Oil pressure light flashing and buzzing!!

[mrbeige 0]

Housten we may have a problem...

 

Just done a 35 mile journey and after giving the car a bit of stick (not caning it) the oli pressure light started flashing three times, for about 10 seconds each time. I've checked thje oil level, but that is fine, it was about halfway between the witness marks on the dipstick.

 

Normally the light only flashes when the oil is low and you've just caned it around a corner, but this time its doing on the flat after i've slowed down a bit.

 

I'm a bit worried, any of you lot got any ideas?? I've not fcked the engine have I? It uses a bit of oil, but not loads, and its done 127k miles.

 

Help?

 

P.S. I reckon she knows I'm thinking of selling her!!!

[mr.ots 10]

What was the oil temp when the light was flashing? I think the buzzer only sounds due to high oil temperature.

[mrbeige 0]

What was the oil temp when the light was flashing? I think the buzzer only sounds due to high oil temperature.

 

Temp was 108 deg C, but I've had it up to 122 with no probs.

 

Light and buzzer always come on at the same time as far as I'm aware.

[davidwort 0]

What was the oil temp when the light was flashing? I think the buzzer only sounds due to high oil temperature.

 

Temp was 108 deg C, but I've had it up to 122 with no probs.

 

Light and buzzer always come on at the same time as far as I'm aware.

 

16v isn't it?

they all use a bit of oil, especially as the heads get older, that's unlikely to have anything to do with an oil pressure problem, it's just the guides and stem seals allowing the engine to burn a bit.

Doesn't sound great that you say it beeps round bends when the oil is a bit low, I've never had that happen so it may be due to you letting the oil drop a bit too low between top-ups which might not be good news for your engine.

Not wanting to scare you but the oil pressure light and buzzer is not a great warning as things have to be getting pretty bad for them to go off.

Hopefully it may just be a dodgy bit of wiring or a duff sensor, or even the dash itself. I get the occasional beep when the car is cold on very cold mornings, but having a pressure gauge too I know there's no problem it's just very high resistance or the voltage regualtor for my dash starting to go, water temp gauge also gives the occasional flash.

As others have said in similar postings in the past, I'd get the pressure checked ASAP with a gauge.

 

David.

[mrbeige 0]

What was the oil temp when the light was flashing? I think the buzzer only sounds due to high oil temperature.

 

Temp was 108 deg C, but I've had it up to 122 with no probs.

 

Light and buzzer always come on at the same time as far as I'm aware.

 

16v isn't it?

they all use a bit of oil, especially as the heads get older, that's unlikely to have anything to do with an oil pressure problem, it's just the guides and stem seals allowing the engine to burn a bit.

Doesn't sound great that you say it beeps round bends when the oil is a bit low, I've never had that happen so it may be due to you letting the oil drop a bit too low between top-ups which might not be good news for your engine.

Not wanting to scare you but the oil pressure light and buzzer is not a great warning as things have to be getting pretty bad for them to go off.

Hopefully it may just be a dodgy bit of wiring or a duff sensor, or even the dash itself. I get the occasional beep when the car is cold on very cold mornings, but having a pressure gauge too I know there's no problem it's just very high resistance or the voltage regualtor for my dash starting to go, water temp gauge also gives the occasional flash.

As others have said in similar postings in the past, I'd get the pressure checked ASAP with a gauge.

 

David.

 

Its only ever beeped at me twice before, on a couple of roundabouts, and since then I've always kept a close eye on the oil level, that's why I was a bit worried when it did it on the flat today, after giving her a bit of stick! How do I go about getting the pressure checked? Could it just be the sender? And would it be a good idea to get an oil pressure qauge?

[davidwort 0]

 

Its only ever beeped at me twice before, on a couple of roundabouts, and since then I've always kept a close eye on the oil level, that's why I was a bit worried when it did it on the flat today, after giving her a bit of stick! How do I go about getting the pressure checked? Could it just be the sender? And would it be a good idea to get an oil pressure qauge?

 

A good independant garage will do a pressure check for you, it would only take five minutes, a dash mounted VDO or similar oil pressure gauge is a good investment IMO, look for one (with it's twin connector sender) from an audi 80 sport or coupe, bit expensive to buy new.

checking the wiring at the sender for corrosion and swapping the senders with some second hand ones (fitted to loads of VW's and plentiful in scrapyards) will help you to isolate the problem.

[mrbeige 0]

A good independant garage will do a pressure check for you, it would only take five minutes, a dash mounted VDO or similar oil pressure gauge is a good investment IMO, look for one (with it's twin connector sender) from an audi 80 sport or coupe, bit expensive to buy new.

checking the wiring at the sender for corrosion and swapping the senders with some second hand ones (fitted to loads of VW's and plentiful in scrapyards) will help you to isolate the problem.

 

Cheers, I'll try and get hold of a replacement sender. I actually had a faulty one previously...it was leaking the oil out of the top of it, so I got one of another VW.

 

I'll have a word with my local garage and get them to do a pressure check.

 

If the pressure check results in a problem, would it be likely to be the oil pump itself?