# 1.8T low oil pressure light



## CoolAirVw (Mar 8, 2007)

If you need a repair like this in Kansas City area contact me through my webpage listed in my signiture.

This is also known as sludging

Just wanted to share this in case anyone else has similar problem.
01 passant 1.8T with lifter noise on start up and oil pressure warn light comes on about a minute after starting.
Vw has a bulliten regarding this problem which it blames on incorrect oil usage making sludge/carbon build up that clogges the pickup screen.
The bulliten tells you to pull the valve cover and inspect for carbon/sludge...








Then you pull the cam caps and check for wear. On this car they were good, but I didn't get a pic. I guess the theory here is they dont have cam bearings so they will be the first part of the engine to take wear due to the low oil pressure. If the cam caps have wear they suggest replacing the engine. 
Its a little difficult to pull the pan on a passant...








After pulling the pan and finding more sludge I found the oil pickup tube/screen very clogged. 
































The entire pvc system was sludge up and that sludge could end up back in the pickup screen so you have remove it and clean it or replace it. The oil filter housing needs to be removed and cleaned as well.
Heres a sludged up PVC pipe. 








And another...








I have some more pictures but they are on the camera which is at work....


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## CoolAirVw (Mar 8, 2007)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (CoolAirVw)*

Here's the new pickup tube.








Bulliten wants you to pull the oil filter housing to clean out sludge. I pulled the intake to make it easy.
















Here's what the oil filter housing looked like.








If you ignore cleaning this out the junk will fall out eventually and flow right into the oil pickup tube screen.








Here's after I cleaned it. The valve cover and oil pan were this clean also but I didn't get pics.











_Modified by CoolAirVw at 9:19 PM 10-1-2009_


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## 16plus4v (May 4, 2006)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (CoolAirVw)*

Used to see this many times working at VW. Nothing new to me, but every time one came in it was at fault to the customer for running regular oil.


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## Hayesky (Sep 12, 2009)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (16plus4v)*

So what are you going to do to clean out the sludge? New Oil pump, or try to clean the old one? Replace pcv tubing. Scrub everything clean. Then maybe try some of these engine flush things around?


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## kmg108 (Jan 24, 2003)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (Hayesky)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Hayesky* »_So what are you going to do to clean out the sludge? New Oil pump, or try to clean the old one? Replace pcv tubing. Scrub everything clean. Then maybe try some of these engine flush things around?

x2


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## Hayesky (Sep 12, 2009)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (kmg108)*

I have similar problems but my oil light does not come on often only around the time I should be changing my oil. VW dealer told me I had a sludge issue, they wanted to replace valve cover gaskets, tensioner seals, new pick up tube inside the oil pan, and a BG engine flush, and of course they wanted to charge me at least twice as much for all the parts. So I bought everything I needed online for a fraction of the price. 
My pvc lines were clogged to hell, the y shaped one from valve cover was destroyed, and I managed to break each connecting piece to this will trying to remove them all the way down to Oil filter housing, the only thing not broken was the t fiting. Found the elbow and lower piece on Amazon for $20 and $25, half the price of every vw online parts store. 
Getting ready to work on all this will post pics when I do. 
Any ideas on what oil to run while using Auto RX to try and clean up engine internals?


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## CoolAirVw (Mar 8, 2007)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (Hayesky)*


_Quote, originally posted by *16plus4v* »_Used to see this many times working at VW. Nothing new to me, but every time one came in it was at fault to the customer for running regular oil.

And also probably ignoring turbo cool down, before shutting off engine.

_Quote, originally posted by *Hayesky* »_So what are you going to do to clean out the sludge? New Oil pump, or try to clean the old one? Replace pcv tubing. Scrub everything clean. Then maybe try some of these engine flush things around?

Vavle cover, oil pan, filter housing and oil pump were steamed cleaned in a steam cabinet type parts washer. I disassembled and inspected the oil pump. It was fine for reuse.
Every thing else I cleaned with bunch of scrubbing and brake clean. PVC tubes I burned out the carbon with compressed air and a propane torch. Might have been easier to just replace them though. 

_Quote, originally posted by *Hayesky* »_Any ideas on what oil to run while using Auto RX to try and clean up engine internals?

Vw bulliten actually says something like buy outside source oil, which I interpret as any cheap old oil you can get in the aftermarket. 
Heres a suggestion... Call some local transmission shops and ask them if you can drop off your valve cover, oil pan, filter housing, and oil pump. They can put it in their steam cabinet and it'll come out shiney and new. Tell them to just leave it in there till its clean. I left mine in ours for a couple days. 

_Modified by CoolAirVw at 9:29 PM 10-1-2009_


_Modified by CoolAirVw at 9:30 PM 10-1-2009_


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## Hayesky (Sep 12, 2009)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (CoolAirVw)*

The Stealership told me I had a sludge problem, they wanted to replace gaskets, seals, oil pump pick up tube, and BG engine flush (also a new timing chain tensioner). Popped off my valve cover and oil pan and they were actually very decent, only minor carbon burn buildup, nothing chuncky or built up, was like rubbing off rust or something when I cleaned them both off. Add to this my oil pick up tube was clear as day when I replaced it. Sounds to me the stealership was wrong, or at least the sludge in my car is not as bad as they presumed. 
Should the inside of the valve cover, oil pan, and oil pan pick up tube be a good indicator of the level of sludge in your car?


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## kdiver58 (Jan 25, 2004)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (Hayesky)*

I just pulled my valve cover gasket at 140,000 miles and it looked nothing like your valve cover .. What oil are you using ????


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## worditsmenick (Nov 15, 2005)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (kdiver58)*

i sadly got my gti used. cause once i got it i started using syn oil and changed it on time everytime. but i still got sludge build up. 
nice diy for the cleaning and etc. i think i got a weekend project to do now.


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## Hdale85 (Apr 4, 2010)

*Re: 1.8T low oil pressure light (CoolAirVw)*

I was wondering where you found a new pickup tube? I can't find anything but the entire pump assembly but all I need is the tube.


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## exodusarchitect (Aug 9, 2010)

Hdale85 said:


> I was wondering where you found a new pickup tube? I can't find anything but the entire pump assembly but all I need is the tube.


I get all parts for my 1.8t from International Parts Store. Not sure where you're located, I'm in Columbus OH. There are two of them within 20min of my home, but there's also Vermeer Auto Parts--which is under the same ownership. You can order parts from them at intlpartsstore.com ...In my opinion, It's like NAPA for imports. They carry everything I've ever asked for (in stock) and at a fraction of dealer prices. They somehow always beat the prices of NAPA and Carquest too...if you're comparing oem or quality parts "apples-to-apples".


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## exodusarchitect (Aug 9, 2010)

...also, I priced that pick-up tube from this place. They want around $45 for it. This is always sold separate from the oil pump. The pump will run you about $145 or so.


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## NickWerner1983 (Feb 2, 2011)

*1.8t thats got 155k on it, low oil pressure + p0011*

I bought this care used with 65k on it, Dont know the previous owners maintainance schedule but ive used mobil 1 or castrol syn. Fear I have a sludge issue as well. I used z-max last oil change and i think i loosened up some sludge and clogged everything. Is it worth doing all this to my engine?


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## builtvw (Sep 20, 2009)

NickWerner1983 said:


> I bought this care used with 65k on it, Dont know the previous owners maintainance schedule but ive used mobil 1 or castrol syn. Fear I have a sludge issue as well. I used z-max last oil change and i think i loosened up some sludge and clogged everything. Is it worth doing all this to my engine?


mobil1 is not vw approved. not sure about castrol


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## CoolAirVw (Mar 8, 2007)

kdiver58 said:


> I just pulled my valve cover gasket at 140,000 miles and it looked nothing like your valve cover .. What oil are you using ????


This was a customers car.


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## CoolAirVw (Mar 8, 2007)

Hdale85 said:


> I was wondering where you found a new pickup tube? I can't find anything but the entire pump assembly but all I need is the tube.



In everyone of these I've done the pump has been ok. 


Some engines the tube is available separately from the pump. Other engines you have to buy the pump. Usually if I get one that you have to replace the pump, I'll inspect it to be sure its ok, and I'll buy the tube for the other engine and cut off the screen end and weld it to my existing tube. This works great and I've done it several times now.


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## ajshoe (Aug 26, 2008)

if your welding - might as well put a larger surface area pick up tube on (ford or GM works well). Just worked on a 1.8T Jetta that has 180K on it. oil light was coming on after 5 - 10 minutes of driving. engine was very clean - pan was clean. previous owner ran seafoam but never changed pickup tube. pickup tube was clogged. Obviously seafoam does something but won't dislodge coke "turds". Engine has been running great for so far (2100 miles). This problem is much more prevalent in 1.8T passats. I've done a lot of theses and still haven't found a bad oil pump. Another tip is the oil pickup tube can be cleaned in a self cleaning oven - comes out like new. Or just go new for $20.


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