oil light on but full oil-help please!

[scottjones924]

Hi, on staring my car this morning, the oil light came on, so after putting some more oil in I thought it would be alright. After driving a few hundred yards it came back on again. I left it to settle and cool. Checked the level and it was full, I started it again and after a few hundred yards the light came back on then went off and came back on. Now comes on all the time. Any ideas as to what it might be, will it still be able to drive as its got oil in it?

[Crasher]

Yellow or red light? Which engine?

[scottjones924]

Its the 1. 9 tdi engine and its the red oil light that looks like a gravy dish, any ideas?

[Crasher]

Stop driving it now and fit a new oil pressure switch, if the problem persists, have an oil pressure test carried out. Just because there is oil in the sump doesn’t mean it is being pumped around.

[scottjones924]

Thanks for the help, are they easy to fit, I've got a haynes manual at home but I'm at work and wondered whether to order one from the dealer as they've only got one in. Also, he reckoned he's never heard of one going before, is he just trying to get me to take it to the dealer?

[Crasher]

The switch is 24-mm and takes a few minutes to fit, it is on the oil filter housing. Do not buy it from anywhere except the dealer. They don’t often fail, it is just a precaution as next it is either an instrument problem, pain in the **** wiring fault or a worrying engine issue. The idea is to eliminate the cheap easy areas first.

[Frelon]

Had a similar problem not so long ago! The engine hesitated while I was driving and the oil light, engine management light came on. The car was driveable but only on limp home mode. Drove another couple of miles and the lights started flashing again, time to call Volkswagen recovery and not chance the engine blowing up! I checked the oil at that time and the level was on the lower level of the dipstick, but still (I thought) OK.
Recovery wagon arrived after an hours wait and took the car back to my local VW dealer (where I have the car serviced). Left it with them for a couple of days and they called to say it was fixed. Said it was the oil level low!! I indicated that the sensor must be very sensitive because whilst it was low it was between the normal level indicators!
Drove the car about 5 kilometers and the lights started flashing again! Managed to drive the car back to the garage in limp home mode and managed to show them the lights flashing!! Much scratching of (French) heads. So left the car with them.....again.
The next day the car was fixed (and remains fixed). Apparently it was a sensor which had failed, nothing to do with oil pressure sensor or oil pump (which was my original diagnosis).
So sensor was changed, 200€ changed hands, and all is now OK! Cost of sensor was not much but labour was high because of difficulty in fitting.

But did not know which sensor was changed - my French is not that good!!

[scottjones924]

Thanks for your replies, this morning I fitted a new pressure sensor to no avail, thought I'd check the oil level and it was half way down the dipstick. I had a look around and there was oil puddled on the engine guard. I've had a quick feel around and it feels like its coming from the thing under the filter(assume its the pump) so I'm gonna get it looked at properly. Unfortunately, its looking like being expensive

[Crasher]

But did not know which sensor was changed - my French is not that good!!

That would be the level sensor in the sump.

[scottjones924]

Thanks crasher, it seems to be coming from a little hole or vent underneath the level sensor in the sump, am I looking at a big expense?

[Crasher]

Sounds like you have a hole in the sump, a common problem.

[scottjones924]

Sounds like you have a hole in the sump, a common problem.
Thanks crasher, really appreciate your help. What will be the solution, New sump? sounds expensive?:confused:

[scottjones924]

I've been told the part i'm looking at with the oil leaking from it is the oil cooler, does this sound about right? I've checked for prices and a new cooler is around £65 which, if it is the oil cooler, isn't as bad as I'd feared.

[Crasher]

I am getting confused as to where this oil is coming from, first you say below the oil filter and then below the oil sensor and then the oil cooler again, you need to establish what is leaking before buying parts, guessing is unlikely to result in success. An oil cooler on a Golf 4 TDI engine leaking oil externally is something I have never seen. You seem to be panicking over the cost, this often results in mistakes and money being wasted.

[scottjones924]

Its coming from under the oil sensor, the reason I got mistaken with the level sensor is because of your reply to the other poster on this thread-i'd had a few drinks! I'm not worried about the cost really, just wanted a rough idea, it'll get repaired properly no matter what. I'm just panicking about getting the car back on the road cos I work away and need it for that, I'm at work now and won't be able to get it home until tue so I'm having to borrow a car

[Crasher]

I think that may just be a leaking oil cooler O ring (5 or 2), I have seen people try and undo the lower fitting (1), thinking that it is the oil filter, it may just be loose or it could be a leaking switch (10).

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/Crasher1964/TDIoilfilter-cooler.jpg

[Frelon]

Am dying to hear the outcome on this one - like everyone else!!

Crasher the part number of the sensor that was replaced was 036906433A (taken from Invoice). Do no know whether it is the same as UK supplied?

Any info on this part number?

[Crasher]

036 906 433 A changed to 036 906 433 E on the 01/10/2008 and costs round €42 in Europe. This part is the engine speed sensor, the official description being “impulse sender crankshaft” and is nothing to do with the oil system.

[Frelon]

Very interesting!! However, it seems to have solved the problem of the multitude of flashing lights (especially the apparently sensitive oil light and engine management light).

Price was 46.70€ - so spot on Crasher.

Fingers crossed!

[scottjones924]

Hi everybody, sorry its took so long to reply after some of you had taken the time to help me, its been a busy few weeks and I've just got the car back-fixed.
Turns out some of the problems I'd put on here were just my lack of experience in car mechanics. Firstly, there was no oil leak- it had come out when i'd changed the oil pressure switch!
Here's what happened....I took it to a friends and he put the computer on it and found no faults, so it was suggested that maybe it was a lazy oil pump, so I had that changed to no avail. So, after lots of ringing around it was decided that there were no more components and it must be the engine bearings! I was a little dissapointed to heear this and got a proper pressure test done which revealed good pressure.
It seemed that the oil light only came on around 1800 revs and was told it could be electrical, so booked it into an auto electrician and after alot of headscratching they found 3 broken cables in a loom by the airbox! this fixed the fault.
In hindsight, I went about getting the car fixed the complete opposite way, should've got a pressure test done first!
I'm just glad its fixed, thanks for your input:Blush2: