95 golf - oil light blinks at idle

I have a '95 golf (2.0L, 5-speed). The red oil light on the console
recently started blinking sometimes at idle (while waiting at a stoplight,
etc). It goes out immediately when the engine speed increases. Ideas?

I suppose I should measure the oil pressure. Where can I get a gauge?

tf

Tobin Fricke wrote:
> I have a '95 golf (2.0L, 5-speed). The red oil light on the console
> recently started blinking sometimes at idle (while waiting at a stoplight,
> etc). It goes out immediately when the engine speed increases. Ideas?
>
> I suppose I should measure the oil pressure. Where can I get a gauge?
>
> tf

You can get a gauge at most decent parts stores. What should the
pressure be; i don't know that one.
Oil light problems on another vehicle I've owned was caused by the oil
pump. They get worn and the clearances aren't tight enough. They look
okay but won't pump enough oil.
The other thing might using a lower grade of oil than needed; such as
5W20 instead of 10W30 or 40.

Joe

Have you recently changed to a thinner oil (or has it been a long time
since the last change)? Also, hot weather can thin out your oil
tripping your pressure sensor.

It could be an oil pressure sensor on the fritz. This is a fairly
common problem with these cars- it happened to mine. On my car, it
was the oil pressure sensor on the side of the motor. It looks a
little bit like a spark plug with a rubber boot and a wire sticking
out if it. It may even be leaking a little. That's a good sign it's
bad. There's usually another one on top of the oil filter. Try
looking up the part on autopartswarehouse.com (or wherever) and seeing
what yours looks like. They're fairly inexpensive and pretty easy to
replace.

Good luck!

"Ears" > wrote in message
...
> Have you recently changed to a thinner oil (or has it been a long time
> since the last change)? Also, hot weather can thin out your oil
> tripping your pressure sensor.
>
> It could be an oil pressure sensor on the fritz. This is a fairly
> common problem with these cars- it happened to mine. On my car, it
> was the oil pressure sensor on the side of the motor. It looks a
> little bit like a spark plug with a rubber boot and a wire sticking
> out if it. It may even be leaking a little. That's a good sign it's
> bad. There's usually another one on top of the oil filter. Try
> looking up the part on autopartswarehouse.com (or wherever) and seeing
> what yours looks like. They're fairly inexpensive and pretty easy to
> replace.
>

>>>Oil light problems on another vehicle I've owned was caused by the oil
pump. They get worn and the clearances aren't tight enough. They look
okay but won't pump enough oil.
The other thing might using a lower grade of oil than needed; such as
5W20 instead of 10W30 or 40.
-------
Lower oil viscosity would aggravate the problem . You use a higher
viscosity oil to increase pressure because of increased clearances in
bearings and the oil pump. .

Check your oil pressure with a mechanical gauge from a cold to a warm
engine.

You will probably need to change the oil pump unless you are lucky and it is
just the pickup screen clogged with debris. I have seen the plastic windage
tray, or other things chewed up and clogging the screen. Cleaned it out and
the oil pumps were fine!
The 2.0l plastic windage tray was damaged after the oil pan was dented.
The "other things" were timing chain guides in a VR6 engine.

Yours is easy to do! ;-)

"None4You" > wrote in message
news
>
>
>>>>Oil light problems on another vehicle I've owned was caused by the oil
> pump. They get worn and the clearances aren't tight enough. They look
> okay but won't pump enough oil.
> The other thing might using a lower grade of oil than needed; such as
> 5W20 instead of 10W30 or 40.
> ------- Lower oil viscosity would aggravate the problem . You use a
> higher viscosity oil to increase pressure because of increased clearances
> in bearings and the oil pump. .
>