Hello everybody, today I left my house to head to see a car 2012 Fabia Monte Carlo 1.2 TSI as I need a change of car as I'm starting a family and would like to change to a more economical (slower) car, the car was 270 miles away from my home and my mother generously offered to drive me there with my pregnant fiancè, so the journey took about 6 hours with 2 stops and some traffic and I had a good look over the car and decided not to buy it as the bodywork wasn't spot on, I then headed home and after 10 miles I decided to go back and purchase the car and sort the body work out as my Fiancè liked the car and she would be driving it when I'm in work so I got back and bought the car, I had a good look over the car again mainly mechanical and everything looked good the engine is on 35k miles.

 

Then things went downhill, after taxing the car and insuring it I set off home and after about 30 minutes or maybe 25 miles the oil light started flashing as I got onto the motorway (not sure which one my misses was giving directions) and I had nowhere to pull over, not even hard shoulder so I put the clutch in to limit revs just to reduce any engine load and the light went then it did this another 4 times by the time i got to a service station to buy some oil, by this time I was very nervous and anxious so I hastily bought 1litre of oil at a BP which was 25 quid!!! The checkout girl was stunned when my face was in shock at the price of the oil, anyway went to put some oil in and there was plenty so now even more annoyed I drove home and with about 100 miles to go the light came back on so I pulled over and I noticed the top end was very rattly from the lack of oil so I though I had just wasted a lot of money on fuel, the car and temp insurance to get it home...

 

I have experience with cars as I have changed turbos, headgaskets, pretty much all suspension items and a lot more just to name a few I can also remap cars and custom make manifolds exhausts etc as I'm a fabricator welder but hold experience in electrical fault finding and paint spraying...

 

So I thought this can't be a serious oil fault as the bottom end hasn't started knocking, I unplugged the oil pressure switch when the car was running and it didn't give me a fault until I revved it and I'm assuming because idle oil pressure isn't that high and still in range, I noticed I can stop the oil pressure drop and warning light by turning the ignition off and on, so I drove another 100 odd miles and the oil light must have come on a good 1t times but I could stop this by really quickly turning the ignition on and off (to stop people thinking I'm flashing my lights). When I got home the engine sounded perfect.

 

What do you guys think it could be? there must be a genuine oil pressure fault as the top end gets really noisy when it comes on, I have read about an oil filter washer and will check it out tomorrow as I have had a hell of a day and been on the road almost 14 hours in total with stopping because of the car.

 

Thanks for reading, any advice greatly appreciated

 

 

Edit: to clarify by turning the ignition on and off the car is then fine for an undetermined amount of time, also the car smells of oil when the light is on but not when it's off 

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by walshy155

Unscrew the oil filter, first about one and a half turns to allow oil to drain out from the filter for about a minute, then remove it completely. There is a broad rubber washer that sits on the end of the filter in the sprung plastic bit (where the notches are on the photo). If you dig down into the oil filter housing (probably full of black oil) you will probably find a second identical washer that fell off previous filter and was left behind, someone forgot to check and remove. There should only be one washer. Thats whats probably causing the issue. (Or no rubber ring at all)

 

 

Driving with no or low oil pressure possibly damaged engine, camshaft and high pressure pump driven by the camshaft. Rattling probably loose camchain because hydraulic tensioner had no/low oil pressure.

 

May be why it was sold. Dumb mechanic serviced it.

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by xman

Hi thanks for the reply I'm going to get a oil filter wrench as it's stuck solid I've never had to buy one before as I've always been able to undo them by hand and elbow grease will report back 

9 hours ago, walshy155 said:

I unplugged the oil pressure switch when the car was running and it didn't give me a fault until I revved it and I'm assuming because idle oil pressure isn't that high and still in range

I think the state of the pressure switch is ignored by the instrument cluster below 1500rpm.

 

Fingers crossed that it's just the filter washer thing, but another 'nice' possibility is that it's a failed/failing pressure switch, or the wire to it. Did you happen to notice any oil in the connector when you unplugged it? They often tend to leak 'through themselves' when they fail.

Any sign of insulation damage/cracking of the wire?

 

Sorry, crossed out bit irrelevant cos it wouldn't explain the noisy top end.

 

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by Wino

Hi I'm in euro car parts now I have checked the switch it is clean no oil residue 

 

Thanks

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by walshy155

@xman   was right to point out the the very common issue for years now, so waiting to hear if it is your issue.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/450278-oil-warning-light-intermitent

 

Hi everybody, well after a struggle even with an oil filter wrench I managed to get it off and guess what, yes two seal rings wrecked inside the oil filter housing, whoever installed the oil filter obvously didnt have a clue and had to use excessive pressure to screw onto two sealant rings, thanks guys for your help, the top end is a bit noisy but seems to get better when warm although it must be the cold weather and I guess as its high pressure injection the injectors must be a bit ticky.

 

Thank you all

So now look at the Invoice if there is one and be sure that there was VW 502 spec oil if you are doing fixed service intervals or VW 504 / 507 5w 30 FS LL used.

 

I would advice with a 1.2 TSI that you use VW502 so 5w 40 FS and not Long Life Oils or Variable Service Intervals.

 

Check the wheel bolts for tightness.

Check the tyre pressures and set as you like and reset the TPMS.

Hi, unfortunately no service book so no history also I didn't know this car had TMPS, when I MOT the car I will have the garage to service it with the correct oil as you mentioned

 

Do these engines sound tappety on the top end when running in good condition? I think it's best if I also change the cam chain and associated parts when MOT is due which is soon 

Could you ask the seller when it was last (oil/oil filter) serviced? That (if the answer is honest) would at least give a clue about how long it's been running about with oil pressure problems. How clean/dirty does the oil look?

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by Wino

A Skoda Dealership or Skoda UK Customer Services can tell you the Service History & Warranty History on the System 2012-2015 and maybe since if at a main dealerships for work.

http://skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us

 

Have you looked at the MOT history and any advisories in 2015, 16 & 17 and 18 is done?

Re the Timing chain.

Your 2012 should have the upgraded parts and not those that were an issue 2010/11.

 

There can be an issue with some draining engine oil and then the chain tensioners tension.

 

I would change the oil in the car ASAP.   And not for what a Main Dealership wants to put in which is 5w 30 FS Long Life. VW504 /507. 

I would be using 5w 40 FS to VW 502 00.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes

 

 

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by Offski

Yes they sound tappety, mainly the high pressure fuel pump (where the large hex bolt on top is)  and injectors, amplified via stainless piping. You shouldn't be able to hear that sat inside the car.

 

Everything is operated by roller followers.

 

2012 might have the revised engine, larger oil capacity 3.9 v 3.6 litres, larger oil galleries, revised and final chain/tensioner design, ignition leads protected in corrugated trunking. The small plastic pcv valve no longer plugs directly into the cam cover where it often breaks and plastic bits get into the valve gear, but via a right angle bolt on casting.

 

Don't change chain unless you identify stretched chain or tensioner playing silly buggers, when the chain rattles (more like a rapid fire gatling gun as it rides the sprockets, trying to skip) you will know, its loud and clearly heard sat inside the car.

 

Do change oil, often. Its a great engine in final form. So many "technicians" do not know how to change the oil filter and over tighten causing sealing problems, that large washer distorts and uncovers the service drain down channel.

 

The oil filter will self tighten as the seals swell. A cup wrench makes it easy to remove and fit properly, oil the seal, turn till its hits end stop, then only 20Nm. Not much.

 

 

Make sure you fit the right filter, some dealers, for reasons unknown, fit the filter for the 1.4 tsi which fits but is the wrong filter with different seals.

 

Correct filter style (Mann) W712/94 (or VW, Hengst, Bosch etc equiv)

 

Wrong filter style  (Mann) W712/93

 

In its final iteration, like with so many VAG engines, it's a great engine, provided it's serviced regularly, on the fixed regime.

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by xman

Hi everybody, to clear up some things the oil in the car is 504/507 5w30, I will change this when I fit the new oil filter, luckily the oil filter is the correct type and the oil itself looks very clean bearly any blowby contaminants it's like honey with a slight darkening.

 

Upon further inspection of the engine the MAP sensor seems to be missing the two bolts that hold it in, I chuckled to myself about that I will get some from work.

 

The tappety noise has disappeared after a few hours later and re starting the engine, strange but the engine sounds very quiet and smooth even for this type of engine design but I cannot hear it inside the car, good I guess. Hopefully no damage has been done to shorten engine life because of the oil pressure problem.

 

Thanks everybody and hopefully nobody else gets this fault and if they do at least it's documented on the forums so could save people a lot of time, hassle and money.

 

 

Also I have dedicated diagnostic equipment for a few manufacturers but my old Ross tech cable won't support this fabia what cable would you guys suggest? 

Edited 29 October, 20187 yr by walshy155

Was there an Invoice then for where the car was serviced?

 

Are you in a position to warn others were that was so they can avoid going there?

MAP sensors are sometimes held in by a clip arrangement instead of using the screw holes. Any sign of that?

Sounds like the oil change/knob-up was very recent so that's good.