Oil Warning Light

pjevo

Appreciate your thoughts on this one:-

Car going along (when warm) - with strange rattling at 3.5K rpm with no/little load.
Progressively gets worse, and range at which it occurs increases eg it does it throughout rev range and more on load.
Anyway, oil warning light comes on and then I decide to stop car.
Had a look this morning - car rattled for 2 secs on start up - but okay for 30 secs. Didn't leave it long, so oil wouldn't have warmed up.
Noise appears to be coming from timing chain end.
What does the oil warning light indicate - no oil or low pressure?
Absouletly guarantee that there is correct amount of new oil in btw.
Could the oil jet (timing chain) be blocked and that is why oil pressure is low?
How do you check that oil pump is working and pumping oil around the engine?

Thanks
Paul

dodger

your engine would have seized by now if the oil isn't being pumped around the engine.

vocky

does sound like an oil pressure problem, most likely the pressure relief valve is stuck open

I have a spare oil pump if you need it 🙂

pjevo

Thanks Neil!

Is that easy to get at without removing timing chain cover?
Is it a case of just removing and cleaning up?
How is the oil pump driven - can't see how it mechanically operates?

Cheers
Paul

batcho

oil light

u may have some dirt in bottom of sump being picked up on oil strainer on start up all seems ok but as u go faster the pipe sucks it up more causing low oil pressure turn off engine leave 4 a few mins and oil pressure back to normal as dirt falls off strainer . just a thought hope this may be some help. let us know how u get on m8.

pjevo

Well found loads of metal around bottom of oil feed in sump, on strainer. This would almost definatley have an impact on oil not being able to be sucked up by pump. This was - I am hoping - the big end bearing that collapsed!

I have put another filter in for good measure and let's see if this cures the problem.

Really appreciate your help on this one!

vocky

good point...... I forgot about the pick up tease..

the oil pump is inside the timing chain cover, it is driven by the crank pulley - which has two flat sections, these turn the oil pump

pjevo

Well removed all the metal filings at the bottom of the sump and replaced filter - also smothered in them!
Took car out - no oil pressure swithc coming on - but still the rattle - which gets worse as engine warms up :evil:
WhatI am thinking here is that maybe the lack of oil pressure has had a detremental effect on oil nozzle on timing chain - even though it was replaced 6Kmiles ago.
Noise certainly seems to be coming form this area.
Think I'll replace timing chain.

Is it worth looking at oil pump, timing chain oil nozzle just in case?

vocky

hopefully oil pump will be fine - easy enough to open it and check inside

certainly check both chains and the oil jet

batcho

dont like using these myself but before you go stipping down engine try a engine flush.

bertone_ben

theres an oil level light!!!!!!!!!!!

mine made a rattling noise so i checked the level and it was very low as in half way between the min and the bottom of the dipstick. lol but i never had a light come on.