Low oil pressure... sometimes

[KrankenMeister]

Hi all,
I know everyone is probably tired of seeing oil pressure threads for 2.0 TFSI, but my 2007 quattro is acting weird.
The oil was freshly changed, and the other day when the engine was hot, I got the red oil pressure message. I immediatly shut the engine off and parked the car, oil level was fine so I restarted, and the light was off for the rest of the trip.

A few days later, I got the message again and did not bother too much, as it did the exact same thing. Same thing happened today, right before the end of a ride.

There is no pattern as to when the message appears, except for the fact that the engine was hot each time (but it does not happen every time the engine is hot tho).

I know for a fact that some oil is dripping from the oil filter, I’ll try to see if the seal was incorrectly installed.

I was thinking that the issue is probably not an oil pump or a clogged pick up tube, as when I stop the engine for a minute before I restart, the warning is gone. Is it realistic to say that oil from the oil filter is causing the message by dripping on the oil pressure sender connector?

Any insight is welcome!

[Jeevan]

Oil pressure != Oil level lol

Here are the only three possibilities:

1) Oil pressure sensor is Bad.
2)Oil pump and engine is worn
3)something is blocking the oil flow

buy and oil pressure guage, remove oil pressure sensor and check the readings at Idle and above 2.5k rpm when engine is both hot and cold.


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[KrankenMeister]

Thanks for the reply!
I know the pressure and level are not directly linked, but I wanted to make sure I was not running dry because I knew the filter housing was leaking. Can the problems you describe only happen sometimes? Wouldn’t they cause a low pressure all the time?

[Jeevan]

it can be intermittent. Unless you measure oil pressure with guage you wont know whats wrong. If you pay a mechanic about 2hr labor, he will do that for you.

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[aluthman]

Unless you have recently replaced the pump, I WOULD expect it to be a pump issue. The pattern is that the low oil pressure light keeps coming on as the car warms up. If you want to rule out the sensor, start the car when it’s cold and drive it immediately and get to at least 2250 rpm or so. If the light doesn’t come on right away, it’s not going to be the sensor. If it does come on right away, it MIGHT be the sensor, but my money is still on the pump. Don’t keep driving it and ignoring the warning or you’ll be buying an engine and not just a pump. You got lucky and you got a warning instead of sudden failure. Don’t push your luck.

[aluthman]

And unless your filter is literally pissing oil on the ground, it’s unrelated.

[KrankenMeister]

Thanks for the advice. I went to do some more testing and the light only comes on at very low rpm, with the engine fully warmed. When I get it to 2k RPM, the light disappears. It did that a few times during the drive, and at the end when I parked it, I held it just over 1200 RPM and it did not come back on... I guess I’ll really have to get a mechanical gauge.

[aluthman]

The sensor is not active below 2k rpm.

[KrankenMeister]

The sensor is not active below 2k rpm.

I’m pretty sure it’s 1200 RPM, otherwise I would have no warning at 1500 RPM like I did

[KrankenMeister]

I now realise I was unclear.
I get the warning driving at very low RPM with the engine hot only. Then, if I go over 2K RPM the warning disappears. This makes me think my oil pump is indeed tired. Am I right to believe that?

[Edystoy]

Happened to my 06 and it was a dirty/clogged oil pump pick up screen.


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[KrankenMeister]

Well I guess I’m gonna have some fun dropping the pan then. Does anyone have a link for a writeup on that? Can’t seem to find one.

[esandes]

I now realise I was unclear.
I get the warning driving at very low RPM with the engine hot only. Then, if I go over 2K RPM the warning disappears. This makes me think my oil pump is indeed tired. Am I right to believe that?

Yes, I agree with aluthman. I'd replace the pump. It's not producing enough pressure when the oil is hot and less viscous.

You may have dodged a bullet.

[Theiceman]

Slow down everyone....
Was the pressure fine until the recent oil change, then it just started after ?
Or was it happening before your oil change too ? Do you know what brand of oil filter they used ??
Given the work involved in anything I would check this first.
Then I would get a mechanical oil pressure gauge and give us some numbers.
There is an excellent oil pressure testing thread in this forum. Go read it.

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[EvolutionArmory]

Well I guess I’m gonna have some fun dropping the pan then. Does anyone have a link for a writeup on that? Can’t seem to find one.

You’re skipping a very important step. Actually verifying that you have low oil pressure. You need to have a mechanic put a gauge on it. You need at least 14 PSI at warm idle and 40-60 PSI at like 2-3K.

You should have a fresh OEM or Mann oil filter in there too.

Speaking of oil filters, do you use Mobil 1, K&N or other generic filters? Check your filter and make sure it’s not crushed and check your oil pressure with a proper gauge.

[EvolutionArmory]

Slow down everyone....
Was the pressure fine until the recent oil change, then it just started after ?
Or was it happening before your oil change too ? Do you know what brand of oil filter they used ??
Given the work involved in anything I would check this first.
Then I would get a mechanical oil pressure gauge and give us some numbers.
There is an excellent oil pressure testing thread in this forum. Go read it.

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Seriously. 🤣🤣

People are ready to spend 1600 bucks of the OP’s money without even doing a pressure test.

[aluthman]

By all means, hook up a mechanical gage, but don’t be surprised if it’s actually low on pressure.

[EvolutionArmory]

By all means, hook up a mechanical gage, but don’t be surprised if it’s actually low on pressure.

All these cars are ticking time bombs at this point 🤣 oil pump roulette.

OP, shitty oil filters can really fuck up your car. If your filter looks like the one on the right, that could be contributing to your problem

Attachment 209971

If you pull your filter and it looks like that, replace it. But don’t just stop there if the light goes away. Just because the light doesn’t come back doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. You could still have low pressure, just not low enough to trigger the light.


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[KrankenMeister]

I'll start by checking the filter, I used a Mobil 1 filter (are they bad?) and Castrol 5w40 synthetic oil. And yeah of course I will make sure the pressure is actually low. Thanks for the input all! I'm new to this community and very glad to see how responsive you guys are.

[esandes]

Do not use those oil filters. They're inferior to OEM. Some of those crappy filter elements swell and cause too much pressure drop or short circuiting of dirty oil.

[KrankenMeister]

Do not use those oil filters. They're inferior to OEM. Some of those crappy filter elements swell and cause too much pressure drop or short circuiting of dirty oil.

Good to know, thanks a lot !

[esandes]

Good to know, thanks a lot !

Did this low oil pressure only happen after using non-OEM oil filters?

[Jeevan]

Good to know, thanks a lot !

Dont listen to that Idiot(Esandes). Mobil1 filters are good quality ones too. As I said before, you need to check oil pressure before wasting any money


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[EvolutionArmory]

Dont listen to that Idiot(Esandes). Mobil1 filters are good quality ones too. As I said before, you need to check oil pressure before wasting any money


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Lol!! Mobil 1 filters are trash. Half the collapsed filters on google images are Mobil 1.

As much as I like calling out Esandes, he ain’t wrong in this case 🤣

Attachment 209979


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[KrankenMeister]

Did this low oil pressure only happen after using non-OEM oil filters?

Hard to say. I bought the car for 1700$ with a broken clutch that I replaced, and I took care of the oil change at the same time. The previous owner says that he never had the low pressure warning on that engine.

[KrankenMeister]

I’m going to play it safe and just change the filter. That probably won’t throw me in the streets.

[Jeevan]

Lol!! Mobil 1 filters are trash. Half the collapsed filters on google images are Mobil 1.

As much as I like calling out Esandes, he ain’t wrong in this case 🤣

Attachment 209979


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good to know lol. During my first few oil changes, I was using mobil1 filters bought drom walmart. Never got into trouble, May be I got lucky or Because I drive a lot on highway, less stresss and change oil every 2 months.


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[KrankenMeister]

Just ordered an oil pressure tester. I'll let y'all know what I learn.

[Yogibara]

I've got an 07 with a similar issue as yours. I use MANN filters btw. I've flushed the oil twice and have confirmed low OP with a gauge. Engine has 141K miles on it so I'm chalking it up as worn. I called a few Audi mechanics and they've all pretty much told me that it's just not worth fixing the problem. They suggest an engine swap. I intend on removing the motor and doing a complete refresh instead. I've sent my oil to Blackstone for analysis as well. I'm documenting the whole process on YouTube. Yogi's Garage.

[EvolutionArmory]

So mechanics just recommend replacing the whole motor VS just putting a new pump in?

Wow 🤣🤣🤣


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[Yogibara]

I called multiple ones and their responses were either, "it's not worth the cost as it's 'DEEP' inside the motor" or "an engine swap would be cheaper". It's probably because you have to drop the subframe to get the pan out and you might as well refresh a bunch of stuff while you've got it out. Which is why I decided to yank it, stick it on a stand and go to town. Either that, or I'm on my back working upside down.

I don't believe just replacing the pump will resolve the problem. OP don't generate pressure, they just move fluid. There's a restriction somewhere and I intend on finding out what it is. Granted, there's probably a worn component on the OP but it's not the pump itself. Probably the regulating system if I had to guess.
I've found this article to be most informative. https://wasamotor.com/2020/05/tfsi-2...essure-part-3/

[aluthman]

So mechanics just recommend replacing the whole motor VS just putting a new pump in?

Wow 🤣🤣🤣


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If paying someone to do the work, that's likely a more cost effective option. A new oil pump is ~$1600 and you can get used engines for cheaper and probably come out ahead on labor. Also keep in mind that many shops are little more than parts changers and don't want the liability of opening up an engine.

[aluthman]

I called multiple ones and their responses were either, "it's not worth the cost as it's 'DEEP' inside the motor" or "an engine swap would be cheaper". It's probably because you have to drop the subframe to get the pan out and you might as well refresh a bunch of stuff while you've got it out. Which is why I decided to yank it, stick it on a stand and go to town. Either that, or I'm on my back working upside down.

I don't believe just replacing the pump will resolve the problem. OP don't generate pressure, they just move fluid. There's a restriction somewhere and I intend on finding out what it is. Granted, there's probably a worn component on the OP but it's not the pump itself. Probably the regulating system if I had to guess.
I've found this article to be most informative. https://wasamotor.com/2020/05/tfsi-2...essure-part-3/

In every case I've seen so far, oil pressure is lost through excessive clearance on one or both balance shafts. Th pump itself is likely fine. Swapping out the assembly will fix the issues. Your engine is not worn out at ~140k miles.

The shop responses you got don't surprise me... These motors aren't that "deep" lol. It can be done in a couple hours on a lift by dropping the subframe a bit. You don't have to completely remove it, but drop it down a few inches to get the pan out. Sounds like you chose a good path forward for your situation.

[Theiceman]

OP start here :

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...essure+testing

[Yogibara]

In every case I've seen so far, oil pressure is lost through excessive clearance on one or both balance shafts. Th pump itself is likely fine. Swapping out the assembly will fix the issues. Your engine is not worn out at ~140k miles.

Agreed. Balance shafts will either be deleted or replaced, if necessary. The previous owner took excellent care of this car. I drained the oil yesterday as part of the tear out and this is what i found:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIjp9bRg5hu/

And it's ferrous too. I can't wait to hear back from Blackstone. I feel like I'm waiting for my biopsy results.

[aluthman]

Oof, that's never a good sight. I'd be interested to see what Blackstone tells you. I bet most of it is aluminum from the balance shaft bearings.

[Theiceman]

Jesus is that oil or metalic silver fleck paint ?

[Jeevan]

Jesus is that oil or metalic silver fleck paint ?

its korean bubble tea


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[Yogibara]

its korean bubble tea


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Right?! The previous flush was a little chunkier. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGT4g9_lW0a/ that was after the Cataclean fiasco.

[KrankenMeister]

Just replaced the filter with a MANN one. Old filter (well... 300 miles old) was already a bit crushed, so yeah, mobil1 filters are POS.
However, I found some small metal shavings in the filter. Took it for a drive after I was done, and I got the low oil pressure message again, under the same "hot engine, 1200-1600 RPM" circumstances.
It's becoming pretty clear to me that the pump assembly is going, and that the balance shafts are worn. I won't even bother ordering an oil pressure tester.

Strange thing is that the oil change I did was pretty clean. I don't know how it could have became that much worse in 300 miles, but I'm starting to have a headache will all that. Where can I get a replacement pump/balance shaft assembly for cheap?