Help us help you. By posting the year, make, model and engine near the beginning of your help request, followed by the symptoms (no start, high idle, misfire etc.) Along with any prevalent Diagnostic Trouble Codes, aka DTCs, other forum members will be able to help you get to a solution more quickly and easily!
Edit
A quick check reveals Rover petrol & diesel Max 5 bar, oil pressure switch 0.5 to 1 bar. The BMW diesel should be similar.
BMW diesel is prone to the light coming on at idle which can be due to a dirty MAF pulling the idle speed down and the oil pressure switch going out of calibration with age.
There have been reports of the oil pressure switch wiring on a few very high mileage KV6 engines in Rover cars,
Original oil spec is part or fully synthetic 5w/40 or 10w/40 for temperate climates but the Rover K engines are quite happy on 5w/30.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
Last edit: 8 years 9 months ago by Andy.MacFadyen.
Pressure switch problems aren't unknown also check the wiring and check for oil dilution.
3 bar at 2,500 rpm when fully warm is the value given for this engine in a car, 2.5 bar wouldn't worry.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
I wouldn't worry to much with that however if the oil light is blinking at idle try a pressure switch. I am not sure if the pressure relief valve can be removed cleaning or replacememt.
These engines aren't prone to bearing problems, one possibility is the oil pick-up tube in the sump is either drawing air at its' o ring seal or its' mesh filter is gummed up.
The oil pump is on the front of the crankshaft, not an expensive part but it means dealing with the timing belt, if the 1.8 in line 4 or the 2 litre v6 you can get away without special tools but the tools are a must have for the 2.5 v6 as this has an unusually complex VVC.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
The light flickers when pressure is near 7psi sometimes it dips near 7psi but mostly it's at 10psi at idle . Stable needle it seems to be below the pressure specs you provided.
Gradual wear --- however keep in mind if engine has a lot of sludge (which is unusual in these engines) it could could be sludge on the inlet to the pump restricting oil flow.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
I dropped the pan and the screen was almost clogged . There was some gunk in there. Cleaned the pan and screen and the pressure hasn't improved. Same 10.2psi on guage.
I will look into that. However when the light flicked it was at mechanical guage warning range and you could heard very light tapping. Pressure is higher but still low at 10psi if I shut it off for a few minutes and restart.
The light tapping noise is more likely to be from the top end of the a big end bearing problem tens to be a fairly solid knocking sound that appears as you raise the RPM towards 2,000 or so. I have encountered a couple of sticking hydraulic tappets on the 4 cylinder version of the engine.
There is a tendancy to put too much importance on oil pressure, the oil pump pressure dosen't force the bearing shell surface clear of the crank journal the bearing just needs a steady flow of oil as the bearing actually act as pump and draws oil in. The oil pressure that keeps the bearing shell clear of the crank journal surface is generated within the bearing.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
Looks like the bearing is worn I will have to pull them out. But this model can't be down from oil pan it. Do you know about matching the color coded bearings because they fade off from old bearing.
I don't think the bearing wear is at the problem stage yet.
10psi is well above the the pressure the oil pressure switch should work.
Rover listed a repair kit for the oil pump on the 1.8 version in line 4 that included a replacement spring for the oil pressure relief valve, although the design is not dissimilar on the V6 they don't list a kit for that engine.
I suspect relief valve openning at too low a pressure may be the main reason for your slightly low oil pressure at higher cruising RPM when warm
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
Topic Author
