Red Flashing oil light with 3 beeps

[audiwop]

I've tried searching and most everything that I'm finding is for the 1.8t motor. Driving today the red flashing oil can symbol popped up. When I start the car and sit at idle it doesn't come on, but when I start driving it popps right up. Does this mean I have low oil pressure, or just a bad sensor somewhere. My oil level is fine and it drives and idles perfect. Is this common on our cars, and should I stop driving the car untill its figured out?

[tike0rz]

Oil is not the thing I would mess with...and I certainly wouldn't drive the car if its telling me there is something wrong with the oil. What kind did you put in at your last oil change? Good Filter? Check the ground where you park for oil leaks. And are you checking your oil when the car is level? I'd check again dude. And again.

Try reading your manual, too.

[audiwop]

I did check level on flat ground and level was good. I use royal purple 5-40 and I change it at least every 2k miles or so. I don't have any leaks under the car. To be honest with you, what does that symbol mean? Does it mean pressure, bad sensor? Thanks for the advice.

[xx_s4quattro_xx]

the only time i seen my oil light pop on was when i was in my b5 a4 i hit a dip doing 80 and put a hole in my oil pan so check your oil pan and oil sensor.

[espo4442]

Trust me coming from a guy who blew him motor b/c of lossed oil pressure from sludge do not drive you car until it is checked out. That light means low oil pressure

[RolledMySTi]

When the warning light comes on does you oil temp gauge go to zero? I had the warning light come on with the annoying beeps and when it did my oil temp gauge would go from normal to reading that oil temp is cold. Then when the light would go away my temp gauge would go back to normal. If this is happening you probably have a bad sensor.

[audiwop]

When the warning light comes on does you oil temp gauge go to zero? I had the warning light come on with the annoying beeps and when it did my oil temp gauge would go from normal to reading that oil temp is cold. Then when the light would go away my temp gauge would go back to normal. If this is happening you probably have a bad sensor.

My temp gauge stays right were it always does when the oil is fully warmed up. I just drove home from work and when I started the car, I decided to rev the motor up in nuetral. The light and beebs started right about 3K rpm. Wouldn't it be more common for the sensor to go bad as opposed to loss of oil pressure? I know the old 1.8t had sludge issues, but I didn't think are cars do?????

[Matt@JHM]

A buddy of mine with a clogged oil screen in his 1.8 had the same symptoms, I wouldn't drive the car man. An oil light is nothing to shrug off.

[The_Jerbel]

There are usually 2 oil pressure sensors in most VW/Audis. One sensor measures pressure up to ~3000 rpms, and the other measures the pressure above that. You may have a botched sensor. I'll look into the B5S4 oil pressure sensing system a little more...

[audiwop]

^^^Thanks Jerbel. Its seems to be one thing after another with this thing lately. Anyway, whats the best way to start narrowing this down. Should I do and oil pressure test (if so, how do you do one?) or should I change my oil, filter and start replacing the sensors before anything else? I'm for sure going to take the advice of elitedrumR and park this thing untill I get it figured out.

[noSup4u]

check for coolant contamination in your oil creating choco milk and the pressure issues. lots of ruined motors out there, usually headgasket or failed channels in block.

[The_Jerbel]

I would change the oil, replace the oil filter, and replace the oil pressure sensor.

It turns out that there is only 1 pressure sensor on the B5, which measures pressure and transmits variably changing voltage. At below 2000 rpms, the oil pressure should be a certain value, and above 2000, it should be above that value.

The best way to verify the problem is to get an oil pressure tester and plug in the pressure sensor into the tester and see if it reads correctly.

[S4 in_lowplaces]

There are usually 2 oil pressure sensors in most VW/Audis. One sensor measures pressure up to ~3000 rpms, and the other measures the pressure above that. You may have a botched sensor. I'll look into the B5S4 oil pressure sensing system a little more...

Are you using a bentley to search for this?

[audiwop]

I would change the oil, replace the oil filter, and replace the oil pressure sensor.

It turns out that there is only 1 pressure sensor on the B5, which measures pressure and transmits variably changing voltage. At below 2000 rpms, the oil pressure should be a certain value, and above 2000, it should be above that value.

The best way to verify the problem is to get an oil pressure tester and plug in the pressure sensor into the tester and see if it reads correctly.

Jerbel as I've told you before I usually do more harm than good with a wrench, so I want to clarify one thing. When you say get an oil pressure tester, and then plug in the pressure sensor to the tester, it leaves me a bit confused. How do I go about doing that? I've never seen an oil pressure tester, have zero idea how to use one and have no clue where in the hell the pressure sensor is located. Sorry if these are stupid questions.

[Militant-Grunt]

Trust me coming from a guy who blew him motor b/c of lossed oil pressure from sludge do not drive you car until it is checked out. That light means low oil pressure

Your oil sump is sludged up and you're not getting oil to your head. I suggest either A) Pull oil pan and clean the oil pick up screen, B) replace the oil pump all together C) Do one of the well documented rx treatments. Because this will destroy your engine sooner or later.

[audiwop]

Your oil sump is sludged up and you're not getting oil to your head. I suggest either A) Pull oil pan and clean the oil pick up screen, B) replace the oil pump all together C) Do one of the well documented rx treatments. Because this will destroy your engine sooner or later.

So I took your advice today and pulled off the oil pan. The pan and both the oil screen looked perfect and their wasn't any sign of coolant in the oil either. I sealed everything back up and fired it up with the new oil and filter. I let it warm up, reved it back up to 3K rpm and the oil pressure light came right back on. I'm starting to think more and more that its a sensor (I hope).

[Militant-Grunt]

So I took your advice today and pulled off the oil pan. The pan and both the oil screen looked perfect and their wasn't any sign of coolant in the oil either. I sealed everything back up and fired it up with the new oil and filter. I let it warm up, reved it back up to 3K rpm and the oil pressure light came right back on. I'm starting to think more and more that its a sensor (I hope).

Sensor then on the bottom of the oil pan, for some reason I thought your car was a 1.8t, forgot I was in the s4 section haha.

[audiwop]

^^^I may be wrong but I thought the sensor on the bottom of the oil pan was oil level sensor, not the oil pressure sensor. Am I right or wrong thinking this?

[AudiSportB5S4]

Are you using a bentley to search for this?

its just Jordans knowledge that is overwhelming, hes scanning his brain thats all lol

[obijohn22]

Sounds like an Oil pressure sensor to me. I would start there for sure. can you VAG the car?

[audiwop]

Sounds like an Oil pressure sensor to me. I would start there for sure. can you VAG the car?

I'm going to VAG the car today. Should a code pop up saying the sensor is bad if thats actually what is wrong?

[drkenan]

I'd replace the sensor first because it's probably easier but I just read Bentley and it looks pretty straightforward if you have to replace the pump.

I can't find any info about the sensor - does anyone know if Bentley calls it a "switch"?

[drkenan]

Also, looks like you can get a cheap oil pressure tester on Ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Auto...m330245295940&

[audiwop]

I'd replace the sensor first because it's probably easier but I just read Bentley and it looks pretty straightforward if you have to replace the pump.

I can't find any info about the sensor - does anyone know if Bentley calls it a "switch"?

Where is the sensor located on the car?

[obijohn22]

You would likely see a code there but, with a faulty sensor, the code would be false. I was just wondering if any other codes were present, which may help lead us to the problem. If you really had very low oil pressure you would start to hear some extra noise from the valvetrain and/or rod bearings. (ticking, etc.) It is still important to not drive until you have this resolved, but based on the evidence, I suspect you will be fine. Keep us posted so we can all learn from this.

[audiwop]

You would likely see a code there but, with a faulty sensor, the code would be false. I was just wondering if any other codes were present, which may help lead us to the problem. If you really had very low oil pressure you would start to hear some extra noise from the valvetrain and/or rod bearings. (ticking, etc.) It is still important to not drive until you have this resolved, but based on the evidence, I suspect you will be fine. Keep us posted so we can all learn from this.

No other codes have come up, just that stupid little light. As far as ticking sounds, everything sounds normal to me. When the hood is up and I put my ear up to the valve cover it sounds like its making the normal little ticking sounds but nothing out of the ordinary. When the hood is shut, its sounds as quiet as ever. How loud would the ticking be? I mean would it be something and idiot would notice or is it more of a subtle noise?

[2001S4NY]

Sensor is located on the oil filter housing. Pain to get to, also check if the wire that runs up the engine is not burned or pinched.

[audiwop]

^^^Thanks for that.

[The_Jerbel]

The pressure sensor is actually the sensor on the bottom of the oil pan. A pressure tester is just a couple of hoses and wires and a gauge. You plug in the pressure sensor to the gauge and connect the hose of the pressure gauge to the hole in the oil pan where the pressure switch used to be. You then give 12v to the pressure switch and ground out the gauge, and that's the setup. Then you start the car and rev it up gradually. The light on the gauge should be on between 1.2 and 1.6 bar of pressure. If not, replace the switch. Then at 2000 RPM and an oil temperature of 80 ° C, oil pressure should be at least 2.0 bar. If not, you have oil pressure issues.

[DAP]

The pressure sensor is actually the sensor on the bottom of the oil pan. A pressure tester is just a couple of hoses and wires and a gauge. You plug in the pressure sensor to the gauge and connect the hose of the pressure gauge to the hole in the oil pan where the pressure switch used to be. You then give 12v to the pressure switch and ground out the gauge, and that's the setup. Then you start the car and rev it up gradually. The light on the gauge should be on between 1.2 and 1.6 bar of pressure. If not, replace the switch. Then at 2000 RPM and an oil temperature of 80 ° C, oil pressure should be at least 2.0 bar. If not, you have oil pressure issues.

The sensor on the bottom of the pan is the combined oil level and oil temperature sensor. The oil pressure sender or switch is on the top of the oil pan behind the oil filter housing and oil cooler.

A replacement sender should be about $20-$25 from the VW dealer (same basic part has been used since the 1970s on the VWs).

[The_Jerbel]

My mistake. I knew it was on the pan somewhere...

[obijohn22]

It would be very noticeable if some moving parts were oil starved. I think everyone has you on the right track. check or just change the sender, and go from there.