# Jetta 1.8t oil problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 10, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524 "2014-08-10T20:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atakan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Atakan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Atakan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/1 "2014-08-10T20:49:43Z")
Hey got a jetta 1.8t 2003 mk4 models… Cars at 167km… My cars oil light keeps going on when im on low rpm, but when i come to a full stop & check my oil its basiacly at max… And i dont know why it goes on? Ive changed my oil switch 4 times… Any ideas what can it be? Oil pump?? Or engine gone? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/2 "2014-08-10T20:54:40Z")
What type of oil change schedule do you usually use (in terms of both odometer mileage and in terms of elapsed time)? What type of driving (mostly local, mostly highway, mixed) do you usually do? I am asking those questions because if you are using the European maintenance schedule which specifies extremely long intervals between oil changes, it is entirely possible that your engine is choked with oil sludge, and that this is impeding oil flow. ---
**Author:** ![Atakan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Atakan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Atakan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/3 "2014-08-10T21:23:33Z")
In 4 months got 2 oil changes due to that light… @VDCdriver‌ ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/4 "2014-08-10T21:28:59Z")
Before the 2 oil changes in the past 4 months what interval was the oil changed? As VDC said if you had extended times the engine could be adversely impacted. Your oil pump could be starting to go, but more likely the engine is worn and the pump needs to be running higher than idle to get enough pressure built up ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/5 "2014-08-11T00:38:29Z")
You can screw a gauge into where the switch goes and get the true pressures. ---
**Author:** ![Atakan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Atakan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Atakan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 7:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/6 "2014-08-11T07:48:47Z")
One of my friends that deals with jetta on daily baises he asked me to change the oil pan/ stainer… & that could be the problem… My last option is going to be changing the oil pump & if that doesnt work too should i start thinking the engines gone? ---
**Author:** ![genex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@genex](https://community.cartalk.com/u/genex)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/7 "2014-08-11T13:05:18Z")
That engine is probably loaded with sludge . Use a shop gage to check the pressure and if it’s low drop the pan and clear out the junk . That engines uses VW spec 502 oil which is synthetic - the car has likely been run on the wrong oil for a while . ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/8 "2014-08-11T15:01:41Z")
**“the car has likely been run on the wrong oil for a while .”** …or it went far too long between oil changes. The OP never did answer my question regarding the oil change schedule that he followed over the past few years, other than to tell us about very recent oil changes. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/9 "2014-08-11T15:57:18Z")
Before you spend any more money on repairs have a mechanic hook up a mechanical pressure gauge. My older GTI had two pressure sensors. You need to make sure there’s a real problem. If pressure is low, I doubt it’s the pump. ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/10 "2014-08-11T16:26:48Z")
"Ive changed my oil switch 4 times… " You are probably replacing the oil pressure sending unit. That sends to the gauge. THe oil level switch is what turns this light on. It is located on the oilpan. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![Atakan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Atakan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Atakan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/11 "2014-08-31T21:43:03Z")
I just got my oil pump changged… And the light still goes on?? ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/12 "2014-08-31T22:14:52Z")
A gauge can be screwed into where the pressure sensor is and read the actual oil pressure. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/13 "2014-09-01T00:01:22Z")
In your earlier post it was suggested that you get the pressure checked, using an actual gauge. Did you do that? Did you ever check the oil level switch/sensor? Good suggestions that could have saved you some time and money. Or did you just say to yourself “it must be the pump”? Now for a definitive answer you still need to hook an actual gauge to it. ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/14 "2014-09-01T00:16:42Z")
So you went to all that trouble replacing the oil pump. Is it the “low oil level” light that comes on or the “Low oil pressure” light. did you change out the oil level sending unit in the pan while you had it off. did you ever install a pressure gauge onto the engine, to see what the true pressure is. You had a couple of great reccomendations here that would cost little to try and easy to do. Why go straight to the oil pump. All that time, effort and money…when there were easyv tests to do first. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/15 "2014-09-01T01:00:13Z")
You’ve had your oil pump changed needlessly. Oil pumps spend their lives constantly bathed in fresh oil, sustain very low stresses, are very simple mechanically, and are totally isolated from contamination. They last forever. Oil pressure comes from the pump pushing the oil through the small spaces between the wear surfaces, maintaining a pressurized fluid barrier between the sleeve bearings and their respective surfaces. If the wear gets too great, and the spaces get too big, the oil flows too readily through the spaces and the pump has difficulty maintaining pressure at idle. This is the single biggest cause of low oil pressure at idle. You’ve gotten good advice. Have the actual pressure checked with a mechanical gage. If it’s low at idle, then I’d suspect excessive wear on the sleeve bearings. They exist to support the crankshaft (the “Main” bearings), the piston connecting rods, and the camshaft(s). Unfortunately, the only way to assess this is to drop the oil pan and physically inspect a bearing or two. Please, post back with the results of the mechanical gage check. ---
**Author:** ![Atakan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Atakan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Atakan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/16 "2014-08-31T22:09:39Z")
Just yesterday got my oil pump changed, and my oil light pressure light goes on and shows on my dashboard?! Changed the oil pressure switch 3-4 times…? Maybe engines gone?! Any helps please? ---
**Author:** ![Atakan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Atakan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Atakan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/17 "2014-09-02T05:16:29Z")
@Yosemite‌ its the low oil level light… & yea ive done all that ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/18 "2014-09-02T05:21:06Z")
So let me get this straight. The “LOW OIL LEVEL” light kept coming on and you replaced the oil pump. And you replaced the low oil sending unit in the pan too. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 6:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/19 "2014-09-02T06:59:03Z")
If the low oil level warning is displayed and the dipstick proved the level was ok I would inspect the wiring for damage then replace the low oil level sensor. See #21 in the diagram. [http://www.parts.vw.com/parts/2003/Volkswagen/Jetta/GL?siteid=9&vehicleid=186595&diagram=9277247&diagramCallOut=21](http://www.parts.vw.com/parts/2003/Volkswagen/Jetta/GL?siteid=9&vehicleid=186595&diagram=9277247&diagramCallOut=21) ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524/20 "2014-09-02T07:01:52Z")
If the vehicle is in its twilight years you might disconnect the sensor and rely on the old fashion method of checking the oil level. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jetta-1-8t-oil-problem/86524.md?page=2)