Hello from Kansas! I am working on a 2001 GLS. Well my son and daughter-in-law have had this beetle sitting in the grass for almost 2 years because the oil pressure light comes on. My son took off the pan and cleaned things up but after a few miles the light came back on so it has been sitting.
My wife suggested I fix it to help them out, so here I am. Most cars I have had oil pressure issues with are just the opposite, they are good when the engine is cold, but as it warms up the light starts coming on at idle. This car starts and drives fine for a few miles then the light comes on with the RPM's up, but if you bring the RPM's down the light goes out. Unless the pressure system on this car expects different pressure at various RPM's that makes no sense. Most cars have a dangerous PSI in mind when the light comes on, and increasing the RPM's will get you over that threshold and put the light out.
I noticed a strong chemical smell from the oil, which I suspect is some sort of flush my son used in the oil before he took it apart. I drained the oil and could see black sludge come out in the clean oil as it drained. I removed the pan,the pick up tube, and the plastic cover. Everything looked pretty clean. The pick up tube was clean from end to screen. The oil pan has tons of black sludge particles floating around in it, but it is clean. I pulled the oil pump expecting the passages to be clogged, but it also was clear. What I did find that I do not like is damage to the oil pump gears. I assume the groove is not supposed to be there, and that the rough end on the tooth is supposed to be smooth.
My question is what caused it? Did something fail internally in the pump or engine. Is it damage due to the previous severe clogging? Any ideas?
My wife suggested I fix it to help them out, so here I am. Most cars I have had oil pressure issues with are just the opposite, they are good when the engine is cold, but as it warms up the light starts coming on at idle. This car starts and drives fine for a few miles then the light comes on with the RPM's up, but if you bring the RPM's down the light goes out. Unless the pressure system on this car expects different pressure at various RPM's that makes no sense. Most cars have a dangerous PSI in mind when the light comes on, and increasing the RPM's will get you over that threshold and put the light out.
I noticed a strong chemical smell from the oil, which I suspect is some sort of flush my son used in the oil before he took it apart. I drained the oil and could see black sludge come out in the clean oil as it drained. I removed the pan,the pick up tube, and the plastic cover. Everything looked pretty clean. The pick up tube was clean from end to screen. The oil pan has tons of black sludge particles floating around in it, but it is clean. I pulled the oil pump expecting the passages to be clogged, but it also was clear. What I did find that I do not like is damage to the oil pump gears. I assume the groove is not supposed to be there, and that the rough end on the tooth is supposed to be smooth.
My question is what caused it? Did something fail internally in the pump or engine. Is it damage due to the previous severe clogging? Any ideas?
