Oil Problem

[Eamonmurphy 0]

Hi this is my first post. So I bought a 1.9 Gti last week. I viewed the car twice before I bought. Each time I drove the car for an hour with no problems. The reason being that the oil pressure gauge wasn't working and I wanted to bu sure of what I was buying. I fell in love with the car and bought it for a good price. Drove the car home. 1 hour drive. No problems. Ordered new oil pressure switch as I could see the pin was broken off it. I was starting to worrie bout the pressure and didn't want to be driving the car around. After playing around with it for a few hours. I decided to take off the rocker cover and cranck the engine once to see if there was oil coming up. And of course there was a lot more than I expected. A nice mess after it. Anyway I put it all back together. A bit happier than I had been. A few hours later a mate called over I decided to take him for a drive a 20 min round trip. When I got back I opened the bonnet and noticed the oil filler cap off I can't be 100% sure I had put it back on after playing with the engine I then went on to pull the dipstick with a nice bit of pressure behind it and a squirt of oil. What kind of problems am I looking at. Cheers.

[Grim.Badger 15]

There's a couple of checks you could do, that I know of. First would be a compression test, iirc leaking piston rings can cause similar problems to this; with my first GTi the rings leaked after a massive overfuel caused by a duff coolant temp sensor.

 

Second thing I would check is that the oil and breather hoses are all routed correctly. Also, check that it all works as it should when the filler cap is on (does it still have it's proper rubber seal?) and that both gauzes in the filler are clean.

 

Having too much oil can also cause problems, as it can froth up if it is in direct contact with the crank.

 

BTW there is both a pressure switch and a pressure sensor (although the later isn't the most reliable, it's good enough for day-to-day use). Both can often have knackered wiring.

[Eamonmurphy 0]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. I've both new sensor/switch got will fit them tomorrow and tidy wiring. I've only one gauze in the filler cap and it is fairly rough. Can I run without until I organise one. Will check all the pipes are in the right places and ok. How can I be sure they are all working correctly. If all else fails. I will get a pressure test done. Have another engine lined up if I need it.

[steve@cornwall 100]

I've not had gauzes for three years, you've just reminded me to get a replacement "tower" . Can allow condensation into the throttle body and give a misfire in cold weather in my case (in which case I open the filler cap)

So I wouldn't see a problem in the short term.

[Grim.Badger 15]

The second gauze is hidden. The funnel inside the filler pulls out, I use a swan neck spanner hooked around the base of it and pull upwards. Be careful though because they can be quite fragile at this age. When I first checked it, the gauze looked like a rotten corn cob I can't remember which forum member told me about it, but I'm grateful to them anyway!

 

And yes, as Steve said, you can run without the gauze, but it's best to have one. Most of us use stainless dish scrubbers now though

 

With regards to running "right" what I meant was to check whether the oil system behaves the the same way (i.e. potentially overpressuring) once you've checked the breather system is all put together properly.

[Eamonmurphy 0]

Ya the gauze in mine is falling apart. I got a new one lastnight. And other bits I need so I'm going to drain the oil take off all the breathing system and check it replace whatever needs doing. Have sensor/switch for oil pressure gauge and a service kit. Hopfully get to do it all tomorrow and everything will be ok. If not straight in for pressure test.

[Eamonmurphy 0]

Update: fitted both sensor and switch oil pressure is reading good. While doing it found a hole in one of the oil breather pipes that's what's giving me oil around the engine. Took it for a good 40 min drive and everything was as it should be. Will do full service in the morning. I'm loving this car.

[Eamonmurphy 0]

So I sorted the breather pipe at the top by cutting a bit off it. But after the service I seem to have a good bit of oil around the engine at oil filter level. By feeling the oil breather pipes around that area I've noticed two groves in one of them so I'm going to get a new kit and hope this sorted the problem. All gaskets seem to be ok but il go through every thing until I get to the bottom of it. Is the breather pipe system prone to leaks on these.

[steve@cornwall 100]

Gov it a bit of a clean off , could be spillage from filling, when poured in fast the oil often erupts back out on an air bubble. Although a nice new breather system certainly won't hurt.

[Eamonmurphy 0]

Ha after removing the old oil breather system and putting on a new baker bm I was left with one pipe left over. So I investigated where it was for. I found it goes on the 90 after the AFM. But my 90 had no ports for it. I took the car for a drive and it blew off the oil filler cap again. Then after more research I found the sad had been plumbed back to the oil filler cap as there was no port for that on the 90 either. So I managed to get a second hand 90. Fitted it plumbed all pipes to the correct places took for the same drive as the last day and all went good not a drop of oil under the car and cap didn't move so fingers crossed.