My girlfriends Fabia decided to throw an oil light and 3 beeps Multiple times tonight, both while I and her were driving it and usually while turning a corner.

According to the manual this means that the engine has lost oil pressure, obviously this is quite serious so I lifted the rocker cover and have a look. On the driveway there was plenty oil getting to the head, the intake manifold got fairly well doused.

I had a quick look at the wires to the pressure sensor and wiggled them to make sure this was ok, it seemed fine.

There was plenty of oil in the sump (top of the marker on the stick), and it had an oil and filter change just last week.

Now the fly in the ointment, the engine has Mayo under the filler cap and all up the larger breather pipe from the filler. The engine is a fair age now (138,000 miles) so its not surprising that its starting to give up, I suspect that its the head gasket failing as its burning coolant a bit too.

So then, is there anything I should be looking at on this engine? All I can think is that the pump is somehow packing in.

Dave.

Clean the breather pipes and filters...use Wynns engine flush on the next oil change, change oil filter as well, clean the throttle valve...then go on from there..

Change the oil pressure switch on the front of the engine before anything else. I have a feeling it's just the switch being dicky. There are breather pipes on the 8v but these merely vent crankcase emissions from the rocker cover near the oil filler back to the throttle body, no PCV system.

If the headgasket is failing I think you would be experiencing serious oil loss before there was sufficient pressure loss to bring the warning indicator on. Regarding headgasket, you can see a small part of the headgasket between the head and block at the front right corner as you face the engine. Clean any muck off and look for the word "Temac". If this is present you have the improved headgasket fitted.

fabdavrav, engine has just had the oil and filter done by me. No flush though. Throttle valve was cleaned about 6 months ago too.

anewman, I'll have a look tomorrow but this engine has never had the top off as far as I know, being 138,000 miles old I expect its not far off needing changed. The car is a Y-reg by the way, no spring chicken.

I twigged onto something tonight actually, stupidly plain to see. The engine has been losing coolant (I thought it was burning it), and at the same time I noticed the coolant tank has turned an unusual dark colour recently.

I strongly suspect that the oil is getting into the coolant and vice versa.

I'm guessing a HG change on these engines probably isn't too bad being a pushrod design?

Dave.

I twigged onto something tonight actually, stupidly plain to see. The engine has been losing coolant (I thought it was burning it), and at the same time I noticed the coolant tank has turned an unusual dark colour recently.

I strongly suspect that the oil is getting into the coolant and vice versa.

I'm guessing a HG change on these engines probably isn't too bad being a pushrod design?

Same on mine (coolant dropping, dark coolant, mayo oil cap, mayo header tank cap), although mine does have the "improved" headgasket fitted. Took for MOT today and asked for their opinion and they said headgasket failure would show up on emissions test. I figure I am best keeping an eye on it and waiting till coolant loss gets to such a stage there's no doubt it's the headgasket. I guess it doesn't show up on emissions because there isn't much transference of coolant/oil, and most people only take their car to a garage when it is overheating and there are clouds of white smoke.

most people only take their car to a garage when it is overheating and there are clouds of white smoke.

Sad, but True.

If the transfer of fluid is only between the oil and coolant then nothing will show up at all on the emissions test, only once it breaks into one of the cylinders is when you'll see it.

I'll probably end up having another look this weekend, but i'm fairly convinced its the HG on this one.

Dave.