Evening.

Could anyone tell me roughly how long it should take to change an oil pump an a P reg 1.4 VW Polo???

A (lady) friend has one, the oil light keeps flickering on and off. It has plenty of oil. A friend of hers said it might be the oil pump.

Just need a rough idea of time/cost to replace said part, so she can decide what to do.

I haven't seen said motor, just making sure she doesn't get ripped off if it is the oil pump.

Alternatively, if anyone knows of another problem that might cause this (loose wires etc.) so I can have a quick look for her

Thanks in advance

Sean

Knackered pressure switch or possible worn bearings on the crank.

[Edited on 5/1/10 by prawnabie]

Take the bulb out and sell.

Only joking

you need to have a right good listen to the engine to check that it isn't rumbling or knocking, if it is then there's no point fitting a new oil pump or anything else for that matter.

next I would try changing the pressure switch to see if that's the problem.

only then would I consider looking at the oil pump - but if that's knackered then I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for the rest of the engine.

Thanks for the replies.

I'll tell her to get rid.

Having said that, the local VW garage (to her) has offered to do a free health check on it. Might as well let them give her the bad news

On my Mk2 Golf there's a pressure release valve on the oil pump.

This failed once (stuck open I guess) causing pressure to fall and the light and buzzer to sound.

Was doing 60+ at the time. Scariest driving moment as had never heard the buzzer and didn't know car had one!

It may be nothing more than a faulty sensor, fitting temperary a gauge would show exactly what it had pressure wise.
The again if you've got to pay a garage time to diagnose etc then you're spending money on a car that's well in the banger age group.

For more of a "quick look on the driveway" test if the oil light gets better with more revs & worse as the engine heats up then that would point to a real engine problem. An engine with poor oil pressure will usually put the light out OK when it first fires up when the oil is thick & put it out at higher revs when the pump is going fast enough to keep up.
If the oil light comes & goes as it pleases & seems to bear no relation to revs or temperature then it's much more likely to be the sensor. It could still be a sticking relief valve but if it is then it won't live for long with the light on!

Just a little update - it was the oil pressure switch. It was changed at some point in the past, and whoever changed it forgot to put a washer on.

As such the oil was a bit low as well.

It cost her £20 for oil, £25 labour for the oil and a new washer, which she is well chuffed with. I've still not even seen the car.

Thanks all for the answers