pschaars944s2

So about two months ago my pressure started being lower than normal and slowly dropping everyday I used it. About three week ago the light would flicker on and off. I thought I was leaking oil or leaking it. I was just trying to get through exams so I could do an oil change and look for the leak. a week later, if I turned the car on the oil pressure light stays on and wont go off, and since the light became constant I also started hearing my valves ping. I stopped driving the car for the last week of school. When I started it again, the valves were really loud and the pressure was just about one. I needed to move it to my parents house to work on, so I drove it there !! the pressure went up a bit (1.5 maybe) on the drive and the pinging was reduced, but still there.

Before I did an oil change, I checked the level and it was fine. I cleaned the engine compartment, did an oil change with 15w-40, replaced the filter with a bosch filter. I had the car sitting for a week again before I did turned it on. (I replaced the cam belt, leaking heater control valve and rebuilt the ball joint in the mean time) I couldn't find a leak and now the pressure is decidedly below one.

I read that the crank bolt needs to be 150 ft-lbs to ensure I am working the oil pump. Double checked. It was fine. Tried the car anyway, zero pressure.

I then read about the oil pressure relief valve and took mine out, looked ok, movement is fine. Replaced the gaskets anyway. Put it in, turned the car on. The pressure was zero to a half for the first few seconds and then went up to one! then back to zero. Turned the car off. Pinging prevalent the whole time it was on.

I had read that another reason for low pressure is worn bearings. Thought this might be it. Did another oil change with 20w-50 to reduce flow through the bearings. Turned it on, still zero pressure.

I read that the pumps rarely go bad and if they do it is a sudden, abrupt failure.

What else can it be!? What can I even trouble shoot next! is the pump bad? is it my bearings and my thicker oil idea was dumb? could it still be OPRV? maybe my version of free moving the the cars are different?? the spring holds it all the way out; it never get stuck back, but maybe it isn't being opened??

Someone please help!! I am in school and can't afford a replacement car!
-Pete

1990 944 S2 Coupe

Butters944

Hmm kinda beats me. Sorry I can't help, hope you get it sorted out!

john durdin

Pull the pan and check for a cracked or broken pickup tube if ok check the bearings . Don,t run it until you fix the problem or you will make things worse if its not too late ! john

pschaars944s2

john durdin: you nailed it! I posted on the pelicanparts board too and have since worked it out. Took out the pickup tube this morning. it definitely had cracks in it. literally dozens running along the tube. You might have nailed the "if its not too late" part as well, since it was. I have parts of my cam chain guide in the oil pan. I will take off the valve cover tomorrow and hope I have all the part on the top or the bottom and replace that too.

Butters944: Thanks for the response! Always good to know people are at least thinking about what you post .

here is the pelicanparts discussions:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...find-info.html