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no oil pressure- oil pump knackered?

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:09 am
by scottzg
Hello forum

Last night my car died as i was gently driving on a city street. Got it towed home to figure out the crank pulley had stripped the timing belt. I put on a new timing belt and now my oil pressure light is stuck on. Car runs normally (not that i drove it hardly) and has a full load of oil. It made a horrible gear-grinding noise when i first started it up after changing the t-belt, which it didn't do when i tried cranking it after it first died.
So i don't know crap about the internal workings of an ej- how can i test oil pressure? Where the hell is the oil pump? It looks like its under the crank pulley. What am i missing?


I hate dealing with engines.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:15 am
by Arctic Assassian
The oil pump is driven off the crankshaft, yes it is behind the sprocket and pulley. how did the crank pulley strip the timing belt? the crank pulley is what would stop only if the engine seized. A siezed oil pump doesn't really happen, normally the water pump is what stops.
When you say gear grinding, was it engine speed related, or was it the starter grinding? Theres alot that could've happened, but its pretty easy to narrow it down. Sorry
-Adam

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:20 am
by vrg3
If the oil pressure really is so low that the light is being correctly tripped, I don't think your engine would really run... The FSM says it trips at 2.1 psi.

The sender unit for the oil pressure light is kind of under the alternator. You can remove it and thread the line for an oil pressure gauge in its place to check oil pressure; the threads are 1/8" BSPT (so use Teflon tape).

But first, just check that you didn't accidentally knock the connector off the sender by accident when doing the cam belt job. If it makes contact against the engine block it'll turn the light on.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:24 am
by scottzg
it only happened once, the first time i started the car up after i changed the timing belt. It sounded like missing a shift, i wasn't really listening for it. Now the car starts up on the first click of the starter like it always did, and appears to be jimdandy, but the oil pressure light and CEL is on. The water pump was replaced 10k ago, along with the radiator, timing belt, a couple seals, and a seagull.

Can i pull the oil pressure sensor to check oil pressure there? Where is the bugger?

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:27 am
by BXSS
I've seen & heard an '01 Impreza run with the oil light on.

Fittings for an oil cooler that was added were too restrictive as that car ran fine before the oil cooler install. Oil cooler was put on the car & oil light came on + a light ticking could be heard @ idle, oil cooler was taken off & car was fine again.

If the car is as quiet as it is normally I'd check the oil pressure sensor.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:30 am
by scottzg
vrg3 wrote:

But first, just check that you didn't accidentally knock the connector off the sender by accident when doing the cam belt job. If it makes contact against the engine block it'll turn the light on.
this was it.

I've gotta go to class, but when i get back ill post a pic of why it got bumped. It will be good for a laugh




vrg, you're still hangin out on here? Holy canolies, you're amazing. And, as usual, right on the money.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:32 am
by vrg3
Hehe, nice.

Just got back from a couple years away, actually.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 4:01 am
by jamal
Hi Scott, where have you been?

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:21 am
by scottzg
In the physical sense, san jose. In the psychological sense, away from obsessing over cars. (i haven't installed an unnecessary car part in 3 years!) I'm still on instant messager, but i've noticed you aren't.