You should try measuring the actual oil pressure with a test gauge to verify
wether you actualy do have low oil pressure.
I do not see what flushing the engine will acheive apart from accelerating
engine wear.
John.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Cochran" <rangerbrian@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 06:27
Subject: any guesses on oil light woes

> So I have a real problem with my 2.1L this time.  I've known someday I
will
> have to confront the noisy AT which doesn't like to downshift with the
petal
> to the floor.  And I have been gearing up for the proverbial head gaskets.
> That little pool of antifreeze collecting on the casting stamp just below
> the spark plug has been welling for a year ( so it's either a crack or
> spilling from one of the external head nuts?)......
>
> But now I will really worry with that oil pressure light.  The light has
> been flickering after the engine gets warm.  Mostly at stops, sometimes
out
> on the highway there's some flickering.  Yesterday, at a stop light, the
> light came on nice and solid. A sickening feeling came over me.  I put it
in
> neutral and the light went out.  (sounds bad huh?)
>
> Here's the stats that are driving me crazy:  I'm the seventh owner of an
84
> westy.  Through research, I've discovered the engine is a 2.1L (MV block
#)
> and I've tracked down the VW dealership who installed it.  They said it
was
> a "new rebuilt with new crank, bearings...."  I didn't ask for any
> additional info--maybe I should have??  There's less than 70,000 miles on
> this rebuild.
>
> The previous owner installed a new oil pressure sender about a year ago,
two
> months before I bought it.  I found the wire off this sender was shorting
> out on the engine tin and replaced it last spring.
>
> My starting points are an oil change (just over 2,000miles).  I was going
to
> change the oil pressure sender (i think I only have the low
> pressure--digijet), but since it's only a year old???
>
> My last hope is to do the five minute engine flush thing.  That scares me,
> but I guess it's a last hope move.  It just hate the thought of what's
left
> over in the engine after I drain that stuff back out.  There's got to be
> residue and I'm not about to waste oil by doing a third oil change am I?
Is
> that flush stuff TOO hard on a engine.
>
> Any thoughts on the situation would be helpful. I'm only hoping the wire
is
> shorting out again.
>
> My gripe section:
> The thought that the problem is bearing wear(=new engine) is a very big
> bummer. What's the point of these rebuilt engines if the bearings can't go
> some real distance!  I am just going to buy another car to start with,
since
> I can't be without a car.  Then I guess the obvious choice is the Tiico,
> since I'm not about to put another rebuilt weakling in there.  (and I was
> looking forward to the gasket job--I'm not a really in the club without
> doing one of those!!)
>
> Thanks,
> Brian Cochran,
> 84 westy
> Carnation WA
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