Help low oil pressure light on.

[Rajakay]

Hi I hope someone can point me in the right direction. I have a Skoda superb cr170 on a 2009. Around 2 weeks ago the low oil pressure light come on and I drove it around half a mile and stopped at a safe place. Had the car recovered to a garage and they said that it was a common fault with the oil pump drive rounding off. So had a new drive put in and shaft balanced. Then garage told me with me driving the vehicle for as long as I did the turbo had been starved of oil and it had blown. So had my turbo reconditioned. Today when the garage has put the turbo back in they drove the car literally 50 yards and the lights back on. They now are telling me it may be that the oil pumps packed in or worse the engine has damage. Is this true? Another garage has told me to check oil pressure with a pressure tester because it could be that the oil pressure sensor could be at fault. Please guys any help would be appreciated as this has cost me a small fortune already and I have not been able to work without a car.

[Laurie61]

How many miles has the car done ? Did you check the oil level when the light came on ? I would not expect damage from driving half a mile with the oil light on. The oil pressure sensor check would be a good next move I think .  

[Rajakay]

How many miles has the car done ? Did you check the oil level when the light came on ? I would not expect damage from driving half a mile with the oil light on. The oil pressure sensor check would be a good next move I think .  

Hi Laurie I checked the oil level as soon as the light came on and it was fine as I had serviced the car 2 weeks before. The cars done 120k and I service it every 7k miles as I do a lot of driving.

[numskull]

AFAIK, it is a lack of oil or pressure the makes the light come on, not "engine damage"? And how would they know the turbo had been damaged? I hope it's not just a faulty level or pressure sensor switch...

[Rajakay]

AFAIK, it is a lack of oil or pressure the makes the light come on, not "engine damage"? And how would they know the turbo had been damaged? I hope it's not just a faulty level or pressure sensor switch...

Well when I got the car recovered to my local my mechanic had a vague idea of what it could be from previous experience. so he got it towed to a local specialist who confirmed it was most likely the oil pump drive which later they confirmed. So had the drive upgraded to the thicker one and shaft balanced. They advised me that the engine was fine and no damage had been caused, but the turbo bearings had gone with the turbo being starved of oil. So I got the car back to my local and sent the turbo off for it to be reconditioned. Today my local was going to take it on a test drive when they didn't even get out of the garage and the light popped back on. My local said they had spoken to someone who rebuilds engines and they have said with the work I have already done it is most likely a faulty oil pump or suffered engine damage. Which is highly unlikely as when the car left the specialist he confirmed the engine was free from any damage. So fingers crossed the only thing that could be causing the light to come on is the oil switch.

[numskull]

Well when I got the car recovered to my local my mechanic had a vague idea of what it could be from previous experience. so he got it towed to a local specialist who confirmed it was most likely the oil pump drive which later they confirmed. So had the drive upgraded to the thicker one and shaft balanced. They advised me that the engine was fine and no damage had been caused, but the turbo bearings had gone with the turbo being starved of oil. So I got the car back to my local and sent the turbo off for it to be reconditioned. Today my local was going to take it on a test drive when they didn't even get out of the garage and the light popped back on. My local said they had spoken to someone who rebuilds engines and they have said with the work I have already done it is most likely a faulty oil pump or suffered engine damage. Which is highly unlikely as when the car left the specialist he confirmed the engine was free from any damage. So fingers crossed the only thing that could be causing the light to come on is the oil switch.

The point that I'm making (and so has Litch in your other thread) is that they should have eliminated the £25 switch in the first place, because THAT is the most likely issue, given there was no lack of oil. Sorry to be suspicious, but there are still so many rogue so-called "specialists" still thriving in the motor trade unfortunately, you don't know for sure that there was anything wrong with the oil pump nor, indeed, the turbo. If the pressure switch IS the problem, are they going to refund you? I suspect not. How much have you shelled out to this lot to date?

[Rajakay]

The point that I'm making (and so has Litch in your other thread) is that they should have eliminated the £25 switch in the first place, because THAT is the most likely issue, given there was no lack of oil. Sorry to be suspicious, but there are still so many rogue so-called "specialists" still thriving in the motor trade unfortunately, you don't know for sure that there was anything wrong with the oil pump nor, indeed, the turbo. If the pressure switch IS the problem, are they going to refund you? I suspect not. How much have you shelled out to this lot to date?

Well I don't think I'll get the £540 back for the work carried out on the oil pump drive but I've yet to pay my local for the turbo and labour. If the oil switch is the culprit then my local have donated the turbo recon and labour as they wont get a penny from me. Not told them yet otherwise even if it was the switch they'd start their sentence with 'once upon a time' lol

[lichfielddriver]

From memory a oil pressure switch puts the warning light on at about 5psi by which time its goodnight vienna for an engine, if the engine wasnt clonking and about to die id suspect the pressure sender

[Rajakay]

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Edited 2 October, 2015 by Rajakay

[lichfielddriver]

Well I don't think I'll get the £540 back for the work carried out on the oil pump drive but I've yet to pay my local for the turbo and labour. If the oil switch is the culprit then my local have donated the turbo recon and labour as they wont get a penny from me. Not told them yet otherwise even if it was the switch they'd start their sentence with 'once upon a time' lol

 

where is the car, have you got it back? if its on the garage (turbo man) property they wont release it without payment and retain it till payment is made in full

 

tip:- pay by credit card 

 

just in case

[lichfielddriver]

[Rajakay]

where is the car, have you got it back? if its on the garage (turbo man) property they wont release it without payment and retain it till payment is made in full

tip:- pay by credit card

just in case

I know the mechanic so when cars done I'll be taking it for a very long test run

[Rajakay]

Anyone know what psi oil pressure should be at idleing?

[Laurie61]

Anyone know what psi oil pressure should be at idleing?

 

Not off the top of my head, it will be lower when it's warm than when cold. Pity they don't fit oil pressure gauges, I think the last car I had with one was a 309 gti in the 80's. With regard to the turbo, if it is the original, it could well have been tired at 120k. So a refurb is not necessarily a waste of money if you intend to keep the car even if it had not been damaged by this problem.   

[Rajakay]

Not off the top of my head, it will be lower when it's warm than when cold. Pity they don't fit oil pressure gauges, I think the last car I had with one was a 309 gti in the 80's. With regard to the turbo, if it is the original, it could well have been tired at 120k. So a refurb is not necessarily a waste of money if you intend to keep the car even if it had not been damaged by this problem.

Thanks laurie, I am going to keep the car for another year or 2 so any work I carry out is beneficial for me. Hope it's sorted soon. Tomorrow I'll find out if the oil pressure switch was the problem. Fingers crossed.

[Rajakay]

Just been notified by my local that the oil pressure switch didn't work. They say the have visually inspected the oil filter housing and no oil is getting there. They say it's the pump that's at fault. Any ideas?

[numskull]

Just been notified by my local that the oil pressure switch didn't work. They say the have visually inspected the oil filter housing and no oil is getting there. They say it's the pump that's at fault. Any ideas?

Didn't they replace the pump?

[Laurie61]

I don't really see you have any option but to replace the oil pump, you were told the engine is OK otherwise, so not throwing good money after bad. So this should sort the problem ? Good luck with the outcome.   

[numskull]

Didn't they replace the pump?

I just noticed on re-reading the thread, they didn't replace the pump, just the "rounded off" shaft. So now they're going to charge you to strip it all out again, when the could've just replace the pump the first time round? Tch... I dunno....

[bigjohn]

I just noticed on re-reading the thread, they didn't replace the pump, just the "rounded off" shaft. So now they're going to charge you to strip it all out again, when the could've just replace the pump the first time round? Tch... I dunno....

 

I remember the same happening of Fords (Pinto and v6 Essex) where the oil pump was fed from the base of the distributor through a hex shaft that used to round off. There could also be wear on the base of the distributor and/or the oil pump. First thing to fail were the crank shaft bearings - no turbos back then!

 

In the case of the Superb engine as well as checking the oil pump the drive mechanism needs to be checked - on the PD this was a chain/sprocket but not sure on CR . Don't strip down the oil pump etc to then to discover its the driving end thats failed.

 

If you have had catastrophic crankshaft bearing failure after the first event (this should have made some noise!) then you could have very low oil pressure (oil blows out past shot bearings) but this would really rattle/bang and oil would have a very distinctive "knackered / burnt" smell.  This quickly gets much worse as the oil warms up but may not show up when cold. Might be worth getting them to remove one big end bearing cap to have a look see whilst sump is off for the oil pump.

 

 

On the Superb II is it the same as other Skodas in that an orange oil light is a warning (possibly low oil fill level) but a red oil light + other warnings  (boings or buzzer, low oil pressure on display) means stop NOW?

Edited 3 October, 2015 by bigjohn

[Rajakay]

Took car to a proper garage this time. He's stripped the bottom of the engine and has said that the previous owner had the pump removed at sometime and who ever put it back in used loads of sealant. The sealant has ended up blocking the oil feed pipe which has then caused damage to the crankshaft bearing in the engine. He sent me 2 pictures one of the oil pump and one of some part of the engine that's been scored.

From what I remember he said the bearing had been marked and their was small particles of metal in the oil.

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Edited 6 October, 2015 by Rajakay

[bigjohn]

Took car to a proper garage this time. He's stripped the bottom of the engine and has said that the previous owner had the pump removed at sometime and who ever put it back in used loads of sealant. The sealant has ended up blocking the oil feed pipe which has then caused damage to the crankshaft bearing in the engine. He sent me 2 pictures one of the oil pump and one of some part of the engine that's been scored.

From what I remember he said the bearing had been marked and their was small particles of metal in the oil.

IMG_1464.JPG

IMG_1465.JPG

 

Ouch. Is the crank OK or does it need a regrind? If its just bearings and youve had the turbo replaced you hopefully should be out of the woods then.

 

Was the sealant applied by previous garage when they replaced the oil pump shaft?

 

Good luck...

Edited 6 October, 2015 by bigjohn

[Rajakay]

Ouch. Is the crank OK or does it need a regrind? If its just bearings and youve had the turbo replaced you hopefully should be out of the woods then.

Was the sealant applied by previous garage when they replaced the oil pump shaft?

Good luck...

Cranks OK by sounds of it but oil pump needs replacing and work on bearings. I think the previous owner was the one who used sealant on the oil pump but not a 100% sure as other garage said they didn't use sealant. Another £1300 though. In total it's cost me £2200. Edited 6 October, 2015 by Rajakay

[bigjohn]

Cranks OK by sounds of it but oil pump needs replacing and work on bearings. I think the previous owner was the one who used sealant on the oil pump but not a 100% sure as other garage said they didn't use sealant. Another £1300 though. In total it's cost me £2200.

 

Might not feel like it at the moment but you may have got off lightly - a new engine much more