1.8T Dreaded Oil Pressure light!

[hammonds]

Hoping someone can give me a little help here. Been a while since i posted and since i last posted i've gone from a Mk3 VR6, to a MK4 tdi and now onto an AUDI S3. From what i gather the engine in the S3 is the same as the 1.8T golf so hoping the issue i've got can be solved here as i'm not part of any of the audi forums.

A couple of weeks ago i had a big service done on my car. Cam belt, filters, etc. For the last 2 weeks the car has been running like an absolute dream, until yesterday. After a quick motorway drive and coming off the slip road, about a mile away from home the oil pressure light came on. Rather than stopping i decided to risk making it home (I know, not a bright idea).

Anyway, i got home, turned the ignition off, and checked the oil level. Oil level was fine so decided to turn the engine back on. The warning light was gone and the engine sounded fine, so i went for a small, cautious drive (1/2 mile). hundred meters from home light came on (engine still sounding fine). Coasted back to my drive and shut the car off. Have not turned the ignition since then and I don't intend to. I may have done damage already and if i haven't I don't want to push my luck with something like this.

Did an engine scan and got no error codes. Have done some research and have possibly narrowed it down to a dodgy oil pressure switch or a blocked oil pick up. I'm inclined to believe its more likely to be the latter. About 6 months ago the engine light came on. Was a minor problem in the end, and got sorted, the garage advised me though that my oil was very dirty and had a lot of crap in it, and definitely needed a flush and change, which i wasted no time in doing. the car has done 122k (119k at that oil change) and if the oil was that dirty then a blocked pickup could well be the cause. The oil in it is Mobil1 5w40 fully synthetic, though i have no idea what was in it before, which could have contributed to the build up of crap and any blockages.

I'm not risking starting the car up, and have no way of getting the car to the garage so it will have to be a drive way job and getting the sump pan off. I've done this before on my VR6 when I had it, so i'm happy enough with removing a sump pan. Have also found a pretty decent guide to prompt me aswell.

Before I embark on removing and cleaning the pan and then replacing the pick up, I was wondering if it was worth topping the oil level up and adding some forte to see if that will do the job. Even if its just temporary to get the car to the garage for them to have a good look at. Didn't want to just go and do this, because like i said before, i'm hesitant about starting the engine again, but if this is something that is an option and someone has succeeded with this before then lets hear it.

I'm thinking that I may well just be answering my own questions here, and that for the sake of a couple of hundred in parts, oil and tools and a few hours of my time its worth it over what will basically be a car write off (simply can't afford a new engine if i kill the thing. A new turbo is touch and go if i've damaged that!).

If there is anything i could have missed or if anyone has some experience with this issue, then advice and input would definitely be appreciated here.

[Wayne]

Oil flush is one of the worst things you can do with a 1.8t, sounds like the oil pick up pipe is blocked, no real way of knowing the damage until it is replaced.

[davemk4]

I used engine flush beforecand it caused the engine to run terrible  in my audi a4 AEB turbo. Oil additives are pointless imo. As above oil pick up defo where i be looking. Thats what my audi issue was when thr light kept cominh on. When checked there was about 6 holes clear in the mesh the rest where blocked.

[hammonds]

Sump off job it is then.

[Nino]

You should never do a flush on a turbo engine, reason behind this is because it picks up all the crap from the bottom of the sump an trys to pass it thru the oil pickup and blocks it hence starving the turbo of oil then seezing the engine.

Bu the sounds of it you havent yet done and serious damage (your very lucky) i recently had my oild pickup changed and i was also told i was very lucky because mine was half blocked (engine is on 121k) the parts are not that expensive really, you will need...

*oil pickup pipe, cost about £13-15.
*5w 40 fully syn oil 5ltr about £20-30.
*oil filter about £6-9.
*sump sealent about £15-£19.

I got all my parts fom VW and cost me around £72ish its an easy job too, just drain your oil, undo the bolts on the sump, and pry it off carefully, apprantly theres 1 bolt at the back thats a pain to get too, the oil pickup pipe is held on by 2 hex bolts and it pulls out quite easyly. Have a look how bad it is.
Use some wd40 to clean the underneath and to clean you sump out you should find loads of crap/shards.
Replace your oil pickup and apply the new sump sealent around the edge of the sump, add more than you need to avoid any gaps/leaks happening. Now id personally advise you leave the car over night for the sealent to go off correctly then its just a case of putting your new oil filter on and adding your oil.

Toptip:
After you apply the oil to the max level run the engine for a min or two to allow the oil to ge picked up by the pickup pipe and work around the engine then check the level again and apply the extra oil you need i almost used a whole 5ltr when mine was done.

Hope this helps

[davemk4]

I went whole hog and put oil pump on too. Wanted to be sure never need to don it again after audi issue

[Bellend]

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=250092.0

[hammonds]

Cheers for the help guys, much appreciated. For those who have done it, how much extra work is it to do te oil pump aswell? Heard it was quite fiddly trying to get the chain back on.

[ant_gti]

sounds like oil preasure switch,i would change that before the mission of taking the sump off and there cheap enough to buy.Sometimes if you disconnect the plug from the sensor you will see a bit of oil drip out.

[hammonds]

Gonna do both just in case. At 122k I can't imagine the pick up is in a particularly clean state even if its not the problem. Gives me something to do this weekend anyway.