[VW-BMW]

Oil light and alarm came on at the end of an autocross run this weekend. I immediatley shut the engine down an check it visually. Nothing out of the ordinary - no leaks, full of oil. I figure going around a corner no oil was getting to the pickup and that set it off. I start the car, runs fine, rev it up a few times - oil light/alarm back on. Repeat 3 times. I drive the car with the light/alarm on over to my parking spot, let it sit, pack the car up, start it, let it idle for about 20 minutes, the alarm/light never came on, it has lifter ticking on and off - not normal after motor is warm. I go to the awards ceremony and pick up my 2nd place trophy (beat by a Focus by .10 sec). I have no phone and no way to get home so I said screw it and I drove 45 miles at about 50 miles per hour with the light flashing and alarm sounding. Car ran fine, no problems other than on and off lifter ticking. I immediatley drive to Autozone and pick up necessary items to change oil. I had 10w-30 mobil one synthetic in there - when I popped off the drain plug the oil was thinner than water. It had only been in there for 1000 miles. I put in Valvoline 10w-40, lifter ticking stopped completly after 1/2 mile of driving. Engine sounds fine, no light, no alarm.
Any ideas what happened? is the Valvoline 10w-40 thick enough? Any permanent damage I should look for?
Today the car got hotter than it's been so far, but not abnormally hot. I think that oil broke down too soon and got so thin it couldn't build up enough pressure to get to the top of the engine and it was triggering the alarm.
Let me know your thoughts and what I should do next if anything. It seems to be running fine now.
-Jim

 

[IronGTi]

Re: Driving with Oil light & alarm on... LONG (VW-BMW)

HAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I soooooooooo know what your talkign about, My winter GTi the "RAT" as i so lovingly have come to call it. Was runnign on 3 cyl. due to a burnt exhaust valve, so i went an picked up a 16v engine for $200, drove all the way to yonkers to get it, i figured $200, not too bad. So i got the engien and put it in the RAT, heh....and when ever i brought the RPMs up to past 2500/3000 that dam oil light and buzzer, it stays on till the car is turned off but comes back on when RPM hit 2500 (yes i put in new oil after i had it in). haha, well after the egnine swap, did it twice in like two days due to a minor dissagreement i had with her

anyway i was sick of dealing with it for the time beaing, ha and that was like uhhhh.........over 500 miles ago

i just delt with the noise, saying all i need is this last winter outta her, haha. She runs dam good too, haha oooops. Any way.....i'll prolly will change the oil this week to 10w-40 jsut to see if it works for me, and not just a lucky fix...but hten again i have been driving longer like this than you had......one way to find out, haha.....she's been a good car tho, after i get my other GTi out the RAT will sadly be used for parts, she was hit pretty badly on the rear drivers side before i picked her up, the scars from it are still noticable.........anyway, i'll post my results.

oops ha

 

[DrEvil]

Re: Driving with Oil light & alarm on... LONG (IronGTi)

Why sooo many HAHA's and HooHoos....that sounds like a pretty sad story to me.....An A2 Gti may it be a rat or not, on its last few breaths

HAHA HOOHOO!??!?!

That last bit was just meant to be confusing...cuz ya know what......IM BORED and sick of studying....damn physics midterm

 

[VW-BMW]

Re: Driving with Oil light & alarm on... LONG (VW-BMW)

UPDATE: This morning I went out and started the car. The engine does not sound right at all. Sounds like lifter tick, but it's not - it's louder than lifter tick. It's definitley in the valvetrain though.
I drove it around the block. The engine makes power just fine, and idles at a normal steady RPM. It just doesn't sound right from outside and it's vibrating more than normal.
I popped the hood and noticed the cam pulley is wobbling just enough to notice, maybe a mm or two. Almost like the cam is warped or something.
Does anyone have any idea?!?!?! I'm scared to drive the car.
-Jim