How screwed am I?

[Manics]

Changed the oil this weekend on my 1.8T BEX. It's been changed every 9k miles with Mobil 1 5W30 for the last 90k miles. Car is currently at 160k. I've owned the car for 11 years.

Sadly found some unwelcome objects in the oil for the first time. Black plastic, with score marks. Very small. I am 98% sure these objects are from the oil pump chain tensioner (because they are coloured black, not brown like the cam chain tensioner, and because they have score marks likely from the oil pump chain).

This is a file photo of the oil pump chain tensioner:

In situ:

Some other guys' broken one which he found after stripping an engine (he had no symptoms). I think mine has broken in the same way (going on the dimensions of the deposit of plastic bits in mine):

I have (touch wood) no oil pressure light at any speed or idle. No ticking or rattling.

It's a major job getting to the tensioner, way beyond me, and decently beyond economical repair given the car is worth around a grand (whole of the front of the engine has to be removed). So since finding only small bits I'm sat here telling myself that only a small section has broken away and flushed out, and that the tensioner will not continue to disintegrate, and my oil pickup screen is surely clear.

That the Gods will continue to smile and the 200k dream is still alive. Does Audi-Sport concur?

 

[Manics]

Decided to install an oil pressure gauge. An oil pressure warning (flashing red on the DIS) is triggered by a switch -the trigger point is 23psi. As it's a switch, VAG COM cannot report PSI (the data isn't there).

It's a quick and easy install. Working from this: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/393352-1-8T-Oil-Pressure-Sender-Install-Write-Up

There's a capped-off AUX port on top of the oil filter housing available for use. The two key components are the oil pressure gauge (you want an electronic one) and the sender unit (the sender is wired back to the gauge, which then reads the data). The sender is what you'll screw into your oil filter housing AUX port (using metal adaptors to alter the sender install angle so that it fits in the available space).

Exhaustive (includes PSI spec's at measured RPM's):
https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...essure-Survival-Guide-and-troubleshooting-DIY

Another option is to buy a mechanical test gauge from eBay (which you would connect, test, then disconnect, you don't leave it connected) for around £14 -however a fully installed electrical gauge is going to give you ongoing insight so you can monitor any gradual pressure decrease should it occur, which in time would ultimately trigger your pressure switch and DIS warning. In my case, the oil tensioner could still give up in an instant, taking me from OK to bad quickly, but at least I'll know if bits of it are clogging my oil pick up, down in the pan.

Given the history of 1.8T's (Audi oil TSB, sludge, service intervals), the pick up screen etc. and that mileages on B6's are mostly quite high (I'm at 160k) I think it's cheap insurance, and far quicker than dropping the oil pan to take a look.

"One way to really reveal a screen that is starting to clog is to get the readings when fully hot after a good drive and take readings from idle all the way to high rpm: idle, 1500, 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k, 6k. The pressure should go up with every reading. If rpms go up, and pressure goes DOWN, that's no good and indicates the screen is partially clogged".

Search eBay for:
Adaptor (couple' quid) 1/8" NPT Female To M10x1.0 Male Reducer Oil Pressure Gauge Take Off Adapter

Adaptor 2 (angled, couple' quid) Motamec 1/8" NPT 45 Degree Female to Male Elbow Alloy Adapter Fitting

My gauge/sender choice, thought it looked close enough to OEM (£11)
Universal Car Black Pointer Oil Pressure Gauge 0-100 PSI White LED Light 2″ 52mm

 

[lowlife89]

Thanks for sharing this, hope your car turns out alright.

 

[voorhees]

Never good to find bits in your oil,I do hope you realise the 200k dream