Help needed. Oil light

Rich Green

Electrician
T6 Pro
Hi all. Can anyone offer any advice on this? Had my oil light flash on my 2011 2.0tdi T5.1 and bing at me a month or so ago. Then fine for a few weeks and then came back eventually. So Took it to the garage who have cleaned out the pick up pipe and replaced the oil pressure sensor. Gave it a full service and changed all filters etc. Took it out today for first use since and it’s now flashing almost constantly? Any help appreciated.
 
Hi all. Can anyone offer any advice on this? Had my oil light flash on my 2011 2.0tdi T5.1 and bing at me a month or so ago. Then fine for a few weeks and then came back eventually. So Took it to the garage who have cleaned out the pick up pipe and replaced the oil pressure sensor. Gave it a full service and changed all filters etc. Took it out today for first use since and it’s now flashing almost constantly? Any help appreciated.
Did the garage test the oil pressure?
 
Best put a T piece in the oil pressure switch port so a pressure gauge can be connected at the same time as the switch.
I’m not sure what the set point is on the switch but it may be advisable not to drive it as low oil pressure could do significant damage.
 
Best put a T piece in the oil pressure switch port so a pressure gauge can be connected at the same time as the switch.
I’m not sure what the set point is on the switch but it may be advisable not to drive it as low oil pressure could do significant damage.
Thanks Bud. I have had the oil pressure tested at the garage and they have said that there is no problems there?
 
If there’s no oil pressure loss and a new sensor it would point to a wiring issue.
Did they check the wiring harness?
 
If there’s no oil pressure loss and a new sensor it would point to a wiring issue.
Did they check the wiring harness?
I’m not sure. I’m going to take it back next week and ask them to go over it again. I’ve noticed it seems to happen almost always when going up or down hills. Almost never on the flat and also at any Rev range not just above 2000rpm. Seems strange it’s just worrying me now.
 
I’m not sure. I’m going to take it back next week and ask them to go over it again. I’ve noticed it seems to happen almost always when going up or down hills. Almost never on the flat and also at any Rev range not just above 2000rpm. Seems strange it’s just worrying me now.
Hi mate, did you get to the bottom of this fault?

I have almost identical fault to you (2014 T5.1 102Bhp manual 101000 miles).
I had intermittent oil pressure warning light so took it to a garage for investigation. They could not do an oil pressure test at the time but changed the oil and filter. Now the oil pressure warning light comes on more frequently, and at low RPM under load.
 
Given the potential consequences of running with low oil pressure I would consider connecting a pressure gauge that can be observed when driving.
Gauges and oil lines are cheap and easily sourced.
 
Given the potential consequences of running with low oil pressure I would consider connecting a pressure gauge that can be observed when driving.
Gauges and oil lines are cheap and easily sourced.
I'm going to get a kit and check the oil presuure this week.
 
I'm going to get a kit and check the oil presuure this week.
I have now done a pressure test using info from erWin (engine at 80 degC :
Oil pressure at idle - .7 bar (minimum .6 bar)
Oil pressure at 2000 rpm - 1 bar (minimum 1.5 bar
So the oil pressure is low at 2000 rpm but it does increase with engine rpm's, so i put this down to the engine having covered 101000 miles.

I tested the oil pressure switch using a Milwaukee digital the inflator (not a very accurate way to test), and the switch closed at .6 bar (i didn't test it at .3 bar since minimum recorded pressure was .7 bar.
I will replace the switch anyway and test it in the van.

I have attached erWin docs showing removal of oil pressure switch, and testing of oil pressure for anyone interested.
 

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I have now done a pressure test using info from erWin (engine at 80 degC :
Oil pressure at idle - .7 bar (minimum .6 bar)
Oil pressure at 2000 rpm - 1 bar (minimum 1.5 bar
So the oil pressure is low at 2000 rpm but it does increase with engine rpm's, so i put this down to the engine having covered 101000 miles.

I tested the oil pressure switch using a Milwaukee digital the inflator (not a very accurate way to test), and the switch closed at .6 bar (i didn't test it at .3 bar since minimum recorded pressure was .7 bar.
I will replace the switch anyway and test it in the van.

I have attached erWin docs showing removal of oil pressure switch, and testing of oil pressure for anyone interested.
33% lower than spec’ at 2000RPM is quite a drop and 101K isn’t such high milage on a Diesel. I guess the garage used the correct grade oil, lower viscosity oil will also result in lower oil pressure.
Had a bit of a Google search and see that the oil pumps do occasionally fail on T5, if the pick up strainer was covered in debris some of the smaller particles will have passed through and caused pump wear and possibly compromise the pressure relief valve leaking oil back to the sump.
You state that you had 0.7 bar a idle which would tend to indicate that the oil pump is OK.
 
33% lower than spec’ at 2000RPM is quite a drop and 101K isn’t such high milage on a Diesel. I guess the garage used the correct grade oil, lower viscosity oil will also result in lower oil pressure.
Had a bit of a Google search and see that the oil pumps do occasionally fail on T5, if the pick up strainer was covered in debris some of the smaller particles will have passed through and caused pump wear and possibly compromise the pressure relief valve leaking oil back to the sump.
You state that you had 0.7 bar a idle which would tend to indicate that the oil pump is OK.
Correct oil used.

Fitted the new oil pressure sensor and done a local drive to the dump (which previously showed a low oil pressure warning).
Oil temp got up to 93 degC, water at 90 degC and all seems OK so far.
I longer drive on the motorway, and a bit of load on the engine will tell for sure.

For information.
My van has been owned, and driven, by me from new.
Regularly serviced by VW at the correct intervals.
 
Correct oil used.

Fitted the new oil pressure sensor and done a local drive to the dump (which previously showed a low oil pressure warning).
Oil temp got up to 93 degC, water at 90 degC and all seems OK so far.
I longer drive on the motorway, and a bit of load on the engine will tell for sure.

For information.
My van has been owned, and driven, by me from new.
Regularly serviced by VW at the correct intervals.
Took a drive to Southsea today for Beach Dubbin.
Happy to report no problems, just got to sort out the EGR problem now! I'll start a new post on this shortly.
 
⁰Took a drive to Southsea today for Beach Dubbin.
Happy to report no problems, just got to sort out the EGR problem now! I'll start a new post on this shortly.

I’m not sure. I’m going to take it back next week and ask them to go over it again. I’ve noticed it seems to happen almost always when going up or down hills. Almost never on the flat and also at any Rev range not just above 2000rpm. Seems strange it’s just worrying me now.
Hi did you get to the cause of this problem .my 2015 has startef showing the low oil pressure warning light and message.been in the garage had new pump and pick up cleaned.new oil filter housing but still comes on .
 
Hi did you get to the cause of this problem .my 2015 has startef showing the low oil pressure warning light and message.been in the garage had new pump and pick up cleaned.new oil filter housing but still comes on .
Have you sorted it out? What was the problem?
 
Quick update to my previous posts.

My van was due a service so took it to the local stealer (to keep the VW service history).
I drove it home on the motorway, no problems but as soon as I hit local traffic, the low oil pressure light came on. No problem I thought, must be the pressure switch again as the symptoms were identical as before.
Changed the pressure switch and no immediate change to symptoms. I thought it must be the oil as its new so left it for a couple of weeks to get dirty and hopefully sort itself out like it did before. Things didn't improve so, after doing a bit of online research, I dropped the oil and checked the oil filter......tiny metal bits in the oil filter.
Took off big end bearing shell 4 and it was fine.
Took off main bearing shell 4 and it had light scoring, the crank was also marked.
Reconditioned engine from VW time now!

tempImageniQSUv.pngtempImagejLPAcl.png
 
Hi
Got the same issue.
How did it go?
Has a reconditioned engine solved the problem?
Are they available to purchase from VW? What's the cost please?
Thank you
 
Hi
Got the same issue.
How did it go?
Has a reconditioned engine solved the problem?
Are they available to purchase from VW? What's the cost please?
Thank you
Not fitted the engine yet but it will fix the problem.

Only available to the trade.
 
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