Hi Guys,

Will need the help of our panel of experts... I have a 2002 B6 1.8T. I had the unfortunate experience of breaking my oil pan on our gorgeous Calgary roads. The pan was replaced and the engine runs OK (smooth revolutions, runs quiet, no fumes or color in exhaust, oil condition looks normal, engine temperature is normal) although my oil pressure now is about 2 to 6 psi out of (below) factory spec throughout the rpm band.

I am guessing that in the course of my incident, running for a total of ~75m with loss of oil would have caused some damage to the rod bearings causing the loss in oil pressure. Another smart idea would be to (at the same time) replace the oil pump while the pan is removed (yet again... ) , also I dont think this is a sludging issue - these are my thoughts. The pump and bearing clearances were likely a bit "worn" before this just due to the age and mileage of the car ~160k km.

At the end of the day, not really sure what is the exact cause of my low oil pressure after the incident, but I am hoping this can be fixed by replacing the rod bearings and pump, although I dont want to have a shop do these operations and find out I am still out of pressure and need a rebuild or new engine -which I understand COULD be a possibility.

I'd like to know the VERY best shop who specializes in Audi engine internals, who is certified and knows their stuff, or any other suggestions.

nothing77 & others... - I hear you are an Audi guru, any helpful advice or reccomendations? After searching through some other threads, George at TuneDub?

 

Do an oil sample to check for wear particles in the oil. If this comes back "clean" I would be driving that vehicle for another 160K! You may have inflicted minor wear but if it is healed, close enough ... unless you are into hyper-spending.

 

Oil and filter did not show significant signs of wear particles or debris (although I havent driven it much).

My oil warning light comes on after about 10-15 minutes of driving (upon reaching normal operating temperature). I believe the threshold for the oil pressure sender is about ~5psi, which matches up with my situation.

The warning lights and beeping are definately a near-major annoyance and causes me a nervous tick... I'd prefer not to risk low-lubrication, over-heat and break a rod...

Will running this engine with oil pressure out by 5-6 pounds for everyday driving be ok? I could ground the sensor and continually check pressure and temperature and drive very carefully... could be a tick tock time bomb.

 

What the hell - stop driving the car! You could be turning a problem as simple as replacing the rod bearings (I could do it in under an hour), to destroying the entire engine!

Drop the oil pan, and pull the rod and main bearings for inspection. Pull mains 1, 3, and 5 if you don't want to deal with dropping the crank at this point. With the pan off, you can also pull the oil pump and check the clearances with a feeler gauge, but it's likely to be the last thing to wear to an unacceptable level. Hopefully you didn't do any damage to the head running it on low pressure. Also, it's easy enough to check the head by pulling the valve cover.

P.S. Road condition is all relative: I marvel at how beautiful the roads are in Calgary, because I'm from SK. I absolutely love driving every time I'm there

 

Thanks for the comments. Can anyone reccomend a good (honest, expert and not overpriced) place in Calgary to get this work done?

I don't have the time or the space to pull the pan myself right now.

 

Brian was this the import from the US I did the DRL's for?

 

Hi Mirza, Yes. This is the same car. No problems til now!

Haven't been able to make it to many of the meets, I've been working out of town.

 

Sounds worse than oridginally described. Could be the oil pump relief valve has something holding it open. I would have the oil pressure verified with a gauge, warnings and alarms are much lower than 2-6 below operating typically. I will be really surprized to hear that anything is wrong with the bearings. They can take alot of crap. If there were no cuttings, I wouldn't panic.
I know of an independant in the NE but not sure of his experience or backing for internal work. Keep us posted.

 

Can anyone vouch for Dennis at 2-Square Automotive, or George at TuneDub?

In regards to expertise in engines...

 

I can vouch for George at Tunedub, or Chris at Calgary Autoworks