Oil Pressure

[Kittrell]

Alright, so I got the damn oil pressure light driving home from work today. I like how big and obnoxious that thing is. Like "Oh shit I'm broken, fix me NOW!" Anyways I digress. It's parked until further notice, which I just love with gas prices where they are and a 11 mpg Jeep for a second vehicle. But I digress again. So oil level is fine, coolant looked fine so no head gasket, wasn't overheating anyways. Digging around on here it looks like it could be a multitude of things. We have Oil Sludge (oh noes, I hope not), Oil Pump, Pressure Sensor, and possibly the POS Fram filter on there. I want to say that was a fluke, but someone mentioned it, so I threw it in there. I'm only partially to blame for that one though. I didn't put it on but I have changed it out yet either. Any other possibles I am missing? Of course my VAG-COM buddy just left for a two week vacation on Sunday. I actually drove him to the airport in said parked Audi. I am trying to source another COM locally, but we'll see how that goes. Don't really want to have this towed to the dealer. And for what it's worth, '03 w/94k, 3rd owner.

[EErie B6]

bump!

i cant believe people have not jumped all over this.

sludge is a known problem, and i have heard lots of horror stories... i want to point the finger at this, but its a shot in the dark with out knowing the history of the vehicle.

id say 2nd in line id think the pressure sensor

isnt it 100k that Audi\VW says the engine could "benefit from a carbon cleaning"?

oh, and scrap that fram filter no matter what... cardboard internals ((shudders))

[Kittrell]

Yeah, after seeing the service record for the car, it was disappointing to see a Fram filter in there.

[EErie B6]

the girlfriend bought a B5 1.8t with 90k on it a few mos. ago, i bought my B6 1.8T last month with 71k, i desludged and seafoamed them both as soon as we got them just for preventative maintenance... others in my family have Audis and VWs and all thought it would be smart to do so.

im not telling you to blow your money... but for me the piece of mind is worth the $50-75. and that is where i would start.

you said it had 2 previous owners... if one of them was a cheap skate, then there is likely sludge to some degree

[Kittrell]

I'd say owner number two is the culprit. It was offered up as a CPO with 48k on it. After that it goes 18 months and 22k without any dealer maintenance updates.

[jessefrank]

Kittrell,
I wish I could help but i don't have VAG-COM and I think you already listed the possibilities I was thinking. Maybe someone else local can chime in with some assistance.

[Kittrell]

Yeah, I have a thread up over on Edition trying to source a VAG-COM. No luck yet. Worst case, I will just have to drive my Jeep 'til my buddy gets back on the 14th.

[CO AVANT]

It is possible that vag com will not tell you your exact problem. The oil light just tells you something is wrong be it, too high/low oil pressure, low level of oil, etc... There is not a sensor for everything on our car fellas You need to get an oil pressure gauge on that car first and test it. It needs to be done though on a warm motor. I forgot the specs but I'll remember here if you need them. You did check the oil level correct?

[Kittrell]

Yeah, oil level is alright. I'll have to see if I can dig up a gauge somewhere. Sold off most of my tools about a year ago...............

[CO AVANT]

Never sell tools! I think they are pretty cheap. Need to pick one up myself. I'd just test it at the head. The valves in the oil pumps can stick over time and sludge... if you are worried about sludge then the oil pump pickup tube screen could very well be caked with ish.

[Kittrell]

Never sell tools!

I know right. I had a nice Snap-On with all of the little adapters. I think they still sell it, or an updated one at least. Not that I want to buy one again for $150 I think it was.

[CO AVANT]

I had to stop buying snap-on. As much as I like their products, I just cannot spend that kind of $$$ on tools. Craftsman only from now on. Just the torx bit socket set through snap-on cost me $250 [O_O]

[Kittrell]

Just the torx bit socket set through snap-on cost me $250 [O_O]

And it was worth every penny...................

[Kittrell]

So I was out in the garage dickin' around with it because my Oetiker clamper showed up. After replacing the broken valve and the disintegrated one, I decided to turn it over. Wanted to see if the idle was effected at all. So I cranked it, started fine, no hesitation. And there was no oil pressure light. So I let it idle and warm up, just watching it, nothing. So I took it down the street for a fresh tank of gas, still nothing. Decided to cruise around a little bit, made two quick jaunts to 70 mph, and nothin'. What say you, fluke? I think it might be warming me of troubles to come. When my buddy gets back from vacation, I'm gonna do an Amsoil flush, get some fresh oil in there and that Fram filter as far away from my car as possible. I was thinking I'm going to drive it to work tomorrow, what do you think?

[EErie B6]

im probably going to be flamed for saying this... and its somewhat of a farmers recipe... but it has always worked great for me.

in the past, on other engines, i have done an oil & filter change and substituted 1 qt of oil for 1 qt of ATF (because of its extremely high detergent content) to clean out oil systems... you simply take the car for a soft 30 minute drive, come home and change the oil and filter again (it will likely look as dirty, if not worse, than your last 5k oil change did), this time to your favorite synthetic.... my past experience, it works great, on a heavily abused small block ford, it made a huge seat of the pants difference... i was stunned.

there are other ways to skin a cat too...
like using Seafoam in your oil... 500 or so miles
or Berryman Chemtool... 15 minutes or so
or Auto-RX... not sure about the instructions

in the past on other (read: non turbo) motors i have just used cheap yellow bottle Pennzoil... cause you are just goin to drain it again in 30 mins.

while doing any of the above...
on the 1.8T, i would use a Group III synthetic such as Castrol Syntec or Pennzoil Platinum... (as Auto-RX says to do) because, as they put it... "to avoid competing chemistries"... between oil and cleaner.


now for the warning\disclaimer:
if you perform this on old, high mileage, heavily abused engines, you might cause oil leaks, due to the cleaners eating bits of sludge that once filled small cracks in seals blocking holes that were there, that you didnt know you had.

so if your '84 buick with 325k miles on it, that only saw an oil change when you remembered to do so, leaks after you did this to it, dont yell at me.

[jessefrank]

As for flushes I'm guilty for trying quite a few of them on a number of vehicles I've owned.
On my A4 (due to the previous owner doing 3 Dino oil changes over 30k miles...and fearing some gunk in the engine) I've used Auto-Rx, the Gunk motor flush (at oil change), Marvel Mystery oil (MMO, flush similar to Auto-Rx method, but MMO is alot cheaper and easier to find), and a kerosine flush.

IMO the MMO flush visably took the most oil residue from under the valve cover, was the least expensive and easiest to do. I also noticed that the kerosine flush hushed the valve clatter and visably took some oil build up from the upper engine area. The kerosine flush I did was kind of drastic; I added 1 qt of Valvoline 60 wt racing oil w/ 3-4 quarts of Kerosine and a junk filter...run for 15 minutes at idle, drain and repeat 3-4 times (I ran out of kerosine at 4); then run some cheap 5w30 and filter for a few miles and finally switch to the good stuff. The first 2 flushes came black and oily. third a little lighter and the fourth came out somewhat similar to as it went in (clear).

[ComfortRacing]

well happened to me 3 weeks ago too, ended up being sludge and i was within prolly 4 hours of operating time from engine seize. got my car back this morning costing me $2800 for desludge procedure and turbo.

[F16HTON]

You should seriously take it to the dealership and explain to them that the oil light had come on and that you are not quite sure why.

Trust me the dealership knows exactly why and may even do a complimentary de-sludge treatment on the car for you.

At the minimum it will document the issue in thier system...

Time to start gathering your oil change records...I always have my oil changed at a shop and make sure that the VIN number is included on the invoice as well (I bring my oil and filter but it is good insurance)

If you are handy with Microsoft Word, there are invoice templates that can help you out...make sure the invoice has VIN number and mileage, you will need to make sure there is a change covered at least every 10,000 miles since this is what the OEM manual stated.

[Kittrell]

well happened to me 3 weeks ago too, ended up being sludge and i was within prolly 4 hours of operating time from engine seize. got my car back this morning costing me $2800 for desludge procedure and turbo.

Christ, that better not be it. I just bought this damn thing, and I don't have 3 stacks sitting around.

[Kittrell]

Purchased: 2002
Type: Personal
Where: California
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 11/30/02 - 2/19/05
(2 yrs. 2 mo.)




Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
Not Reported NICB Vehicle manufactured
and shipped to original dealer

11/30/2002 59 California
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Chino Hills, CA Title issued or updated
First owner reported
Registered as
personal vehicle
Loan or lien reported

04/15/2003 Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Santa Ana, CA
714-973-7766
www.audidealer.com/commonwealth
ww.audidealer.com/c
ommonwealth Vehicle serviced
Maintenance inspection completed
Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed

10/10/2003 19,730 Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Santa Ana, CA
714-973-7766
www.audidealer.com/commonwealth
ww.audidealer.com/c
ommonwealth Vehicle serviced
Maintenance inspection completed

12/23/2003 23,158 Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Santa Ana, CA
714-973-7766
www.audidealer.com/commonwealth
ww.audidealer.com/c
ommonwealth Vehicle serviced
Maintenance inspection completed
Outsourced repairs completed
Shift lever knob replaced
Transmission serviced
Engine serviced
Miscellaneous service performed

05/13/2004 30,150 Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Santa Ana, CA
714-973-7766
www.audidealer.com/commonwealth
ww.audidealer.com/c
ommonwealth Vehicle serviced
Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed
Outsourced repairs completed
VAS system checked
Maintenance inspection completed

09/07/2004 38,074 Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Santa Ana, CA
714-973-7766
www.audidealer.com/commonwealth
ww.audidealer.com/c
ommonwealth Vehicle serviced
Maintenance inspection completed
Engine/powertrain computer/module checked
Ignition coil replaced
Outsourced repairs completed
Brake light bulb replaced
Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed
Rear door trim panel replaced
Engine serviced
Miscellaneous service performed
Brakes serviced
Electrical system serviced

02/19/2005 48,735 Dealer Inventory Vehicle offered for sale

03/23/2005 48,737 Audi Certified Dealer Offered for sale as an
Audi Certified pre-owned vehicle
Odometer reported as 78,435 kilometers






Purchased: 2005
Where: California
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 5/14/05 - 5/16/05
(2 days)




Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
05/14/2005 California
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Hayward, CA Title issued or updated
New owner reported
Loan or lien reported

05/16/2005 Audi Certified Dealer Sold as an
Audi Certified pre-owned vehicle

06/14/2005 Service Plan Co.
Hayward, CA Service contract issued

11/01/2006 70,013 Diablo Lincoln Mercury-Audi-Kia
Concord, CA
925-682-3150
www.dlmak.com Vehicle serviced
Maintenance inspection completed

03/26/2008 92,976 Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Santa Ana, CA
714-973-7766
www.audidealer.com/commonwealth
ww.audidealer.com/c
ommonwealth Vehicle offered for sale

04/23/2008 California
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Hayward, CA

[mxrz]

Auto-RX is great but it's a long term method, you have to drive with it for quite a while, this issue needs attention in the very near future.

[Kittrell]

Don't ask why it says owner two only had it for a couple of days. It was more like a couple of years. But it looks like owner two was a cheapskate. Which would explain the Fram filter on there.

[Kittrell]

Time to start gathering your oil change records...I always have my oil changed at a shop and make sure that the VIN number is included on the invoice as well (I bring my oil and filter but it is good insurance)

I have no oil change records, I've owned this thing for maybe a month. And have not started to DD it until the past couple weeks.

[Kittrell]

Made an appointment at the Dealer for 5:30 today. Oil change for sure, and told them about the light. Also had the CEL come on a couple of times, one was Brake Boost Vacuum System: Mechanical Failure. Have researched that some on here and Audiworld. Seems like that one could be a ghost. Also had something come up with bank one catalyst, might have been the bad check valve that I have since replaced. We shall see, wish me luck. Cause I'm poor as shit....................

P.S. Sad I live just south of Denver. There are no dealers within 10 miles and only one within 20.

[dougyfresh]

I thought there was a dealer in Denver?

Talk to Jordan (Co AVant) or Ted (Denvernoob). The know the area better than I do.

[Kittrell]

McDonald Audi is in Littleton, about 18 miles from me. After that there is Phil Long Audi in the Springs @ 44 miles, and Stammler Audi in Boulder @ 48 miles. Its not that 18 miles is that far out of my way. You would just think with the people I live around there would be more Audi dealers in the Metro area. Instead of just one, at least two.

[ComfortRacing]

GOOD LUCK BROTHER! it is tough getting dealers to pay squat so stick to your guns and dont fall for their shit. any problems go to www.audioilsludge.com and get the audi north americas vp phone number...seriously.

[Kittrell]

If they think I am gonna spend three grand on a desludge procedure for an engine with that known problem, that they actually had to extend the warranty to cover, they are effin' nuts.

[jessefrank]

Kittrell,
If the dealer won't do anything for you. I've heard some have good luck with BG Products de-sludging (the machine); if you can find a shop that has one. Or if not I'll help you with the kerosine flush like I did (it's cheap, fast and seems to work well for what it's worth).

[Kittrell]

Full Synthetic Oil Change, CEL Diagnostic, Oil Pressure Diagnostic - $237

I'll know more on Monday.

[Kittrell]

Here we go, got the call today.

Oil pressure light. Looks like the valve gasket was done at some point. Guy says it looks like they just gooped RTV all over that thing. Thinks that some got into the oil and is now clogging the pickup tube. So they want to reseal the valve cover, put in a new pickup tube, and reseal the oil pan. All for the low low price of $925. My first thought is if the tube is clogged, can't you just clean it? It's not broken in any way, why do you need to replace it? Anyways, I priced all three parts from Miramar Audi, comes out to like $60. So they want about $850 for labor, for something that would take a tech two hours tops. Seven hour flat rate labor charge, breaks down to about $121 an hour for labor.

Needless to say I'll be buying the parts from Miramar Audi and we'll put it on the lift at - Go Nissan - up the road. My buddy is a mechanic there and they are allowed to work on "their" own vehicles off the clock. So we will do it ourselves with Audi parts.

The CEL was the cat, which I knew, had pulled that code before. It is operating below efficiency levels which is throwing the code. $1360 if I wanted to replace that. Only snag on that is it wouldn't pass emissions if I took it. Which is a requirement here in the part of Colorado I live in. I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

And now for the list of shit completely unrelated to why I brought it in. Upper control arm bushings are torn. So my arms are "just sliding around in the mounts", that one is $721. Sway bar links are worn out, could stand to be replaced, $273. And last but not least, brake pads front and rear, $181 rear, can't remember what he said for the front. I knew those were about due, so that was no surprise.

But the best part of all of this. The Audi still has temp tags on it. Man I LOVE used cars.......................

[CO AVANT]

The valve cover should only have audi oem sealant on it at the transitions. The pickup tube can be cleaned with an acid cleaner of some type, but Not sure how the RTV goop and cleaner would react as it's normally just oil deposits that clog them and acid cleaner that clears them out. The reason the labor is so much is because they need to drop the subframe to get the oil pan off to get to the oil pickup tube. I could do that work in 3hrs. I would pay no more than 4hrs for a shop to do that work.

[Kittrell]

Problem with how long it takes is it does not matter at the dealer. They charge a flat rate hourly for everything. It says in a little book somewhere that they will charge "7 hours" for that work. Regardless of how long it takes them to do it. You can't exactly negotiate with them on that.

I just emailed the dealer I bought it from to let them know the car they sold me is falling apart. I know that is not gonna do anything for me, but I felt like shitting on my salesman's day. "Falling apart" is probably a little extreme, but so is $3,000 in repairs for a car with temp tags on it................

[CO AVANT]

Sorry to hear that you are going through shit like that. Throw the lemon law in their face...

[Kittrell]

'03 with 93k on it, kind of SOL there. Have some money coming my way hopefully before the end of the year. Might pay it off and trade up for a CPO.

[Kittrell]

S'pose I could update this. Redid the valve cover, using purdy Audi sealant. Didn't really need a new pickup tube, but the part was cheap enough. So figured might as well since it was all apart. Nice little clumps of RTV floatin' around. My best guess looking at the carfax is that a Kia dealer did that job at some point. New Audi filter and 0W40 Mobil Full Syn. With that done and all new check valves, the only CEL I am pulling these days is an intermittent code for the Cat performing "below efficiency levels". So I need to swap the out at some point. Local buddy has his left over from his Milltek install. Not sure if the cats are different between models, so we'll have to take a look at that. Eventually going to Revo the thing, but not before I might have to get it emissioned. So I'll have to play that game. Not sure how an '03 has a deficient cat though.

[CO AVANT]

I can sell you my stock cat. Has ~36K on it...

[bananas]

What is the emissions warranty? 8 years/xxxxx miles

[Kittrell]

What is the emissions warranty? 8 years/xxxxx miles

And probably includes something like, if anyone but Audi ever even LOOKED at your exhaust it's out of warranty.

[Kittrell]

I can sell you my stock cat. Has ~36K on it...

I'll consider you plan B, cause free is better than paying, unless we are talking like $20 here..................