an oil change and levels were fine.
Given the high mileage, it may be more oil pump related as they do fail and the drive chain does and if there is a lack of evidence of it being replaced or upgraded it is a very possible cause.
Given the cam chain tensioner is hydraulic, if the oil pump fails or is similar then suction will cease and the cam chain will become loose with mechanical failures following soon after.
Also consequently all oil distribution around the engine will also cease, thus leading to a raft of mechanical issues.
without full inspection from a good garage, it would be difficult to give you a remote diagnosis to be honest so best get it looked at but don't run it.
So in summary.
The car has been running issue-free up until the following.
You performed an oil service, and all was ok.
Shortly after oil pressure, the light came on and the engine became very noisy etc.
The oil level is ok still.

Possible causes .
Oil pump or chain failure leading to oil starvation of engine.
Oil suction pipe gauze clogged with a lack of oil also leading to oil starvation, also very possible but given it was ok before the oil change, not likely to be the whole cause but maybe a factor all the same.

after the light illuminated what happened and how did the car run for the short time?
 
Last edited:
After the light illuminated there was no sudden power loss, just sounded like a bag of spanners, have done a scan also and have no codes for what its worth.
 
I assume the pressure light stayed on for the period you had the car running, if so how long did you run it.
 
You do really need to get it inspected by a reliable garage that knows about these cars to get a reliable diagnosis.
I doubt you will be able to rectify it yourself to be honest.
It could be one of several things but it will be oil pump related either with or without issues relating to the suction port.
 
Sump off job and see what is happening in there really, and going from that point.
 
At least its a 2wd so sump removal is very easy and not really really a time-consuming task, unlike the Quattro.
 
I wish you the best of luck with it chap, hopefully, it won't be too bad , but just be prepared for that less than ideal conversation with the garage.
 
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As above I had this issue on mine and unfortunately this can go either way really, I was a lucky one that as the garage I used took it all apart and couldn’t believe how good everything still was so I escaped that!
But like the other guys said do not start it get it to a garage (a good one) I had a few that just said nope it’s too late and didn’t even want to do it, they will remove the sump and have a look and find what’s going on hopefully it is just the pick-up pipe that’s blocked but if you are doing it might as well get a free wheel kit fitted and the revised pick-up pipe installed.
I also had them take a look at the top and bottom end to look for any damage, I have recently spoke to a bloke who had the issue got it sorted and payed the garage for the new oil pump and freewheel then 2 weeks later it died as the bottom end had gone due to the oil problem.
Hope it is all ok
 
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Thanks all. Rob just out of interest how does the job differ between the 2wd and Quatrro to get the sump off? Is it still a subframe drop to get it out?
 
It went off when I put it in neutral and coasted it to a stop.
I was driving from Cornwall to London. Low oil pressure came on in Devon. I coasted & it went off. I drove home gently. On the final hill before home I gunned it. Everything let go. & it came to a halt as I turned into my road. That was a very expensive mistake
 
I was driving from Cornwall to London. Low oil pressure came on in Devon. I coasted & it went off. I drove home gently. On the final hill before home I gunned it. Everything let go. & it came to a halt as I turned into my road. That was a very expensive mistake
Its not being driven its sat since it happened
 
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So bit of an update, have found that my cam chain tensioner has disintingrated. So to be continued....
 
IMG 20220617 WA0003
 
Sorry to hear that bud

Hope you get it fixed
 
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Cheers. Hopefully get sorted this weekend, will update how it goes.
 
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Managed to get the chain off and what was left of the tensioner, looks like someome had previously changed the chain but left the tensioner which looks to be the original. Checked and triple checked all the timing and doesnt look like it skipped at all so hopefully a save of sorts.
 
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You may just be one of the luckiest B7 owners out there today. :icon thumright:
 
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Have you checked the oil suction gauze aswell chap?
Putting the total failure of the chain tensioner which at 175k miles (if still the original) could be excused for being a tad worn, check everything 3 times over.
I just find it strange that someone went to the length to change the chain but left the tensioner as the two can be done at the same time, odd.
If both cams did not get out of sync id be amazed. Given the slack in the chain when the tensioner exploded they would have been out of time straight away, still maybe you had the gods on your side .
best of luck with the repair .
 
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Feeling very lucky so far, no sign of debris in the oil suction gauze. Proof will be in the pudding when I get to putting it all back together. But feeling given the apparent neglect of previous owner(s) a full rebuild in the future might be wise.
 
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