Hey guys,
SO I GOT MY RABBIT RUNNING!!! After exactly a month of rebuilding, cleaning, and restoring oh the sweet sound of a diesel engine!
Until. . .
I noticed that my oil light was staying on. I looked around, and saw that there is a sensor that comes out of the top of the oil filter that doesn't have anything connected to it. I looked for a connector that I might have missed but didn't find anything.
So the questions are:
-How badly did I just screw up my engine if there wasn't any oil pressure? I let it idle for maybe 5 minutes, maybe.
-Would a sound be audible? There is a bit of a strange sound at idle, that goes away as the engine is revved. I originally attributed that to not having the axles installed, master cylinder installed, or low trans fluid since I have not yet checked the level.
Any insights would be much appretiated!
Thanks!
oil pressure LIGHT, mk1
Moderator: Fatmobile
I'm sure that someone more knowledgable will chime in, but I don't think that a Rabbit should have come with a tap on the oil filter mount for oil pressure. At least on my Rabbit oil pressure is sensed on the driver side of the head only.
So maybe someone put an oil filter flange from a later car on your Rabbit? Is the sensor on the side of the head hooked up?
Personally I put an oil pressure gage on every single vehicle I have. Allows me to sleep at night.
So maybe someone put an oil filter flange from a later car on your Rabbit? Is the sensor on the side of the head hooked up?
Personally I put an oil pressure gage on every single vehicle I have. Allows me to sleep at night.
81 Pickup
91 Eco Jetta
91 Eco Jetta
5 minutes is more than enough time to destroy an engine. If it really was low on oil pressure, it probably would have seized. So you might be lucky...
Which oil pressure senders a Rabbit has depends on the year. Early cars had one, later cars had both. My '82 has both.
Which oil pressure senders a Rabbit has depends on the year. Early cars had one, later cars had both. My '82 has both.
'82 Diesel Rabbit • '88 Fox (RIP) • '88 Jetta (work in progress)
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VWCaddy
- Missing Linkz
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On my old '81 and 'current '82, there is only one oil pressure sender for the dash light and that one is on the end of the head, above the coolant output where the coolant temp senders (gauge and glow plug relay) are located. I added an oil temperature sender onto the oil filter flange for a future gauge install.
'82 VW Caddy, 1.9D engine, FN tranny w/ Quaife, Missing LinkZ shift linkage
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Vincent Waldon
- Turbo Charger
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For what it's worth... whenever I rebuild an engine I:
a) prime the oil pump. galleys, etc with an electric drill *before* I put the valve cover on... that way I can experience the joy of watching that first flood of oil bubble up like Texas Tea and I know it's going to be a safe first start. Plus it floods away a bit of the assembly lube and replaces it with real oil.
More than once I've been surprised at how long it takes the pump to prime, and if I just started the engine raw it would have been pretty dry for several minutes.
b) temporarily install a mechanical oil pressure gauge somewhere so that I can confirm I have good pressure when the engine starts for the first time
c) run the engine up to temperature, shut it down, and immediately do an oil change and fresh filter. Start it up, reconfirm oil pressure. Life's good !
Perhaps a bit anal, but I've never lost an engine yet. The only down side is the potential embarrassment I face at being seen with a non-OEM filter on my engine for that first 5 minute run... I trust a 2 dollar Canadian Tire filter for exactly that amount of time while I watch it intently.
Vince
a) prime the oil pump. galleys, etc with an electric drill *before* I put the valve cover on... that way I can experience the joy of watching that first flood of oil bubble up like Texas Tea and I know it's going to be a safe first start. Plus it floods away a bit of the assembly lube and replaces it with real oil.
More than once I've been surprised at how long it takes the pump to prime, and if I just started the engine raw it would have been pretty dry for several minutes.
b) temporarily install a mechanical oil pressure gauge somewhere so that I can confirm I have good pressure when the engine starts for the first time
c) run the engine up to temperature, shut it down, and immediately do an oil change and fresh filter. Start it up, reconfirm oil pressure. Life's good !
Perhaps a bit anal, but I've never lost an engine yet. The only down side is the potential embarrassment I face at being seen with a non-OEM filter on my engine for that first 5 minute run... I trust a 2 dollar Canadian Tire filter for exactly that amount of time while I watch it intently.
Vince
Vince
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
Here's a small collection of HOW-TOs
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
Here's a small collection of HOW-TOs
I really like priming a new engine as well, for a variety of reasons. Last weekend when doing the initial startup on my friend's quantum, the oil cooler o-ring was not seated correctly. When I primed the engine with the drill, it was quite obvious and no damage was done other than the flood around the cooler.
Andrew
Andrew
priming with oil after re-build
I'm about a couple weekends away from hitting the starter on a re-build and I'm curious about what seems like a great suggestion: "prime the oil pump. galleys, etc with an electric drill" So, do you remove the vacuum pump and stick a slotted shaft on a drill down to the top of the oil pump shaft? Or, what?
By the way, regarding the original question here, what should Stueveone do at this point? Look under the valve cover to see if oil was pumped into the top of the head? Install a mechanical gauge and see if he gets some pressure with just the starter turning it over? Try the 'priming with a drill' idea, and then start it?[/quote]
By the way, regarding the original question here, what should Stueveone do at this point? Look under the valve cover to see if oil was pumped into the top of the head? Install a mechanical gauge and see if he gets some pressure with just the starter turning it over? Try the 'priming with a drill' idea, and then start it?[/quote]
81 Pickup 1.6NA; '86 Cabriolet with 1.6 TD
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Vincent Waldon
- Turbo Charger
- Posts: 1148
- Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:05 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Yup, remove the vacuum pump and you'll see the slotted shank of the oil pump staring at you.
I generally use a deep dish socket.... sorry, can't remember what size... and a bit of an extension. Some day I'll rig up something a bit softer (some guys use a hardwood dowel with a slot cut in it) but with a tight fitting socket I've never had a problem. Spin clockwise, and expect it to suddenly get stiffer... which is a good sign.
Yes, back to the original question: yes, 'twere it me I'd start over... prime the pump and confirm with a gauge that there's pressure. Or, pull the valve cover and prime the pump until I can see the oil gushing.
Once just for fun I tried to cheat by driving the intermediate shaft with an air ratchet to prime the pump... turned and turned and turned and no oil. Primed directly at the pump with a drill, put the vacuum pump back in, and gave the intermediate shaft another go... instant oil. Makes me suspect that cranking the engine is a slow way to prime a stubborn pump.
Vince
I generally use a deep dish socket.... sorry, can't remember what size... and a bit of an extension. Some day I'll rig up something a bit softer (some guys use a hardwood dowel with a slot cut in it) but with a tight fitting socket I've never had a problem. Spin clockwise, and expect it to suddenly get stiffer... which is a good sign.
Yes, back to the original question: yes, 'twere it me I'd start over... prime the pump and confirm with a gauge that there's pressure. Or, pull the valve cover and prime the pump until I can see the oil gushing.
Once just for fun I tried to cheat by driving the intermediate shaft with an air ratchet to prime the pump... turned and turned and turned and no oil. Primed directly at the pump with a drill, put the vacuum pump back in, and gave the intermediate shaft another go... instant oil. Makes me suspect that cranking the engine is a slow way to prime a stubborn pump.
Vince
Vince
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
Here's a small collection of HOW-TOs
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
Here's a small collection of HOW-TOs
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Fatmobile
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7568
- Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
- Location: north central Iowa
oil pump
I have a spare vacuum pump shaft that I use to turn the oil pump.
Last time I used it I noticed there are some holes that need to be plugged up so oil doesn't fling from the shaft.
I suppose you could pull the shaft from a gasser distributor instead of destroying a vacuum pump.
Last time I used it I noticed there are some holes that need to be plugged up so oil doesn't fling from the shaft.
I suppose you could pull the shaft from a gasser distributor instead of destroying a vacuum pump.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
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Vincent Waldon
- Turbo Charger
- Posts: 1148
- Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:05 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Gauges rock !!
Vince
Vince
Vince
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
Here's a small collection of HOW-TOs
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2001 silver TDI Jetta Malone Stage 1.5 , 2001 blue TDI Jetta SBIII 216s Malone Stage 3
1970 Bay Window bus
Gone but not forgotten: 1969/1971 Beetles, 1969/1974 Westies, 1979 Rabbit, 1986 TD Jetta, 1992 gas Jetta, 1994 TD Jetta
Here's a small collection of HOW-TOs
-
bryankwalton
- Cetane Booster
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:05 pm
- Location: Wilton, IA
'83-'84 Rabbits have two sensors, one on the head and one on the oil filter flange. The one on the oil filter is connected to the relay under the dash. The relay is also connected to the "W" terminal on the alternator (to receive rpm signals). When pressure is below 29psi AND the car is over 2000rpms, the warning light on the dash lights up and the buzzer in the relay sounds alarm.Asymtave wrote:I'm sure that someone more knowledgable will chime in, but I don't think that a Rabbit should have come with a tap on the oil filter mount for oil pressure. At least on my Rabbit oil pressure is sensed on the driver side of the head only.
-Bryan
Just like a Mk2. Interesting. My '82 must have been made towards the end of '82 to receive this system, or maybe it wasn't really made in '82. I'll have to double-check my VIN.bryankwalton wrote:'83-'84 Rabbits have two sensors, one on the head and one on the oil filter flange. The one on the oil filter is connected to the relay under the dash. The relay is also connected to the "W" terminal on the alternator (to receive rpm signals). When pressure is below 29psi AND the car is over 2000rpms, the warning light on the dash lights up and the buzzer in the relay sounds alarm.
'82 Diesel Rabbit • '88 Fox (RIP) • '88 Jetta (work in progress)
Hm nope it's an '82 all right. 17_C_091xxx.
The electrical diagrams in the Bentley show an OPCU (oil Pressure Control Unit) on pg 158 covering '82 through '84 Rabbits and '82 and '83 Caddys. So it's odd that an '82 Caddy wouldn't have it.
The electrical diagrams in the Bentley show an OPCU (oil Pressure Control Unit) on pg 158 covering '82 through '84 Rabbits and '82 and '83 Caddys. So it's odd that an '82 Caddy wouldn't have it.
'82 Diesel Rabbit • '88 Fox (RIP) • '88 Jetta (work in progress)
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bryankwalton
- Cetane Booster
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:05 pm
- Location: Wilton, IA