Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 22:27:51 -0800
Reply-To: Brian Cochran <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Brian Cochran <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: any guesses on oil light woes
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
So I have a real problem with my 2.1L this time. I’ve known someday I will
have to confront the noisy AT which doesn’t like to downshift with the petal
to the floor. And I have been gearing up for the proverbial head gaskets.
That little pool of antifreeze collecting on the casting stamp just below
the spark plug has been welling for a year ( so it’s either a crack or
spilling from one of the external head nuts?)......
But now I will really worry with that oil pressure light. The light has
been flickering after the engine gets warm. Mostly at stops, sometimes out
on the highway there’s some flickering. Yesterday, at a stop light, the
light came on nice and solid. A sickening feeling came over me. I put it in
neutral and the light went out. (sounds bad huh?)
Here’s the stats that are driving me crazy: I’m the seventh owner of an 84
westy. Through research, I’ve discovered the engine is a 2.1L (MV block #)
and I’ve tracked down the VW dealership who installed it. They said it was
a “new rebuilt with new crank, bearings....” I didn’t ask for any
additional info--maybe I should have?? There’s less than 70,000 miles on
this rebuild.
The previous owner installed a new oil pressure sender about a year ago, two
months before I bought it. I found the wire off this sender was shorting
out on the engine tin and replaced it last spring.
My starting points are an oil change (just over 2,000miles). I was going to
change the oil pressure sender (i think I only have the low
pressure--digijet), but since it’s only a year old???
My last hope is to do the five minute engine flush thing. That scares me,
but I guess it’s a last hope move. It just hate the thought of what’s left
over in the engine after I drain that stuff back out. There’s got to be
residue and I’m not about to waste oil by doing a third oil change am I? Is
that flush stuff TOO hard on a engine.
Any thoughts on the situation would be helpful. I’m only hoping the wire is
shorting out again.
My gripe section:
The thought that the problem is bearing wear(=new engine) is a very big
bummer. What’s the point of these rebuilt engines if the bearings can’t go
some real distance! I am just going to buy another car to start with, since
I can’t be without a car. Then I guess the obvious choice is the Tiico,
since I’m not about to put another rebuilt weakling in there. (and I was
looking forward to the gasket job--I'm not a really in the club without
doing one of those!!)
Thanks,
Brian Cochran,
84 westy
Carnation WA
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