Oil light came on. Help!

[michaelomichael]

We're on our way to Milton Keynes and the oil light just came on.

The dipstick is dry and the there was oil dripping at quite a rate from the right hand (1 & 2) valve cover.

Is it safe to put in more oil (we've only 1 litre with us) and continue, or would that just make it worse?

Our oil pressure sensor is one of the ones that can also drive a gauge on the dash, and if memory serves it comes on at a higher pressure than the standard one (8 vs 2 iirc).

What should we do?

 

[sparkywig]

Put more oil in of course, but try and fix the oil leak first. It just could be that the gasket has slipped or that bail arm needs bending and tightening.
Let the engine cool a little before removing the valve cover.

 

[michaelomichael]

Thanks, Sparkywig. There was a tear in the gasket. I put in some more oil (1 litre got us up to the lower mark on the dipstick, then I kept going till she was full) and we made it to our campsite 5 miles away without the light flickering at all. Do you think it's done much damage?

I'd like to get her looked over by an expert before we go much further, so can anyone recommend a t2 specialist near Milton Keynes (or between M.K. and Dover, which is where we're headed)?

 

[Moseley]

The flickering will likely be where the pickup has started to draw in some air instead of just oil. So it would still be providing some degree of lubrication whilst flickering, and I’d have thought that as long as it didn’t come fully on, you might have gotten away with it. As you say there was oil pouring out after you’d stopped - there was obviously still oil circulating! The worst damage you could expect is premature bearing wear, but you’d hear this knocking if that was the case. Cure the leak, top it up, and there’s not really a lot that can be checked without a full engine strip down.

 

[craigtayla]

Thanks, Sparkywig. There was a tear in the gasket. I put in some more oil (1 litre got us up to the lower mark on the dipstick, then I kept going till she was full) and we made it to our campsite 5 miles away without the light flickering at all. Do you think it's done much damage?

I'd like to get her looked over by an expert before we go much further, so can anyone recommend a t2 specialist near Milton Keynes (or between M.K. and Dover, which is where we're headed)?

I’m probably a bit late to this-but try Jack’s garage-sorted us out a few years back and other great reviews.
West London: +44 20 7243 8926
20/22 Kingsdown Close
London
W10 6SW
Good luck!

 

[Graham L]

Ian Kent @Esautos if you need a genuine aircooled specialist on your way to Dover,

E's Autos | Classic Volkswagen Specialist | Bisley, Surrey

E's Autos is an experienced and professional 'old school' classic car workshop, offering complete and comprehensive classic car auto services, specialising in classic Volkswagens.

esautos.co.uk

 

[michaelomichael]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies. Fingers crossed she's ok!

 

[pierrox]

Hopefully you should be safe!
You can also get in touch with Mike who's a great guy and great mechanics. He's 30 miles south from Milton Keynes, and might even drive to see you on the spot...:

Contact - wayoutwestie

Contact for VW aircooled advice and Vanlife advice

www.wayoutwestie.com

 

[K@rlos]

Hopefully you should be safe!
You can also get in touch with Mike who's a great guy and great mechanics. He's 30 miles south from Milton Keynes, and might even drive to see you on the spot...:

Contact - wayoutwestie

Contact for VW aircooled advice and Vanlife advice

www.wayoutwestie.com

I wouldn’t trust that pinecone make me a cheese sandwich, let alone work on any of my vehicles. He’s a liar and a fraud.

 

[pierrox]

I wouldn’t trust that pinecone make me a cheese sandwich, let alone work on any of my vehicles. He’s a liar and a fraud.

Interesting, could you develop?

 

[neilswheels]

I wouldn’t trust that pinecone make me a cheese sandwich, let alone work on any of my vehicles. He’s a liar and a fraud.

That is pretty damning, I think you should elaborate rather than just deprecate someone like that.

 

[K@rlos]

Gladly…

He gives it large on all the social media pages about being a mechanic with years of experience, claims to be the Weber 34 ICT guru who has been fitting them for 25 yrs (he’s in his late 30’s ) to hundreds of vws and has done hours of extensive testing blah blah blah.

Here’s a screen shot from 7 yrs ago asking on VZI asking for advice regarding ICT’s.





He claims his jetting spec works on ANY engine, Myself and many others have asked him for evidence of his rigorous testing and been blocked on Facebook without a single answer. All his wisdom is just the articles published by John at aircooled.net. In fact a friend of mine who runs a vw workshop used to have to do all the work on his cars for many years as he had no idea, even paid to have a door handle fitted to a beetle.

Think what you like but the proof is here.

 

[Graham L]

That is pretty damning, I think you should elaborate rather than just deprecate someone like that.

I never like having a go at fellow aircooled mechanics but we challenged him on a couple of posts on Facebook as the advice he was giving was wrong and dangerous, rather than taking it on the chin and admitting he was wrong and admitting every day is a school day (like the rest of us), he blocked myself and my wife and then tried to make out we were in the wrong, we couldn't see his posts any longer but people screen grabs, is that a rational way to behave?

I've been running MEB for 13 years now and everyday is a school day and I'm still learning and I'm happy to admit when I've got something wrong whereas Michael Leather (AKA Way Out Westie) thinks he is right regardless.

As Karl has pointed out all his articles on his webpage are not his work but work he has stolen from Aircooled.net, Punnets guide and Sparkywig on here off the old JK forum.

There is a group of aircooled mechanics which I'm a member of that regularly see buses that he has 'set up badly' and had to put right, I could go on but I think I've said enough.

 

[K@rlos]

It is a shame he blocked me for correcting him as some of the shit he come out with was incorrect on such a level it was actually hilarious

 

[neilswheels]

that seems fairly conclusive then. This is probably another thread, but how should you setup ict's then... I've just rejetted mine to his spec.. not cheap either. There seems to be so much conflicting info. I've not driven it before, so no idea if its better than stock.

 

[70-CA-Panel]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies. Fingers crossed she's ok!

Hi Michael, did you find out what it was and if there was any damage?

 

[michaelomichael]

Yes, it was leaking out because of a tear in the valve cover gasket. I replaced the gasket and filled her up again, and she seems to be running fine now, thankfully!

 

[Darren2030]

that seems fairly conclusive then. This is probably another thread, but how should you setup ict's then... I've just rejetted mine to his spec.. not cheap either. There seems to be so much conflicting info. I've not driven it before, so no idea if its better than stock.

Hi mate

I also jetted to that spec and am now concerned that the Webers aren’t set up right! Believe it or not the person on the other end of the phone at eurocarb told me to look on his website for guidance on jetting them when I bought em!!

Have you had any problems with yours bud? Gonna get it on a rolling road at some point anyway but don’t want me bus to be running shite and doing any damage!