Low Oil Pressure Warning

[greasykitchen]

I was driving along normally today when I suddenly got a STOP Low Oil Pressure warning. By the time I had pulled over the warning had stopped. I stopped the engine for a minute, restarted it with no further warning.

I was about to drop into my local VW mechanic anyway so they took a look at it while I was there. Oil level was fine; no error codes and no obvious cause or solution.

They recommended that they drop the sump and check the up-take/pick-up thingy for blockages as taking a punt that it's only an error with the sensor etc rather than an actual oil pressure problem seemed too risky a gamble.

The problem has only come up once and only a few mins before I had it looked at. As an oil pressure issue has the potential to have serious consequences, I'm taking this seriously.

Car is 2005 FSI, only 51,000km so you wouldn't necessarily think it would be oil pressure but you never know.

Anyone else had a similar experience? What did they do about it?

[Jmac]

I assume you never heard any unusual noises when the light came on. Havent seen it yet mate, i agree not a very nice warning message, probably the worst one on the display with coolant a close second. Sound like a faulty pressure switch but its still worth checking the oil pressure atthe very least. If you are thinking carbon remove your oil cap mate, if it looks rough with carbon there will be a very good chance the oil strainer will be heaps worse, the oil cap is the furthest away from the pump.
Good Luck
Jmac

[greasykitchen]

Thanks Jmac. I've not had the warning since, but I guess you only need low pressure once for it to do damage. I guess for a couple of hundred bucks or so it's probably worth dropping the sump to be sure one way or the other for peace of mind, esp as I will be driving to Melbourne in about 10 days.

(BTW readers in Adelaide: the mechanic I took it to - AVW on Ashwin Pd at Torrensville - were very friendly, helpful and willing to go out of their way to help. They plugged in their computer on the spot and checked for errors and replaced a brake light globe without cost. Recommended.)

---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------

Forgot to say - I didn't hear a noise when the warning came on (had air-cond and CD player on so couldn't hear too much else).

I checked the oil cap and it seemed pretty clean. No sludge or anything (not like on the Mk1!) but a bit of oil and a little bit of sediment of some sort.

[greasykitchen]

Update: Well, well. I just got off the phone with the mechanic. Apparently the pickup was blocked and blocked by sump sealant! It looks though someone had previously taken off the sump did a rubbish job at putting it back on. It's genuine sealant so it may well have been Solitaire who'd done the poor work!

Apparently there's a photo of it which I'll post if I can get a copy of it.

Good thing I got it checked out otherwise the engine could had seized on the way over to Melbourne!!

---------- Post added 24-01-2012 at 12:44 PM ---------- Previous post was 23-01-2012 at 05:45 PM ----------

Here's how the sump pickup looked. It's a bloody miracle it didn't do any harm!

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/01/SumppickupMk5-1.jpg

[WhO]

Jesus, thats shocking. Lucky you did take it to the mechanic and get it checked out. Another reason why i rarely trust mechanics with my cars

[gecko2k]

Holy crap mate. That was luck.

[greasykitchen]

Damn lucky! Goes to show that you should pay attention to warning lights! Three seconds of the warning led me to uncover this.

It also shows (maybe) that dealers don't always know the cars they sell - I suspect, but can't prove, that Solitaire is responsible. The people at AVW, on the other hand (ex-Solitaire), seem to be friendly, helpful and actually good at their job (a rarity these days).

[TomC]

I suspect, but can't prove, that Solitaire is responsible.

You certainly wouldn't be the first and certainly won't be the last with their shoddy workmanship! Glad you got it all worked out :)