Red oil light intermittingly flashing

[MarcusJohn]

Hello everyone,

 

My wife has a Skoda yeti 2.0 tdi from the year 2010 I believe. We bought it not to long ago. Intermittently the red oil light pops up beeps and goes away. Not in short drives but usually in longer drives. My wife feels like it comes on uphill mostly. Speed doesn't seem to matter. I changed the oil sensor and it keeps happening. I was thinking it might be because of the engine heating up. I was reading about this issue and people suggested changing the oil to a thicker one. So my next plan is to do an oil change. Any ideas? If I do thicker oil which would u guys advice? The car doesn't seem to be losing any oil. The car doesn't drive any different as well.

[gumdrop]

These engines are designed to run on the oils as laid out in the instruction manuals for your region,

with the car as flat and level as possible check the oil level, cold as per the manual.

The really clever folk can now diagnose knowing the basics are satisfied. Good Luck.

 

 

 

[MarcusJohn]

On 06/04/2023 at 08:21, gumdrop said:

These engines are designed to run on the oils as laid out in the instruction manuals for your region,

with the car as flat and level as possible check the oil level, cold as per the manual.

The really clever folk can now diagnose knowing the basics are satisfied. Good Luck.

 

What an annoying answer that answers not a single thing mate thanks.

 

 

[KenONeill]

5 minutes ago, MarcusJohn said:

 

A thicker oil might, repeat might stop the pressure light flickering, but it won't address an underlying issue with any of the pressure transducer, the oil pump, the oil pickup or the filter. If the issue is the filter, a new filter and thicker oil might address the issues, but then a new quality filter would have done that with the recommended oils.

[MarcusJohn]

Thanks I am going to check the pump and filter next. I heard it could be the belt on the pump slipping.

[Bas750]

6 hours ago, MarcusJohn said:

the belt on the pump slipping.

WHAT?

who told you that? That really is utter bullsh1t….

this your oil-pick-up-pipe, the toothed wheel and the chain provide the pumps rotation, if the chain fails, you will have NO pressure at all.

edit; you cannot check the oil pump without dropping the oilpan.

Edited 8 April, 2023 by Bas750

[MarcusJohn]

2 hours ago, Bas750 said:

WHAT?

who told you that? That really is utter bullsh1t….

this your oil-pick-up-pipe, the toothed wheel and the chain provide the pumps rotation, if the chain fails, you will have NO pressure at all.

edit; you cannot check the oil pump without dropping the oilpan.

Yes I am trying to learn about this engine. I've now seen some videos on the oil pump replacement.

 

It's not losing oil and the oil was serviced in 6/22. It only happens when the engine is warm and the engine doesn't heat up more than 90. So I am thinking it's something with the oil pump.

[Breezy_Pete]

Displayed 90 covers a wide range of temperatures, so it may be getting a lot warmer, covertly.

I would test radiator fan function if I were you, that could be causing trouble if not working as designed.

1 or 2 radiator fans? Air conditioning fitted?

[skomaz]

Can I suggest you check / replace the oil filter. 

 

I had similar on a 1.9tdi Fabia with the oil pressure light coming on intermittently on the motorway and it turned out to be a faulty / old filter that had either been missed during the servicing and was starting to collapse.

Edited 8 April, 2023 by skomaz

[Bas750]

@MarcusJohn I suspect you refer to the coolant temperature? That is a “about” temperature. The oil temperature can be seen in your mfd between the speedo and the rpm meter. Oil temp is normally somewhere between 90 and 102.

if you suspect the oilpump; check the pressure. ( workshop)

This problem is not standin’ on it’s own, there are more owners who deal with this, and almost certainly it is a electrical problem. Have read the fault codes yet?

If so… you probaply won’t find anything, but, you might be lucky.

[MarcusJohn]

29 minutes ago, skomaz said:

Can I suggest you check / replace the oil filter. 

 

I had similar on a 1.9tdi Fabia with the oil pressure light coming on intermittently on the motorway and it turned out to be a faulty / old filter that had either been missed during the servicing and was starting to collapse.

Yea I was going to do that just in case. On Monday I got a new filter coming. The car has a complete service history and every year they change the oil. Last time is like 06/22. I would guess they change the filter too. 

3 minutes ago, Bas750 said:

@MarcusJohn I suspect you refer to the coolant temperature? That is a “about” temperature. The oil temperature can be seen in your mfd between the speedo and the rpm meter. Oil temp is normally somewhere between 90 and 102.

if you suspect the oilpump; check the pressure. ( workshop)

This problem is not standin’ on it’s own, there are more owners who deal with this, and almost certainly it is a electrical problem. Have read the fault codes yet?

If so… you probaply won’t find anything, but, you might be lucky.

I was thinking if the oil pressure drops the engine would heat up. Oil temp is normal.

I checked for fault codes but there aren't any showing up. It's with an elm327 and various apps. Nothing professional. I checked to buy a manual psi gauge but yea. I was thinking if it's electrical it would make sense it just pops up, not only when the engine is hot. Like if my wife brings the kids to school or drives a short drive to work it doesn't happen at all. 

I replaced the sensor and checked the connector what else could it be electrical if it's only when the engine is hot?

[Bas750]

You have to be certain about the pressure, so hook up a manual gauge and monitor it.

I bet, everything is normal.

( if not, I would start with the oil pump siff) It could be the instrument binnacle, but also a broken wire “somewhere” in the engine or main loom, and that, is no fun.

Edited 8 April, 2023 by Bas750

[MarcusJohn]

36 minutes ago, Bas750 said:

You have to be certain about the pressure, so hook up a manual gauge and monitor it.

I bet, everything is normal.

( if not, I would start with the oil pump siff) It could be the instrument binnacle, but also a broken wire “somewhere” in the engine or main loom, and that, is no fun.

I was checking if an app could check oil pressure for now in the weekend. I was thinking it was the sensor at first, that's what happened with my car. The car drives totally normal so I would hope it's something like a wire. Just seems weird it only happens when the engine is hot. 

[Breezy_Pete]

Doubt it's a sensor usually just a switch. No data output just short circuit or open circuit.

[Bas750]

Exactly that, but no pressure will be detected by the ecu. 
That short circuit can however be everywhere in the loom. Sorry to say, but there are people around who are breakin’ their head over the same problem, and still have no solution, this is a complicated one. But, TS might be lucky.

[Breezy_Pete]

Wiring is pretty simple, pressure switch (F1) earths wire to engine metalwork when 'on' and breaks circuit to pin 27 at cluster 32-way connector when 'off'. 

14 way connector in engine bay interfacing the two looms.

 

Seems more likely to be a real pressure issue than an electrical fault to me though, possibly associated with dpf regens or attempted ones.

Engine code would be handy to be definitely looking at correct info, as always.

 

[Bas750]

Yes, you are right, the circuit is simple.

A month or two ago, my youngest had a polo 1.2 tdi 2011 model. Bloody thing went in limp mode because of a fault in the 5volt circuit.( can’t remember the fault code) , turned out to be a broken wire in the engine loom…. A real pig to find. Anyway fixed it. Sometimes things are not that easy, and sometimes we are makin’ it difficult for ourselfs.

[KenONeill]

1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Doubt it's a sensor usually just a switch. No data output just short circuit or open circuit.

Yeah but no but yeah but no but...

Seriously, it's only happened to me once, but I had a similar issue caused by a grain of carbon getting into the capillary that reports the oil pressure to the idiot lamp.

[Breezy_Pete]

Maybe I phrased it poorly Ken; what I was meaning is that you cannot watch pressure numbers via a pressure switch, as the OP seemed to be suggesting when he mentioned "I was checking if an app could check oil pressure for now..."

He already changed the 'sensor' so it's not likely to be a problem with debris in the old switch.

 

The only pressure information available from the switch is 'above threshold' and 'below threshold', which the instrument cluster is already using, with engine rpm factored in, to  indicate a problem to the driver via the red light.

The OP or his partner may well find that changing gear to increase rpm on these hills where the problem seems to show itself will help. Low rpm makes it harder to maintain good oil pressure. That's a temporary workaround though, not a suggested 'fix'.

 

How many km has this car covered, and what exact oil is it currently operating with since last June?

If that's unknown, do an immediate oil change using 50400/50700 compliant oil with a high quality filter.

 

Edited 9 April, 2023 by Breezy_Pete

[KenONeill]

4 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Maybe I phrased it poorly Ken; what I was meaning is that you cannot watch pressure numbers via a pressure switch, as the OP seemed to be suggesting when he mentioned "I was checking if an app could check oil pressure for now..."

Ah OK. I was thinking that the issue could be a grain of muck in the capillary side of the switch.

[MarcusJohn]

10 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Maybe I phrased it poorly Ken; what I was meaning is that you cannot watch pressure numbers via a pressure switch, as the OP seemed to be suggesting when he mentioned "I was checking if an app could check oil pressure for now..."

He already changed the 'sensor' so it's not likely to be a problem with debris in the old switch.

 

The only pressure information available from the switch is 'above threshold' and 'below threshold', which the instrument cluster is already using, with engine rpm factored in, to  indicate a problem to the driver via the red light.

The OP or his partner may well find that changing gear to increase rpm on these hills where the problem seems to show itself will help. Low rpm makes it harder to maintain good oil pressure. That's a temporary workaround though, not a suggested 'fix'.

 

How many km has this car covered, and what exact oil is it currently operating with since last June?

If that's unknown, do an immediate oil change using 50400/50700 compliant oil with a high quality filter.

 

From what I've seen and understand it happens when accelerating as well as just coasting. Not on idle or revving while parked. On the highway and uphill it happened mostly, usually when accelerating. The first thing I said when my wife told me she had this problem was if it goes away when accelerating but it just beeps and goes away out of itself. Since it happens intermittingly I haven't been able to get it to happen myself when I drove it a few times to test when I changed the sensor. 

 

With my car there's a specific app made for the exact car that shows the oil pressure in bar that's why I was saying maybe I could do the same with the yeti instead of buying a manual gauge. 

 

It doesn't say which oil or if the filter was changed. It just has the Skoda service manual with oil change ticked off for 06/22. I would assume they change the filter as well. It's an official skoda dealer they went too. They went nearly every other year for service since having the car before we bought it. 

 

My plan now is to get a Mann filter HU 7008 z for the CFHA engine and Liqui Moly 4200 with the VW 504 00/507 00 spec. I have doubt that will fix the problem however.

[KenONeill]

47 minutes ago, MarcusJohn said:

My plan now is to get a Mann filter HU 7008 z for the CFHA engine and Liqui Moly 4200 with the VW 504 00/507 00 spec.

I'm not saying that will solve the problem, but it's the 2 cheapest and least intrusive things that might since they need doing regularly anyway.

[MarcusJohn]

Update. I changed the oil and filter around the middle of april. It seemed all fixed and no more beeping at all. Even during long drives. 

 

Till today. Somehow it started beeping again like crazy. Even more so than before. I am totally confused why it didn't beep at all anymore after the change of the oil and filter. And now suddenly it's back and worse than before.

[MikeTheThinker]

I would suspect wear somewhere (oil pump?) that is masked by the thicker fresh oil but as the oil ages and thins the problem recurs.

[J.R.]

On 08/04/2023 at 09:32, MarcusJohn said:

 

 

Actually it was the most pertinent and sensible answer here given that nowhere have you said that you have checked and the oil level is correct, just that it was serviced at X miles.

 

A low oil level will manifest itself as oil starvation on inclines.

 

MarcusJohn was absolutely correct, check and confirm the oil level first on level ground and then others can diagnose knowing that the basics are satisfied.