Random Low Oil Pressure Warning...

[Cyrik]

Hey all,

Recently my car has been acting up with the dreaded low oil pressure warning in red on my dash, and honestly I can't find a definitive solution to this problem.

I've read up on just about every thread on the topic, including threads for the 1.8t on the b5/b6, and not a single one of them had a clear answer to the problem which worries me.

A bit of background, my car has 101k miles and I know the severity of low oil pressure on our cars. This warning has been popping up on my dash for the last couple of months after I had a major incident with my valve cover cracking and sucking oil into my turbo. I replaced the part myself (OEM Audi Part) and torqued everything to spec and the car has been running perfectly since, I also changed the timing belt and thermostat myself recently (also OEM), again no issues. The first time the warning popped up, I immediately stopped, turned off the car, checked my oil dipstick, added a tiny bit of oil (not enough to surpass max capacity) and started the car again and everything was fine. This has been happening somewhat randomly and it's difficult for me to replicate the problem. I've also had times where the warning would pop up for 5 seconds and simply go away and never pop up again.

However this morning as I was driving to work as soon as I pulled into the parking lot the warning popped up once again... and this time it didn't turn off which makes me wonder if this problem is only going to get worse. I know for a fact it isn't my oil pump seizing since it was replaced around 6̶0̶k̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶e̶s̶ Edit: 72k miles, before I bought the car and considering the car drives just fine 99% of the time it doesn't seem likely to be the cause. Anyone have any thoughts on the matter? I read somewhere it could be my diverter valve but that seems silly to me, could also be the oil cooler or a sensor or a leak somewhere, correct?

ANY input on the matter would be extremely helpful, thanks!!!!!

[Theiceman]

okay first of all you are making a wrong assumption.
"started the car again and everything was fine".. likely you are not fine at all ...

Also oil level has very little to do with oil pressure. ( sure if its ridiculously low but that is not your issue ). These cars have no oil pressure guage . They simply have an idiot light. I don't know the exact numbers but lets say you ideal oil pressure is 30PSI. you have a warning sensor that would come on at 10PSI to let you know you have a major problem .. The light goes off at 11PSI.. . are you fine ??? of course not ...
The main reason i think this is your issue as it randomly comes on and goes off ... which tells me you have been hovering around the danger zone for a while and has not been " fine" for a long time.
The only real way to know is get a mechanical oil guage on that engine and validate what it is at , Sure it could just be the sensor, but wouldn' t you like to know ?

typically if you have low delivery pressure issues it will happen at idle and when you rev it will go out. How is yours .. If the light come on while at constant speed i would be particualrly concerned. In fact if i were you that car would be parked until you get to the route cause of this or at least validate your oil pressure. Hot tip : dont do any high speed runs to see if it goes way ... we have a few guys on here who tried that stunt and walked home to get a new engine.

So what can cause low oil pressure light outside of a bad sensor ? lots of things and none of them cheap.

About the cheapest i would say is the pressure regulator valve in the oil filter housing ( assuming its not a collapsed cheap ass fram filter doing this ).

After that it gets expensive real quick.
You mentioned balance shafts seizing in oil pump assembly ( although i never assume anything is fine i changed 40 K ago. )
If you have had a cam follower failure you could have metal floating through your engine destroying your bearings, which basically means the engine is beat.
You could have a failing tensioner in the head which is spewing out oil , but that one is kind of obvious as it makes a ton of noise and your car stops shortly after.
Some other engine condition causing low idle which in turn will report oil pressure issues.

So at end of the day i would get a guage on the thing and have an experienced tech tell you how your oil pressure looks at idle and at 2K .

There are lots of knowledgeable guys here who well tell you exactly what the specs are, im just not one of them , im just a bit of a hack :)

let us know how it goes

[Sibmets]

Did You do a scan for fault codes? The low oil pressure sensor itself could be bad - I had that kind of experience on my B5/B6 1.9TDi. Also it's cheap enough (~5€) to try and replace it and see if that helps. I assume that You're not loosing oil and that pressure is not low.

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[Cyrik]

Thank you very much for the information. I guess when it comes to Audis you really can't assume anything at all until you have definitive proof lol. Fortunately I work at a Honda dealership so I'll ask around if anyone has an oil pressure gauge I could borrow :) Also you mentioned fram filters... I have a fram filter in my car at the moment and honestly it wouldn't surprise me if this one collapsed... my last oil change I noticed the old filter STARTED to come apart at the top, and that was after only 2.5k miles between changes.

(also PS if anyone reading this is like "omg why are you asking a forum for help on oil pressure when you have an entire Honda shop to ask for help", remember this is an Audi, nobody wants to even touch my car LOL.)

I will keep this thread updated as much as I can to help out anyone that has this issue in the future :) time to get to the bottom of this!

[aluthman]

If the light is coming in and out, that indicates that the sensor is still working. Don't waste your time and money replacing it. You need a physical/visual diagnosis done by actually removing the oil pan to look at the pump itself, the oil pickup, and the balance shafts. Not doing this now will only increase your repair bill down the road when it finally takes out the engine.

[Cyrik]

I just talked to our used car tech (for trade-ins at the dealership here) who's seen some weird oil pressure readings on a couple B7 A4's that have come through the shop. He ended up sending BOTH cars under wholesale and told me it was best to just have Audi look at it instead and let them deal with it, so that's what I'm going to do.

So it this point, I went ahead and scheduled an appt with Audi for first thing in the morning to have them look at it. I'll let y'all know what they find tomorrow.

[EvolutionArmory]

There’s some REALLY great advice in this thread and you are doing the right thing. Oil pressure is not something to take lightly.

A new part can fail the next day or 100,000 miles later and anywhere in between or later. Nothing should be ruled out until it is.

Let us know what you find out from Audi and good luck.

[Low and Behold]

If it helps at all, I had my light come on about 6 months ago and it ended up being the sensor (06D919081B I believe). The seal was busted and oil was covering the electrical connection, causing it to freak out. Changed it in 20 mins and no problems since. That’s probably best case scenario here, but it should give you some hope. Definitely get your oil pressure looked at regardless. Good luck


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[Theiceman]

Audi aint gonna be cheap. I would heave searched out a good independent. VW shop


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[menace1930]

This may sound like a crazy place to look but give your vacuum pump a quick inspection. Do you see any oil leaking from it? Any oil leaking on the back of your motor at all?

[Cyrik]

UPDATE: Audi had a look at my car, they said the pressure at idle and 2k RPM was perfectly normal, and sent a video for evidence too. This is both good and bad news; Good news is my engine isn't fucked. Bad news is is we still don't know the exact cause with why my low oil pressure warning keeps popping up.

I also talked to a tech there and he said its most likely the sender covered in oil. I could replace the sender myself but I decided I'm going to have Audi do it even though its VERY expensive for them to do it. Why? If the warning pops up on my dash again I can blame them for a mis-diagnosis and bitch at them to fix the problem :) Plus I don't feel comfortable dealing with oil pressures to begin with. It's like playing with fire imo.

Diagnosis is $150 at my dealership and replacing the sender is going to total the bill out to about $400. Money spent well? Probably not. Money spent wisely? Possibly.

[Cyrik]

This may sound like a crazy place to look but give your vacuum pump a quick inspection. Do you see any oil leaking from it? Any oil leaking on the back of your motor at all?

I had a look under my car last night before I left work and didn't see any oil towards the back of my engine, I did however notice my oil filter housing was leaking ever so slightly, which again backs up the claim that the sender is just covered in oil.

[hvcceducator]

400 to replace the sender? maybe use teflon tape on the threads to adeuately seal the sender. also have you been leaking any oil or have low oil when your oil pressure light turned on? low oil can cause oil pressure to go low and throw light

[aluthman]

I wish you the best of luck, but it sounds like the dealership just didn't want to diagnose it properly. This was also the case with the guy that said bring it to Audi. If it is reading normal pressure at idle with the engine warm, then you've possibly got a partially clogged pickup that only impacted flow/pressure at higher rpms. As for the sensor replacement, it's $30 for a genuine sensor and only takes a few minutes to swap it out. If they are charging you $400 for it, you're getting ripped off.

[Cyrik]

I wish you the best of luck, but it sounds like the dealership just didn't want to diagnose it properly. This was also the case with the guy that said bring it to Audi. If it is reading normal pressure at idle with the engine warm, then you've possibly got a partially clogged pickup that only impacted flow/pressure at higher rpms. As for the sensor replacement, it's $30 for a genuine sensor and only takes a few minutes to swap it out. If they are charging you $400 for it, you're getting ripped off.

Thank you for the luck. Look, not trying to bash or offend in any way, any advice/input is helpful, but you're still forgetting that this isn't something I'm willing to deal with, as said multiple times in this thread alone oil pressure is not something to mess around with. This is my daily car and I rely on it to get to and from work, I would much rather have Audi take care of it and not worry about it from now on. Audi also sent a video of the pressure test, all seems normal. "Money spent well? Probably not. Money spent wisely? Possibly."

Anyways, 2 days now and the light hasn't popped up again. I still can't say for sure this is the problem is solved, but I'm optimistic :)

On another quick note while I was there I asked for some history on my car........... crazy stuff has been done to it that I didn't even know about! At 72k miles (10k miles before I bought it) My Camshaft, cam tensioner and oil pump were replaced. Probably a cam follower failure, no idea if they removed any of the sludge at that mileage, I guess we'll never know.

[aluthman]

Thank you for the luck. Look, not trying to bash or offend in any way, any advice/input is helpful, but you're still forgetting that this isn't something I'm willing to deal with, as said multiple times in this thread alone oil pressure is not something to mess around with. This is my daily car and I rely on it to get to and from work, I would much rather have Audi take care of it and not worry about it from now on. Audi also sent a video of the pressure test, all seems normal. "Money spent well? Probably not. Money spent wisely? Possibly."

Anyways, 2 days now and the light hasn't popped up again. I still can't say for sure this is the problem is solved, but I'm optimistic :)

On another quick note while I was there I asked for some history on my car........... crazy stuff has been done to it that I didn't even know about! At 72k miles (10k miles before I bought it) My Camshaft, cam tensioner and oil pump were replaced. Probably a cam follower failure, no idea if they removed any of the sludge at that mileage, I guess we'll never know.

I hope it takes care of the issue for you. My experience with Audi techs has been subpar at best. I'm just saying don't be surprised if it happens again

[Cyrik]

I hope it takes care of the issue for you. My experience with Audi techs has been subpar at best. I'm just saying don't be surprised if it happens again

That's completely fair and valid, thank you. And it's unfortunate that your Audi techs sound like they aren't the greatest. You should let AoA know :)

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[quattro guy]

I'm going to threadjack here. I had this problem last week. Tested the oil pressure at idle (warm) and it was between 10-15psi, 3k it was at 70psi n at 4 it was 85psi.

Drove the car more and pressure light still came on. Found a pattern of when the light came on and it was only between 1600-1900rpm. After that no loght no nothing. I decided go remove my oil pan after replacing the oil sender sensor. Why? Because the problem is still there. I will also add that i had metallic oil so i knew something was wrong.

Dropped the oil pan and oil pump last night and found a nice little surprise. Pick up tube was not clogged or gunked up which is still a mystery as to why im getting my oil pressure light. Forgot to mention that i tested pressure again. During thise rpms and was 20@1500rpm 25@1800 and 30-31 at 2krpm. Anyway, i found that the balance shaft that stick out towards the back of the oil pump from the passanger side has like 3mm of wiggle.

Now heres a question of my own. Does the oil pressure from 1500-2000rpm sound normal? And this ques4is more directed towards aluthman, how bad does the engine vivrate without the balnce shafts?

[quattro guy]

Sorry for all the typos. Writing all this from my phone with limited preview of what im writing.

[Theiceman]

Sorry for all the typos. Writing all this from my phone with limited preview of what im writing.

Sounds like you need a new oil pump assemby. Either way it has to come out. Even if you want to cut the gears


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[quattro guy]

Its already out. Just curious as to see if the psi numbers were within spec. If i would cut the gears, that shaft should be stationary correct. Meaning no more metal in my oil.

[MALMGRDC]

Cyrik, I noticed you live in Denver. If I could make one suggestion, I would check out Avalon Motorsports. Only German shop around here that I would let touch my car.

[aluthman]

I'm going to threadjack here. I had this problem last week. Tested the oil pressure at idle (warm) and it was between 10-15psi, 3k it was at 70psi n at 4 it was 85psi.

Drove the car more and pressure light still came on. Found a pattern of when the light came on and it was only between 1600-1900rpm. After that no loght no nothing. I decided go remove my oil pan after replacing the oil sender sensor. Why? Because the problem is still there. I will also add that i had metallic oil so i knew something was wrong.

Dropped the oil pan and oil pump last night and found a nice little surprise. Pick up tube was not clogged or gunked up which is still a mystery as to why im getting my oil pressure light. Forgot to mention that i tested pressure again. During thise rpms and was 20@1500rpm 25@1800 and 30-31 at 2krpm. Anyway, i found that the balance shaft that stick out towards the back of the oil pump from the passanger side has like 3mm of wiggle.

Now heres a question of my own. Does the oil pressure from 1500-2000rpm sound normal? And this ques4is more directed towards aluthman, how bad does the engine vivrate without the balnce shafts?

If your balance shafts are wiggling, you are loosing pressure due to the excessive clearance. Also, it’s only a matter of time before they seize if they are that bad. You should absolutely replace that oil pump now before it takes out the rest of your engine.

[Cyrik]

Its already out. Just curious as to see if the psi numbers were within spec. If i would cut the gears, that shaft should be stationary correct. Meaning no more metal in my oil.

From my own knowlege remember that this might not be the solution to your metallic oil issues... I really hope it is though I would check your cam follower and see if it's still in one piece.

Not sure if I'm allowed to do this (ask me to remove it if not) but here's the pressure readings from when I had my car tested, you can use it as a reference at idle

...and I'm getting new front brakes soon lol.

Also short update: No oil pressure issues (yet).

[Cyrik]

Cyrik, I noticed you live in Denver. If I could make one suggestion, I would check out Avalon Motorsports. Only German shop around here that I would let touch my car.

I've been to BlueWater Performance for a couple of repairs in the past, I hate how far away it is haha I'll have to check out Avalon thanks :)

[quattro guy]

From my own knowlege remember that this might not be the solution to your metallic oil issues... I really hope it is though I would check your cam follower and see if it's still in one piece.

Not sure if I'm allowed to do this (ask me to remove it if not) but here's the pressure readings from when I had my car tested, you can use it as a reference at idle

...and I'm getting new front brakes soon lol.

Also short update: No oil pressure issues (yet).

It's not cam follower as i upgraded fuel pump and put in a fresh follower, follower didn't look too bad but swaped it out regardless. I'm pretty sure this is the culprit of the metallic oil

[Cyrik]

It's not cam follower as i upgraded fuel pump and put in a fresh follower, follower didn't look too bad but swaped it out regardless. I'm pretty sure this is the culprit of the metallic oil

To my knowledge that could be the solution, but I'll be honest your guess is as good as mine at this point. Maybe someone else could enlighten us on the matter?

[Theiceman]

wow that rattle is huge, if that is an oil fed bearing I'm sure you are dumping oil pressure in that bearing. Cant wait till Adam sees that ...

[quattro guy]

Iceman, its from the balance shafts that have the flaps, evrything else is solid. Im sourcing a oil pump but these things are kind of hard to find. Ill post a pic later on when my eofe gets home from work. She took it on her phone because mine was dead. What im saying is, if people remove these shafts completely then i shouldn't have an issue anymore if i remove this one but then again i need to read up on it more as i havent really had the chace.

[Theiceman]

Iceman, its from the balance shafts that have the flaps, evrything else is solid. Im sourcing a oil pump but these things are kind of hard to find. Ill post a pic later on when my eofe gets home from work. She took it on her phone because mine was dead. What im saying is, if people remove these shafts completely then i shouldn't have an issue anymore if i remove this one but then again i need to read up on it more as i havent really had the chace.

yeah adam would know for sure as he has rebuilt a few of these. I would think if that is a spinning bearing it would be oil fed and with that kind of gap oil would pour out, but I too am not familiar with this assembly. if you cut them they can not bind and seize your oil pump but am not sure about the oil pressure part.

[aluthman]

That oil pump belongs in the bottom of a dumpster. Buy a new or used oil pump. If you want to disable the shafts, you can cut the gear off and disable them in place. If you manage to remove the shafts, you need to press in metal rods to close the holes up because you will lose all your oil pressure with nothing there.

If you want a used pump, go to eBay and search for 06B103535.

[Theiceman]

That oil pump belongs in the bottom of a dumpster. Buy a new or used oil pump. If you want to disable the shafts, you can cut the gear off and disable them in place. If you manage to remove the shafts, you need to press in metal rods to close the holes up because you will lose all your oil pressure with nothing there.

If you want a used pump, go to eBay and search for 06B103535.

makes perfect sense.. you are indeed losing oil pressure there then on that shaft. I don't know the oil pressure circuit but if you are dumping there I would not be surprised if you are not making enough at the head to adjust your cam phaser and for sure your light will come on .

I doubt you could press a rod in there that would seal that up and still fit the other end. id aluminum weld up the hole... but im cheap :)

[quattro guy]

[IMG]2.0 fsi oil pump https://imgur.com/gallery/jPixzu4[/IMG]

The shaft is the one from the left side towards the back (top) of picture, wvrything else is nice and tight

[quattro guy]

[EvolutionArmory]

If anyone needs used Audi parts, give me a holler. I have an Audi/VW bone yard 20 minutes from my house. Force5auto.com

He might even ship so I don’t have to go get it for you. I’ve been doing business with him for over 10 years. His website is outdated but he almost always has what I need.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bunch of oil pumps available.

[Theiceman]

If anyone needs used Audi parts, give me a holler. I have an Audi/VW bone yard 20 minutes from my house. Force5automotive.com

He might even ship so I don’t have to go get it for you. I’ve been doing business with him for over 10 years. His website is outdated but he almost always has what I need.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bunch of oil pumps available.

wow is that Chris ? is he still around ? he used to end me stuff for my Audi 90 20 + years ago good guy if he is still there.

OP you dropped the sub frame and oil pan and yanked her out ? can this be done without having front of car off ?

[Theiceman]

I'm a bit confused as we had some thread jacking going on . Cyrik your car is good now ?

Quatro guy you are sourcing pump ?

[A4_PimP]

If anyone needs used Audi parts, give me a holler. I have an Audi/VW bone yard 20 minutes from my house. Force5automotive.com

He might even ship so I don’t have to go get it for you. I’ve been doing business with him for over 10 years. His website is outdated but he almost always has what I need.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bunch of oil pumps available.

site says it's parked by Godaddy

[quattro guy]

I'm a bit confused as we had some thread jacking going on . Cyrik your car is good now ?

Quatro guy you are sourcing pump ?

Im the threadjacker sorry. I am currently sourcing a pump. And will report back. Sorry OP.

Iceman, all i did was drop subframe enough and lifted the motor ip slightly and removed the oil pan, no need to remove front end.

[quattro guy]

If anyone needs used Audi parts, give me a holler. I have an Audi/VW bone yard 20 minutes from my house. Force5auto.com

He might even ship so I don’t have to go get it for you. I’ve been doing business with him for over 10 years. His website is outdated but he almost always has what I need.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bunch of oil pumps available.

Thanks, i will check it out.