# Oil pressure issues - 3.2 V6



## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

Hello chaps.

I am afraid this is my first post, however after searching through Google quite extensively this forum kept showing up, so thought I would register and ask.

I have a 2004 3.2 V6, have owned it a fair while now and haven't had any issues, it has been spot on, however it has developed a fault.

A few months ago now I was driving home and the oil warning light flashed up in the DIS, red can and three beeps, I knew this meant oil pressure so I shut the car straight off and rolled to a stop and had the car recovered home.

I have had 1.8Ts before and know the pick up pipes get full of gunk, so I dropped my sump and the mesh in the pick up was very clean, the sump itself was clean in general. I've always been on top of servicing and used the correct products. So I think I can rule out the pick up pipe being a contributor to the problem.

I work with a chap who has a R32 and uses a reputable specialist which I spoke to. He seemed to suggest that over the last 13+ years he hasn't experienced oil pump failure although couldn't rule it out as a possibility. However he was reluctant to sell me a replacement oil pump in the belief that it wasnt necessary.

He did however suggest that I change the oil sensor as these can be faulty and obviously running an oil pressure test will either confirm or deny the suspicions of a faulty and somewhat in this case common sensor.

My problem is... I can not find the oil pressure sensor on my engine!

Can anyone advise to the location of the oil pressure sensor location on the 2004 3.2 V6 please?

Any help advice or suggestions in regards to this would be incredibly helpful. So thanks in advance.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, It's on top of the oil filter/bracket.
Check the connections are clean & secure.
Hoggy.


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## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

Thanks very much for that Hoggy. Do you know if it's accessible with the front end still fitted or does the front bumper/rads need to be pulled?

Thanks very much for the help.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Radfax said:


> Thanks very much for that Hoggy. Do you know if it's accessible with the front end still fitted or does the front bumper/rads need to be pulled?
> 
> Thanks very much for the help.


Hi, Not sure about the V6, but I would have thought so, as the filter is accessible it's just above that.
Hopefully a V6 owner will reply.
Hoggy.


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## V6RUL (May 28, 2009)

Hi,
i think you have got a tight job on your hands.
I think the sensor is at the bottom of the dipstick and 2" to the right.
My setup is different to what yours is and access is more difficult on yours due to the inlet plenum.




Steve


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## rusTTy_racer (Sep 7, 2015)

Agree with above, it's on the front of the block and best got from underneath as it's an arms length away up or down :lol:

Had the same issue with mine (when totally warmed up at tick over) got a pressure gauge fitted with T piece and it proved plenty of oil pressure just duff switch. No issues in 10,000 miles since fitting new one. I would get a genuine part for this.. worth paying for :roll:

It is still possible you have a problem so sort ASAP!


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## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

Hello chaps.

Thank you very much for your help here, I have only just seen your replies.

I have not driven the car since the light came on, frustratingly and bought a run around in the mean while, an A3, which is a problematic crock in itself! I have borrowed a hand held remove camera and I am hoping that over the holidays I can get the camera into where the sensor is and hopefully set about the most effective way to replace the sensor.

I've had the car for 3 years now and the other day I spotted a replacement sensor tucked away under the spare wheel well in the boot along with a coilpack. After googling the number on the box it would appear to be an oil pressure sensor. With that in mind I am a little suspicious that this has been a problem before.

As far as I see it, even if I have to chuck a new oil pump into it due to failure, it's not the end of the world.

Thanks again guys.


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## rusTTy_racer (Sep 7, 2015)

Nice to hear back! Could be previous owner got one as a spare but as you now known not exactly a diy job. Maybe they never got around to fitting it?


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## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

Thanks again for the reply.

I've had quite a bit of experience Over the years with projects, I've built a bike engined classic mini, rebuilt my old 225 and have a Porsche that consumes a lot of my time at the moment. However over all of those years of building and ownership I've never felt the need to replace a sensor that is working fine.

My suspicions are what events lead to the previous owner buying the sensor to replace in the first place? Like I say, you wouldn't replace a sensor that works well. I am wondering if the fault lifted its head and before the previous owner had time to fix it, perhaps the dicky sensor stopped playing up. I do still have the previous owners email and phone number. Perhaps I might drop him a message.

I am determined to get this issue solved. Even if it's a front end off job!


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## rusTTy_racer (Sep 7, 2015)

It could be a bad batch of sensors and would depend on how the car was used as to how it showed up. Clearly fitting the replacement is your first job. Like I said above no issues with mine following new switch and I am ultra fussy.


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## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

Just what I wanted to hear! I have a tester in the boot, so will run a pressure test and if all is well I will throw the new sensor in.

Damn Audis


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## neil_audiTT (Sep 1, 2010)

From a few years messing with V6's, They've proved very reliable lumps and very stable oil Px readings.

I'd go with a switch first - as someone said i think it's been faulty in the past, maybe sticking shut then resetting itself so the fault goes away!

What mileage is it on? Sorry if i missed that, but even as you said the sump strainer seemed clean i doubt blocked lines and ACTUAL high pressure are what you're experiencing.


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## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

Thanks for the reply. I was just scrolling through your build thread actually. It's made me want to pull my finger out and sort mine.

The car is on 90k. With the sump off the bottom of the strainer is super clean.

I know some chaps who have the R32, mk4 and 5. I registered on the R32OC and asked a few questions, if I searched their forum there was a lot of people saying that they suffered with the warning light but every case had been a faulty sensor and not pump failure or a blockage in the galleys. Apparently their is a grub screw/blank in the head which can be removed and used for the purpose of testing.

One thing I did discover is that there was a lot of information that suggests that if the car is left for a long while unused it can cause problems with the sensor and make it give false readings. Unfortunately these problems have occurred after a long while of being unused.


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## Radfax (Nov 8, 2016)

On a side note here, I've always assumed low pressure rather than high. Perhaps because I instinctively think the worst case scenario of worn oil pump, this would provide bellow suitable pressure and therefore have a low fault rather than high.

Is there a difference with how the warning is displayed on the DIS to determine high or low pressure fault? Amount of times it beeps for example?


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## rusTTy_racer (Sep 7, 2015)

I didn't overthink mine... it came on when fully warm only at tick over. Got T piece fitted with gauge and sensor - loads of pressure on gauge but light came on - fitted new OEM switch - sorted.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Radfax said:


> Is there a difference with how the warning is displayed on the DIS to determine high or low pressure fault? Amount of times it beeps for example?


Hi, There is no warning for high pressure..
Hoggy.


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## rupidoo (Aug 14, 2019)

Hi All,

I know this is an old thread but I recently had a few problems with the red oil warning light coming on. It was very intermittent and on the first occasion I pulled over and had the car towed to the local independent - luckily I was only a couple of miles away from the garage so not too much fuss. They checked the oil pressure; which was all ok but did find it had been over-filled at the last service by another 'specialist' garage. They took it out for a test drive and all ok. Roll on a couple of months and the light came on again - by sheer fluke I was only a short distance from the garage and as the light was coming on and going off again I limped it to the same garage and they did a full system flush, checked the oil pick up etc and again test drive ok.

Roll on another couple of months and the dreaded light started coming on again - this time by less good fortune I was in the back end of Cambridgeshire and on the way to a very important meeting so just had to press on and drive through it. 140 miles later, a cold sweat and lots of shouty red flashing and beeping warnings I got back to Worcestershire and dropped it in to the garage. At least I knew at this point starvation was likely not the issue as I guess if it was I'd have had a seized engine by then!

The AC pump has also been playing up so they took the front end off, sorted the AC compressor and also replaced the oil sensor to find that it was saturated in oil and it seemed to have a perished seal inside. A cheap part to replace ( once you have access !) and all seems good now after a few months of bother.

Just thought I'd share my experience.

Had a lovely weekend in the car taking my boy to a watersports lake and then dropping into Caffeine & Machine on the way back - some lovely metal there and the TT got a fair bit of attention itself. Highly recommend a visit if you get chance but be sure to book ahead ;-)


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## benckj (May 23, 2018)

Following this thread as I have a V6 but no adherent PX problem. Having built a few engines myself I seriously doubt you have a pump issue and is more than likely the sensor as you figured out. Oil pumps do not loose pressure unless very worn from lack of maintenance. More issues are with relief valves that sometimes bypass oil back to sump. Often a switch to different oil manufacturer or grade will change oil flow.

With trying to confirm Px readings is there not a convienent location to mount another aftermarket sensor and gauge in cab to monitor? First thought was drain valve on filter housing. Plenty of descrete digital instruments around that would certainly relieve driver stress.


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## rupidoo (Aug 14, 2019)

I'm all for relieving driver stress! It was certainly worrying - plenty of horror stories about seized engines. Happened recently to a friend of mine in a Ford SMax - oil light comes on, less than half a mile later the engine had seized ( Mum with kids in the car).

My main concern when I started reading up into the matter was the oil pick up may have blocked so there could be a risk of intermittent starvation; which would have perhaps made sense with the intermittent pressure warning light.

All seems good now though so hopefully will be able to enjoy a few months of worry free motoring. Going to turn my attention to the bodywork and alloys next.... then onto the interior.


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