# Aluminum shavings in oil pan??



## Dub'dRite (Jul 16, 2007)

So my 2.0 has had problems with getting oil to the top of the motor and I've had oil pressure issues. So I figured the oil pump was the right way to go. Well I get the pump and pull the pan and I notice a couple small shavings of metal in the pan..I tested em with a magnet and they didn't stick so I figure aluminum...any ideas where they might have come from? and could this be a hint to my problem rather than a bad oil pump? 

someone answer as soon as you can please..

ohh and shavings are like quarter to half inch long relatively flat and about a 1/16 of an inch wide

Thanks


----------



## Vwsythe1 (Feb 8, 2009)

Post some pics ! Not to scare you but i had a bad oil pump problem and when i pulled the pan i saw metal shavings . So i pulled the valve cover and more metal shavings , which meant the motor was garbage . 

Does the car sound different ? Any knocking ?


----------



## VDUBIN (Jun 28, 2001)

well... the oil pump housing is made of aluminum. if the shavings are in your pan then they may have passed through the motor or slid down the pick-up tube. repalce the pump assy and see what happens. watch your oil pressure and hope for the best. personally... you are boned. that much metal in the pan means that some smaller bits went through the motor and you have damage. If the engine is running and not making a terrible racket you may be able to rebuild cheaply, on the other hand you may just be better off driving that motor into the ground with a clean spare sitting in your garage ready for the day this one goes.

it's a tough call. some people have gotten away with pulling rod caps and main caps and reattaching them just to see what, if any, damage is there.


----------



## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

VDUBIN said:


> well... the oil pump housing is made of aluminum. if the shavings are in your pan then they may have passed through the motor or slid down the pick-up tube. repalce the pump assy and see what happens. watch your oil pressure and hope for the best. personally... you are boned. that much metal in the pan means that some smaller bits went through the motor and you have damage. If the engine is running and not making a terrible racket you may be able to rebuild cheaply, on the other hand you may just be better off driving that motor into the ground with a clean spare sitting in your garage ready for the day this one goes.
> 
> it's a tough call. some people have gotten away with pulling rod caps and main caps and reattaching them just to see what, if any, damage is there.


the head is aluminum..

if there is no oil to the head, then everything is just riding steel on aluminum..

i bet the metal flakes came from the head and cam bearings and such..

or from the pistons...

if you pull the rod caps, or main caps, then you must REPLACE the bolts, being that they are one time use TTY bolts...


----------



## Dub'dRite (Jul 16, 2007)

thanks everyone...

the motor doesnt really make any loud noises other than the slight tapping sound (i assume is from the no oil rubbing in the head) and I'm swapping the pump now I was just seeing if it was worth it. Its a project car so I'm not driving it any, in fact I've only driven it like maybe 20 miles total in the last year


----------



## fastinradford (Aug 3, 2010)

its the main bearings,

its so obvious


----------



## dmohring (Feb 1, 2012)

*What was the final verdict here??*

Dub, Rrite, what ended up being the source of the aluminum shavings here?? I have same problem now.
thanks


----------



## wags70ss (Apr 1, 2013)

I was wondering if anyone found the source of this problem? I have an 08 Passat with the 2.0 engine, with small aluminum shavings in the oil pan. I runs fine, sounds normal, but I was getting the low oil pressure light on it. Thought maybe the screen was plugged up so I removed the oil pan and found a bunch of aluminum shavings in the oil pan.I removed the pick up tube and it was fine. I'm wondering if the oil pump picks up the aluminum shavings when the engine is running & it restricts oil flow, but when I shut it down, the shavings drop back down into the oil pan? I definitely believe that is a possibility.

I cleaned the pickup tube, oil pan, and the baffle. I'm going to reinstall everything & fill it up with 20-50 oil & se what it does. Hopefully it'll be OK for awhile. Let me know if any of you have experienced this problem and what you had to do to correct it. Only 97k on an otherwise nice car. I hope I don't have to replace the engine!


----------



## garryt (Dec 22, 2016)

could be bits of the pistons (ring land below the oil ring) they look very weak them later 2.0 pistons:facepalm:


----------



## Skylarmay (8 mo ago)

wags70ss said:


> I was wondering if anyone found the source of this problem? I have an 08 Passat with the 2.0 engine, with small aluminum shavings in the oil pan. I runs fine, sounds normal, but I was getting the low oil pressure light on it. Thought maybe the screen was plugged up so I removed the oil pan and found a bunch of aluminum shavings in the oil pan.I removed the pick up tube and it was fine. I'm wondering if the oil pump picks up the aluminum shavings when the engine is running & it restricts oil flow, but when I shut it down, the shavings drop back down into the oil pan? I definitely believe that is a possibility.
> 
> I cleaned the pickup tube, oil pan, and the baffle. I'm going to reinstall everything & fill it up with 20-50 oil & se what it does. Hopefully it'll be OK for awhile. Let me know if any of you have experienced this problem and what you had to do to correct it. Only 97k on an otherwise nice car. I hope I don't have to replace the engine!


Did you find the root/solve this issue? I’m having that problem now and I’m at wits end of replacing stuff and it not fixing the problem. Slight engine knock/tick with the oil pressure light flashing and beeping… I replaced oil pump and pick up tube. Checked bearings and they are fine.


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

How did you check the bearings? Did you check the intermediate shaft bushings? Camshaft bushings?


----------



## Skylarmay (8 mo ago)

Butcher said:


> How did you check the bearings? Did you check the intermediate shaft bushings? Camshaft bushings?





Butcher said:


> How did you check the bearings? Did you check the intermediate shaft bushings? Camshaft bushings?


I checked the bearings by taking off the rod caps from the bottom of the motor and pulling off the bearings and making sure everything is tight in there. I’ll look into the intermediate shaft bearings and camshaft bushings. Thank you


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You will not be able to look at the intermediate shaft without taking the shaft out. You will not be able to take the shaft out unless you take the engine out.

The cam runs on the head surface. Taking each cap off [one at a time] may give you good or bad news. If the bearing is bad, you need a new head. The bearing surface is the cap/head.


----------



## Skylarmay (8 mo ago)

Butcher said:


> You will not be able to look at the intermediate shaft without taking the shaft out. You will not be able to take the shaft out unless you take the engine out.
> 
> The cam runs on the head surface. Taking each cap off [one at a time] may give you good or bad news. If the bearing is bad, you need a new head. The bearing surface is the cap/head.


Pulled the cam out today… all looks fine. Waiting on the stupid special tool to get the head bolts out that I ordered. Should be here tmr then I’m pulled the head off to check the pistons.


----------



## rhanicz128 (23 d ago)

Skylarmay said:


> Did you find the root/solve this issue? I’m having that problem now and I’m at wits end of replacing stuff and it not fixing the problem. Slight engine knock/tick with the oil pressure light flashing and beeping… I replaced oil pump and pick up tube. Checked bearings and they are fine.


 I was wondering if a solution has been found. I have a 2012 gli. Same issue. I’ve pulled the pan two times now and metal shavings both times. The car runs amazing still and makes no noises. Literally the most solid gli but where is this aluminum coming from. The low oil pressure light is coming on again now again and don’t want to ill the pan and clean it again until I fix the issue. This has been an ongoing issue for me for almost two years now. I’ve pulled the top end. No metal at all. Where could this be coming from that it doesn’t get through to the motor at all please anyone


----------

