Oil pump failure?

ClubAddict · Oct 19, 2009

Hi all,

I visit today hoping for a glimmer of hope as my much loved Mk1 Leon Cupra stands outside in an induced coma.

Whilst driving home on Saturday I was hit with the flashing oil light & three beeps signifying low oil pressure. I stopped immediately & not understanding what this might mean I topped up the oil (even though it wasn't that low) & continued on. About a mile later the light came on again folowed by a fast ticking noise from the engine bay that got progressively worse over about 20-30 seconds. I again stopped immediately but this time called a recovery truck that brought me back home. I haven't driven the car since.

I cautiously thought this could be the oil pump which the recovery guy concurred. Having spoken to my garage today they have also said this is the likely problem.

I have been quoted £500-£600 to get this repaired with no guarantee that further damage hasn't been caused which would then require more money thrown at it.

My dilemma is this:

I have put a lot of money into the car to get it how I want it but this has included a number of repairs which I believe are due to the high mileage, presently 145k. Are the assessments I've had likely to be right & I should I just end it now, strip it & get what I can back for the parts? Or is it worth getting it looked at & maybe repaired?

Finally, if I was to go for repair, is £500-£600 a fair price in everybodys opinion?

All thoughts would be very welcome as I need to either say goodbye :drive2:

& move on or feel cheered that there is more hope than I've been given so far!!!!

Thanks.
Andy.

Oj 89 · Oct 19, 2009

ClubAddict said:
Hi all,

I visit today hoping for a glimmer of hope as my much loved Mk1 Leon Cupra stands outside in an induced coma.

Whilst driving home on Saturday I was hit with the flashing oil light & three beeps signifying low oil pressure. I stopped immediately & not understanding what this might mean I topped up the oil (even though it wasn't that low) & continued on. About a mile later the light came on again folowed by a fast ticking noise from the engine bay that got progressively worse over about 20-30 seconds. I again stopped immediately but this time called a recovery truck that brought me back home. I haven't driven the car since.

I cautiously thought this could be the oil pump which the recovery guy concurred. Having spoken to my garage today they have also said this is the likely problem.

I have been quoted £500-£600 to get this repaired with no guarantee that further damage hasn't been caused which would then require more money thrown at it.

My dilemma is this:

I have put a lot of money into the car to get it how I want it but this has included a number of repairs which I believe are due to the high mileage, presently 145k. Are the assessments I've had likely to be right & I should I just end it now, strip it & get what I can back for the parts? Or is it worth getting it looked at & maybe repaired?

Finally, if I was to go for repair, is £500-£600 a fair price in everybodys opinion?

All thoughts would be very welcome as I need to either say goodbye & move on or feel cheered that there is more hope than I've been given so far!!!!

Thanks.
Andy.

I'm no expert, but an optimist, you've done spot on in stopping immediatly the problem occured. I'd say get it done. The damage that will have been done to the internals of the car will be minimal, and as you said, you've put a lot of love into the car. IMO, £500, even if it's a bit rip-off, is a price worth paying to keep something your attached to

MJ · Oct 19, 2009

High milage 20vt - oil pick up pipe blocked, giving the impression that the oil pump has failled. £500-600 is a joke - a genuine oil pump is £150 and the pick-up pipe is about a tenner, this plus an oil and filter change plus 1.5 hours work - about £300 tops.
Normally the VVT tensioner is the first part to die in this event due to the plastic runners having no lubrication, it wears through and causes a clattering noise.
I have seen 2 recently with these symptoms, the 1st we fitted a tensioner and the fault still occured, the second we fitted an oil pump and pick up pipe and fault was rectified completely. Both showed little or no oil pressure (less than 1bar) then once the new pump was fitted the pressure re-stabilised (back to around 4-5bar).

Get the oil pressure checked before you part with your cash.

DPJ · Oct 19, 2009

MJ said:
High milage 20vt - oil pick up pipe blocked, giving the impression that the oil pump has failled. £500-600 is a joke - a genuine oil pump is £150 and the pick-up pipe is about a tenner, this plus an oil and filter change plus 1.5 hours work - about £300 tops.
Normally the VVT tensioner is the first part to die in this event due to the plastic runners having no lubrication, it wears through and causes a clattering noise.
I have seen 2 recently with these symptoms, the 1st we fitted a tensioner and the fault still occured, the second we fitted an oil pump and pick up pipe and fault was rectified completely. Both showed little or no oil pressure (less than 1bar) then once the new pump was fitted the pressure re-stabilised (back to around 4-5bar).

Get the pil pressure checked before you part with your cash.

I agree completely :yes:

ArosaRacer · Oct 19, 2009

how much is the vvt unit to replace, i had the same happen to me on friday night with an AUQ blocked Leon tsport 1.8t, so far my list is oil pick up pipe, sump plug and gasket, oil, oil flush, maybe a pump if im really unlucky

Shaunyboy · Oct 20, 2009

HAHA, you can source a pump for £75 from the likes of euro, its not brain surgery to do it, as said get a new pickup too which is arround £10 so £85, simple case of remove anout 20 - 25 bolts on sump, pull it off, T40 bolt 3 10mm and heypresto, The ticking noise would lead me to belive that the hydraulic lifters have run dry of oil, depending how run dry they are, simply fulling up with oil and sufficient oil pressure they may quieten down, depends how long it was run and how fast it was going. Normally its just the lifters have emptied of oils and cause a loud tapping noise, unless you continued driving for a substanical ammount of time, i dbout the vvt unit will be dead.

ArosaRacer · Oct 20, 2009

i was under load, pulling a caravan up the hills around ashbourne when mine let go

ibizacupra · Oct 20, 2009

as said above, oil strainer in pick up pipe is probably blocked... and if the car has ever been on variable service internals, on long life schedule I would be 99% sure thats the culprit. The engines must not run on variable service, as the oils sludge up...

friends S3 did the same thing. he stopped it quickly, it was rattling, changed his pump for new one, his old one was coked and choked up with debris in th epickup, and the whole sump looked coked up with tar from its variable long life servicing (previous owners) - New pump and its bene fine ever since.

good luck.

mALLA · Oct 20, 2009

Oil Flush.

It's always a good idea to use a oil flush to remove all the crap from the engine oil (deposits etc that build up and clog the pipes.

Lodgey180 · Oct 20, 2009

hmmm could be worth a de-coke of the sump next service i think..

ArosaRacer · Oct 20, 2009

ibizacupra said:
as said above, oil strainer in pick up pipe is probably blocked... and if the car has ever been on variable service internals, on long life schedule I would be 99% sure thats the culprit. The engines must not run on variable service, as the oils sludge up...

friends S3 did the same thing. he stopped it quickly, it was rattling, changed his pump for new one, his old one was coked and choked up with debris in th epickup, and the whole sump looked coked up with tar from its variable long life servicing (previous owners) - New pump and its bene fine ever since.

good luck.

Cheers Bill i'll be ordering a few bits today

MJ · Oct 20, 2009

VVT units are about the same price as a pump and are very often damaged upon oil pump failure (or blocked pick-up) as the unit has a direct feed from the oil galleries, insufficient pressure means the oil is not forced up the engine far enough to both activate the unit or lubricate it (as it works off oil pressure). this allows the chain to cut into the sleepers thus causing a thrashing noise. If the damage is very mild then a new pump will sort the fault and you may only get a thrashing noise straight away from the first start up of the day which will almost instantly disappear.

Shaunyboy · Oct 20, 2009

MJ said:
VVT units are about the same price as a pump and are very often damaged upon oil pump failure (or blocked pick-up) as the unit has a direct feed from the oil galleries, insufficient pressure means the oil is not forced up the engine far enough to both activate the unit or lubricate it (as it works off oil pressure). this allows the chain to cut into the sleepers thus causing a thrashing noise. If the damage is very mild then a new pump will sort the fault and you may only get a thrashing noise straight away from the first start up of the day which will almost instantly disappear.

Thought VVT tensioners wer about 200+

CupraMVR · Oct 20, 2009

yea VVT sensors ive fitted before are about 195 + range aint cheap.

MJ · Oct 20, 2009

The prices i have are £130 for the pump and £288 for the tensioner BUT i'm working off an out of date version of ETKA and i'm pretty certain we ordered one through work not long since and it was about £150 - retail.

Phillc · Oct 21, 2009

mALLA said:
It's always a good idea to use a oil flush to remove all the crap from the engine oil (deposits etc that build up and clog the pipes.

Im not keen on the oil flush as the flush still remains in the engine after you have done the flush so you will have the flush contaminating your new oil, there is a good discussion on this here. http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=207190&highlight=oil+flush

mALLA · Oct 21, 2009

Phillc said:
Im not keen on the oil flush as the flush still remains in the engine after you have done the flush so you will have the flush contaminating your new oil, there is a good discussion on this here. http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=207190&highlight=oil+flush

Not if u use cheap oil after the flush and run it for 15 minutes before draining again and adding ur expensive Silkolene :=)

Phillc · Oct 21, 2009

Its alot of effort to go to when its not really necessary and alot of people in the industry advise against it.

mALLA · Oct 21, 2009

id rather spend a bit extra cash and a bit extra time to avoid any "ive just had oil starvation on my engine" because of a blocked pipe - bang ~ especially as i intend to keep the car until its end of life.

ClubAddict · Oct 22, 2009

Thnaks for your comments guys. I've since done a bit of networking & found a pump for a just under £80 from Euro & a mates brother who has a garage will fit it. I started the car up today without revving & the ticking noise wasn't there so am hopeful that I saved the engine by stopping so quick.

Here's praying I might be lucky!!

Oil pump failure?

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