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Help please!!!

Rivva

Want more power!!
Feb 12, 2004
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Doncaster
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I drive a 2005 leon cupra r, the yellow oil light came on the other day so I topped up the oil yet it didn't go off, after reading up I put this down to my bonnet micro switch being broken so have thought no more of it, the car has been running fine until now. The yellow light turned red and gave me 3 beeps so I pulled over turned it off for a minute, being 10 miles from home and in the sticks I started it up again and all seemed fine. I've been cruising home off boost and then about 2 miles in the red light went yellow again and then 5 seconds later turned red and beeped at me again, at this point the engine has started to sound like a tractor, ive **** myself turned it off straight away and pulled over! It sounds ****ed and I darent move it.. any ideas whats gone wrong?

The only thing thats wrong with it is I have a split pcv pipe which was due to be replaced this cant of caused the problem can it?

Any help appreciated
 

alias

Active Member
May 9, 2011
317
0
Essex
Could be a low oil pressure light that came on caused by a blocked oil pick up in the sump. Common(ish) problem.

When you say it sounds like a tractor, is the engine knocking?

My friend killed his first car by driving quickly round a roundabout over and over (don't ask), starving the engine of oil. It knocked like a bitch after that.
 

Rivva

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Feb 12, 2004
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Its tapping and rickety doesnt sound smooth at all, from what ive read it sounds like what you've suggested.. blocked pick up pipe, is it as simple as changing the pick up, oil and filter or.... :(
 

BoostHard

Complete Plonker
Nov 25, 2012
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Depends how long it ran for. It can be serious damage. Might get away with it. May just need a new head or complete engine. Replace pick up pipe and hope it's ok

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 
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alias

Active Member
May 9, 2011
317
0
Essex
If it's as noisy as you say (assuming it wasn't before), then there could be damage to all manner of moving parts and surfaces.

Get someone to tow you home. Don't start the engine. It may need just a new pick up, however the damage could be terminal. Get a new pick up fitted (cheap part), change the oil and run her up. If the noise persists it's likely the engine's lunched itself. You may be lucky, although there will almost certainly be damage regardless. At least it hasn't seized!
 

alias

Active Member
May 9, 2011
317
0
Essex
The thing is, even if the engine is only running for say 5 seconds like that even at idle the pistons move twice through the cylinders (once up, once down per revolution of the crank). 800rpm idle for 5 seconds means 133 movements of each piston through each cylinder in that time. That applies to other lubricated parts as well. Even if you get off lightly, it's going to have added significant wear to your engine.

As Boosthard said, the top end will suffer greatest as the oil has furthest to go. Not trying to be a scaremonger, but just trying to prepare you for what could be some nasty surprises.
 

wildrides

Active Member
Dec 27, 2013
396
1
Sounds like camshaft bearing oil starved and picked up . Probably need new head and big end / main bearing shells since it has been driven alot with oil light on previously. what miles has the engine done ?
90 k upwards is the usual for the blocked mesh depending on oil quality and change frequency . Would be interesting to know. Good luck with it any ways.

Ps if you have a sandwich cooler above the oil filter then change that too if you are going to be rebuilding the engine . They can corrode internally sending the oil into cooling system . You dont want that to go on a newly refurbed engine and be back to square one .
 
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Rivva

Want more power!!
Feb 12, 2004
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Doncaster
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Quick update, dropped the oil changed filter cleaned sump and replaced the clogged pick up pipe.. no lights on the dash and a smooth sounding and running engine!! Looks like I might of got off lucky, I guess time will tell
 

wildrides

Active Member
Dec 27, 2013
396
1
That is very good news ......... how bad was the strainer ? how many miles had the engine done ? and what oil regime interval is the car on ? Variable or fixed at 10k . Just for interest if you dont mind :)
 

Rivva

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Feb 12, 2004
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Strainer didn't look good at all to be honest, definitely the culprit.

107k miles on the clock, full dealer history until 78k then 10k intervals after that, it had been drinking a lot of oil recently could this blocked strainer account for that?

Cheers guys happy days
 
Dec 5, 2012
800
0
Harlow
Strainer didn't look good at all to be honest, definitely the culprit.

107k miles on the clock, full dealer history until 78k then 10k intervals after that, it had been drinking a lot of oil recently could this blocked strainer account for that?

Cheers guys happy days

I doubt it mate. what oil do you use? use a decent 5w 30 or 5w 40 fully synthetic I have found in previous cars that cheaper oils tend to burn easier. the PCV (breather system) could be fooked. the pipes and hoses get brittle with age and collapse which can cause oil loss through burning it.
check for external engine leaks aswell, rocker cover gasket, camshaft oil seal and the half moon gasket for the VVT are well known leakage areas on these engines

or it could be worn valve stem seals or piston rings but I would check this as a last resort. there are a lot of 1.8ts on here with well over 100k and they don't suffer with oil loss issues.

when booting it does It smoke?
 

Rivva

Want more power!!
Feb 12, 2004
547
1
Doncaster
Visit site
I doubt it mate. what oil do you use? use a decent 5w 30 or 5w 40 fully synthetic I have found in previous cars that cheaper oils tend to burn easier. the PCV (breather system) could be fooked. the pipes and hoses get brittle with age and collapse which can cause oil loss through burning it.
check for external engine leaks aswell, rocker cover gasket, camshaft oil seal and the half moon gasket for the VVT are well known leakage areas on these engines

or it could be worn valve stem seals or piston rings but I would check this as a last resort. there are a lot of 1.8ts on here with well over 100k and they don't suffer with oil loss issues.

when booting it does It smoke?

No smoke when booting, ive always put castrol edge 5w30 fully synth in since ive had it! pcv and pipework around it is shagged and finally split the plastic under neath the breather pipe, had it up in the air a lot recently n not noticed any leaks, going to rip the pcv out and vent to atmos as noticed a lot of oil in IC pipes and TIP which agaib points to pcv so im told, so hopefully everything is good after that....

On a more positive note, 2 new vred sessantas fitted and tracking door, the grip from these is great!
 
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