Outer Limits 4x4 Board

A connecting rod on my 3L was just recently changed under warranty by my local Toyota dealer after a bolt on it backed off which caused a knocking noise over 2100rpm and now that i've had it back for a week my oil idiot light is taking progressively longer to turn off when starting the engine cold.

Air temps here are around 27C year round so the engine isn't starting in frigid conditions. Starting the engine in the morning it takes about 15-20 seconds for the red warning light to turn off now instead of the normal 1-2 seconds. Once it goes off the engine can be shut down and then restarted a few minutes later (block still cold) and the light goes off instantly. Bringing the revs up a bit when starting doesnt reduce the time it takes for the light to go off.

During the day once the engine is warm it only takes the normal 1-2 seconds for the light to go off. As the engine cools it takes longer. After it's been sitting cooling for 4 hours or so the light takes about 5-8 seconds to go out.

The engine only has 39,600Ks on it and has always been dealer serviced at 5000km intervals. They claim it's running Esso 15-40w Diesel oil. Oil levels look ok when I checked. I've only done 400km or so since getting the truck back from being repaired by the dealer but the oil is fairly black already.

It's back at the dealer today for them to check the problem but from what they told me yesterday they only think it's a sensor problem.

Any other ideas as to what could be causing this oil idiot light problem?

I'd really like to get an oil pressure gauge fitted to see what pressure I'm really running but that will take 2 or more weeks to import. What sort of PSI should the oil pressure be at in a 3L engine normally?

if its not a dodgy sensor wich i don't think it is as it works the rest of the time ok ,
i would make the suggestion that its the oil or maybe a a oil additive that they have fitted

making it a little thicker when its cold on initial start up , once its hot it is nice n hot n thin and easy to get pumped threw the system

I thought it may have been thicker oil as well since it doesnt do it when it's up to temp but the dealer claims it's the same oil as normal.

It's as if the oil is draining out of the filter and pump over time and then taking a while to reprime when the engine is started cold. It's got a genuine Toyota oil filter on it. Could be a defective filter somehow?

Do they have a anti drain back valve in them i know overhere the ryco do and valvoline don't unsure of genuinne ones but

spongerx wrote:I thought it may have been thicker oil as well since it doesnt do it when it's up to temp but the dealer claims it's the same oil as normal.

It's as if the oil is draining out of the filter and pump over time and then taking a while to reprime when the engine is started cold. It's got a genuine Toyota oil filter on it. Could be a defective filter somehow?

certainly could be. Swap the filter and see how it goes.

Did toyota fit the filter or you?

what did toyota say??

if it didnt do it before, there has to be a reason why now.

best bet is to check the oil press, it could be a dodgey sender unit, as these are pretty common to fail, however having the oil light on for that lenght of time would be un nerving.
Does the engine sound like its got oil pressure?? ie idle speed drop slightly, no knocking etc??

Trains

They tell me they havent been able to replicate the problem after it's been sitting in their workshop for 3 days now.

Idle is a bit lower than normal after I got it back from the engine work they did on it, around 700rpm no AC and 950rpm with AC. The idle changes every time they service it though so wasnt too concerned with that.

It doesnt run rough or hot or sound any different to me. It actually feels like the engine is making more power now as I dont have to drop a gear on hills that I'd have to drop a gear to get over before. It's not black smoking quite as much either.

I dont have the ears of a mechanic so the engine sounds ok at startup to me. It sounded a bit tinny between about 1800rpm and 2800rpm but I think it always sounded like that.

Toyota will probably tell me there's nothing wrong with it but it's really unnerving to sit there in the morning and see that oil warning light glowing for 15-20 seconds. I think I'll take it by a better diesel mech I know when I get it back and let him have a listen. Was only being dealer serviced as it was under warranty and now that it's out of warranty I need to find somewhere better to take it anyways.

Got it back yesterday afternoon with a new oil light sender installed and suprise suprise the oil light is still taking 15-20 seconds to go out with the first start in the morning.

I think there's supposed to be a one way valve in the genuine Toyota oil filter to retain oil but is there a one way valve in or near the oil pump as well?

I'm thinking these valves may have got blocked with something allowing all the oil to drain into the sump over time and forcing the pump to reprime everything on the first start of the day.

spongerx wrote:Got it back yesterday afternoon with a new oil light sender installed and suprise suprise the oil light is still taking 15-20 seconds to go out with the first start in the morning.

I think there's supposed to be a one way valve in the genuine Toyota oil filter to retain oil but is there a one way valve in or near the oil pump as well?

I'm thinking these valves may have got blocked with something allowing all the oil to drain into the sump over time and forcing the pump to reprime everything on the first start of the day.

put a new filter on it and see what happens.

spongerx wrote:Got it back yesterday afternoon with a new oil light sender installed and suprise suprise the oil light is still taking 15-20 seconds to go out with the first start in the morning.

I think there's supposed to be a one way valve in the genuine Toyota oil filter to retain oil but is there a one way valve in or near the oil pump as well?

I'm thinking these valves may have got blocked with something allowing all the oil to drain into the sump over time and forcing the pump to reprime everything on the first start of the day.

If its still doing it, take it back, and get them to fix it.
It didnt do it before, now it is, and its still doing it.
Dont be pushed around by them.

Trains

spongerx wrote:Got it back yesterday afternoon with a new oil light sender installed and suprise suprise the oil light is still taking 15-20 seconds to go out with the first start in the morning.

I think there's supposed to be a one way valve in the genuine Toyota oil filter to retain oil but is there a one way valve in or near the oil pump as well?

I'm thinking these valves may have got blocked with something allowing all the oil to drain into the sump over time and forcing the pump to reprime everything on the first start of the day.

Seeing that your vech has been serviced due to your service intervals due to keeping your warranty, I highly doubt its due to a blocked oil gallery/oil reducer.

My suggestion in to keep onto them and get a full diagnosis on it.

All Toyota oil filters (excluding the X93) have an Anti-drainback valve.

It's now taking less time turned off to notice the oil light delay. Takes about 18 seconds on first start and after being off for 45-60 mins is taking about 8 seconds to go off. Also noticed while sitting in traffic on the way into the Toyota dealership this morning that my AC idle has dropped a lot. When the engine was working well it would go up to around 1000rpm when the AC kicked in and now it's barely going above 750rpm from an idle of 700rpm and it's cutting in a lot more often.

Spoke to one of the mechanics at the dealership who I've been dealing with and he didnt seem to take my idea of a blocked filter seriously. This is the same one that assured me it was only a faulty sender unit. His reply was the filter was new when it was installed so that couldnt possibly be the problem.

The first thing that all the other engine builders and mechanics I've spoken to about the problem say is to change the filter and see what happens as it may be defective but I dunno what the dealership mechanics have against doing this. The next thing they say to check is the non-return valves around the oil pump as these may be stuck open or damaged. I mentioned that to the Toyota mechanic this morning as well and he didnt seem to be too interested in that idea at all so I dunno what he thinks the problem could be now.

Oil pressure if fine once the engine is started and it feels like it has good power. Seemed a bit smokier than normal under power yesterday evening. It took them 3 days to change the sender unit so it'll probably take them all week to getting around to doing an oil and filter change..... if they ever finally agree to do that.

It sucks that theres only one Toyota dealership on this island to get this work done under warranty.

Yeah and they know it by the way there pushing you around just keep pissing them off hopefully they will do the right thing. most dealerships over here do the same but there is always others around and it isn't to hard to get into contact with the managers high up then they listen a bit more. i don't work at a dealer ship and never really aspire to as from all the bad stories and dealings close friends have had.

Finally got some more news from the dealership today. Seems they finally decided to pull the oil pump and found scoring damage to it. They say everything else in the engine looks fine tho. They've agreed to change it at no cost to me which is great but of course they're out of stock of pumps They hope to have one imported and installed by the end of next week so keepin my fingers crossed that that finally sorts things out.

In the meantime they've given me a Corolla to drive around which was nice of them. Pita to have to hunt for smooth parkin spots now after being used to stickin my truck anywhere it could fit. The Corolla has some silly little ricer body skirt thing on it so it's even more fun trying not to crunch it into curbs when I'm parking I dunno how these street racers get by everyday having to dodge pot holes and anything more than a few inches high with their lowered and skirted cars, it's been drivin me nuts cos theres a ton of pot holes over here.

meh not your car and why would they have a body kit fitted to a courtsy car i'd never know

Finally got my Hilux back from the dealership on Friday. Everything appears to be working ok now (fingers still crossed) but havent done a whole lot of driving with it yet. Only took them about 7 weeks to sort out (3 weeks to change an oil pump) but at least I didnt have to pay for any of it.

The mechs said the oil pump was completely destroyed, scoring damage all over the housing and innards. They had to fly in one of those and a few other bits to get it going again cos they dont seem to stock much for these engines. Their logic seems to be that the 3L just doesnt need parts very often.