# Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v



## 7Desperado7 (Jun 5, 2009)

So I do an oil change. Use 10w-40 oil as the owner's manual says. I use some Lucas additive. I drive the car and the pressure light comes on. I get out and check and the level is fine, as I figured, no leaks. I get a oil pressure sensor and replace just to be safe. Drive the car for 4 miles today to get gas and it pops back on. The car sat and idled for about 30 minutes before this drive with no issue. When the light comes on I hear what sounds like a valve/lifter tap. When the light is off the motor runs as quiet as new.
I'm feeling like I may need a pump I may try first however to drop the pan and remove the pump and clean everything up. If anyone could let me know their opinion from experience I would appreciate the help. Thanks.
Oh and one new thing. I went out and tried to fire it up again. No oil pressure light. The instant the car goes above idle the lights comes on, engine still ticking away. No buzzer this time but definitely a light. Any help with this would be great. Thanks.


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## vr2jetta (Dec 16, 2007)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (7Desperado7)*

Using the lucas might have thickened the oil just enough to strain the pump and lose oil pressure. Change the oil and dont use the lucas then think of changing the pump soon. An aba oil pump is a factory high pressure upgrade.


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## N1ch (Dec 6, 2004)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (vr2jetta)*

You cant tell whats going with out testing the oil pressure.
You need to test the oil pressure with a hand held pressure gauge, just remove the sensor at the oil filter housing and attach the pressure gauge there.


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## zipnbygti (Mar 28, 2001)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (N1ch)*

I also use Luca oil additive for the past 12 months w/10-40 oil have had no problems with the idiot light coming on, Now I have added an oil pressure gauge and sending unit on the side of the head and all of the sudden the light wants to come on, Only once the oil has gotten to at least 90`c. and the engine is at idle. Oil pressure is good at 2k rpm as the manual calls for, and the light goes out once the rpm's go over say 1100. Only thing I can think of is the oil pressure gauge is more accurate than the single pin sending unit?


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## helicfii (Apr 15, 2009)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (zipnbygti)*

I had the light coming on at hot idle (100 C oil temp). I replaced my con rods bearings (which were just fine anyway), installed an 36mm gear pump and switched to 40 wt oil. 
The car seems to run hotter now for some reason- I may switch back to 20/50. I installed a new oil press sending unit, and my stock oil press gauge occasionally flitters around at idle for no apparent reason. No more blinky light at idle, though.... I would like to hear from people who had these problems arise due to a bad oil filter- can the oil filter really make that much of a difference with oil pressure?????
I would like to hear how things go for you with this.


_Modified by helicfii at 5:42 PM 6-22-2009_


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## Tubes (May 13, 2002)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (helicfii)*

I had an oil light issue with my car.
I replaced the high and low pressure switches - it still came on
I checked the oil pressure from 1K to 5k rpm - fine - still came on
the problem was the "L" chip inside the speedometer. Every time the car switched from the low pressure to the high pressure switch around 2k rpm the oil light would come on.
I replaced the "L" chip and now the car is fine. The "L" chip is inside the speedo, you have to open up the instrument cluster to get to it
Don't rule out the oil pump, sometimes they can be bad but only occasionally trip the switches. These are switches, not sensors!
The low switch is set at 5 psi and the high switch around 20 psi. As long as the car produces 5psi oil pressure below 2K rpm and 20psi above 2k rpm you will never know.


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## 91glauto (Jan 10, 2004)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (7Desperado7)*

i had oil pressure problem was useing fram filters went to dealer for oilfilter ok after that filter has cheak valve


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## danster (Jun 1, 2007)

*Re: Oil pressure light and buzz - 88 Jetta 8v (91glauto)*

I am having oil pressure light and buzzer problems as well.
The idle switch seems to be working fine goes out just after start and stays out.
the high switch with buzzer comes on intermittently wile driving and some times it will stay on even below 2000rpm and even at idle. while the buzzer was buzzing at idle I disconnected the oil press switch at the oil filter boss and the light and buzzer stayed on. Am I correct in thinking that the light and buzzer should be inoperative below 2000ish RPM so I have a problem with my dash dinglebopper?
Dan


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