Oil pressure low

[markanthony73]

i had the dreaded red flashing symbol today. oil pressure low and also loosing coolant..Having just spent 1.4k on the aftermath of a failing tensioner im maybe now facing a bill for a new engine so the previous monies is down the drain........any ideas for a recon engine,imseeing them advertised for around 1,700:zx11:

[bez101]

did you drive with the light on ?
you can always replace the pick up pipe thats what gets blocked
also while your in there change the pump

[burkey1]

check the shells too, they normally first to go

[iwaters]

How long did you drive with the light on? If it was even a short distance there is likely to be damage to the shell bearings.

Firstly you need to check that the oil pressure is actually low and it is not just the switch that is faulty.

You say you are loosing coolant as well. Is there oil in the expansion tank? It could be a faulty oil cooler or worse it could be a cracked head.

What is the story behind the failed tensioner? Did the engine skip timing when this failed? If so there could be damage to the cylinder head.

Also what engine is this?

[markanthony73]

The engine is a 2.0 diesel on a avant s-line and covered 84k.The tensioner failed and therefore needed the valves replacing etc.....Then after that i had the egr valve changed then recently the oil level sensor changed. When the engine gets to around 90c then the oil pressure flicks up in red ,chimes 3 times then go's off then repeats 10 seconds or so later.....having just spent 1.4k on the engine i don't really want to throw the engine to replace.......help ..........:confused:

[markanthony73]

p.s how do i check the pressure and also.."what are shells?"

[iwaters]

You need an oil pressure test kit to test the pressure. It looks like a tyre pressure gauge. This screws into where the oil pressure switch normal goes and shows the oil pressure. You could buy a tester and do it yourself but they cost about £70-£100. Or you need a mechanic to do it. I don't suggest driving the car so you will either have to get it towed or find a mobile mechanic to come out and do it.

The shells are thin u shaped pieces of metal that sit between the crankshaft journals and the conrods. The con rods are what the pistons are connected to and the turn the downward motion of the pistion into the revolving motion of the crank. Because of the immense force they are subjected to they are generally the first item to wear when an engine is starved of oil. Sometimes if they have worn it is possible to drop the sump and just replace the shell bearings but often the damage has spread to the crank. In which case it is engine rebuild time.

Given that you suffered damage due to the tensioner giving way and now you have an oil pressure and coolant loss damage I think you need to take it up with whoever did the repair to the head. As I would suggest they haven't done it properly.

Confirm that the oil pressure is actually low and it is not the swtich that is faulty. The coolant loss maybe coincidence and there is just a coolant leak somewhere, or it could be related.