VZ Alloytec Intermittent Check Oil Light and Engine Rattle

[Mick1988]

Having a weird issue with a 2005 VZ HBA Alloytec engine. Engine starts and runs perfectly, smooth and not one rattle or tick upon startup. One of the quietest Alloytecs I've ever heard. After some time the car comes with a "Check Oil" light and continues to drive like normal. Sometimes this light will go away and sometimes it will come back. After more driving the car will start to rattle and knock however the knock sounds more like no oil in the top end than it sounds like a crank bearing knock.

Turn the car off, start it again and the knock goes away, coming back soon after. If you leave the car off to go cold, it will start up again smooth as a baby's bum.

Checked the oil, it's way over full. Literally a third of the way up the dipstick, maybe 2-3 times above the full mark.

I'm in three minds about this car, wanting to get some opinions before I throw money down the drain on it.

Option 1: Could be shitty oil overfull causing the engine to struggle to push it around. Looks to have been serviced either 1,000km or 6,000km ago according to service sticker depending if they said to come back in 10k or 15k. Service with a new oil and filter and see how it goes.

Option 2: Oil pump weak, could pull motor to bits and install a good oil pump assembly. Service with new oil and filter and see how it goes.

Option 3: Motor stuffed, rip it out, throw it in the bin and put a good second hand one in.

I'm leaning towards option 2 but I'm also not keen on spending $300 on parts and a day to pull the motor apart only for the problem to be within one of the bearings in the big end.

Thoughts and opinions would be much appreciated.

 

[MYVESSV8]

maybe your oil sensor needs replacing, and what grade oil used,

 

[Dirbatua]

flush the **** outta the sludgetec engine with some oil flush with current oil and fill it with cheap gulf western and flush it again immediately and then fill it to the correct level with good oil of the correct spec for the engine.

You probably got some sludgy **** blocking up the internals somewhere causing 1 point to get a bit starved for oil or flooded with oil because it cant get in/out properly which is usually the case with the VZ sludgetecs.

 

[Mick1988]

Just drained 10l of oil out of the engine and still sitting above full on the dipstick. Drove it up the road and back much more power and idling whisper quiet out the front of the shop for 20 minutes now. Not too sure on the grade of oil but was pretty murky and horrible looking so I would suggest it needs replacing. Might take the above advise and put a flush in with remaining oil etc I think I've maybe been lucky and scored an easy fix.

 

[Dirbatua]

10 litres of oil, wtf, i hope thats a typo cause they are only supposed to have like 6.5 litres in em total.

now wonder it was struggling like a bitch, sounds like someone filled the engine to the top.

Drain the hell outta it, flush it and put 6.5ls of something like a 10w-40 full synth in it.

 

[Mick1988]

No I'm serious. Maybe even more. I filled an 8l oil tub almost to the top 6l or maybe a bit more) then 4l the second time I drained it and still above full. Went to Amcap and bought the Acdelco semi-synthetic stuff Holden recommend and a genuine filter drove it on a few short trips and no rattle or oil light so looks like maybe a winner

 

[CalaisNQ]

With that much oil in it, would be just about running out the air intake!

 

[MYVESSV8]

Fark!!!!!!! even the my V8 has 9lt, how much did you drain total, no wonder it was sick!!!!!!

 

[Mick1988]

Drained about 18 liters in total, no bullshit... Filled it up with the recommended oil (bought genuine filter and Acdelco oil but have a bit of smoke from the oil cap and PCV fresh air inlet so need to take the driver's valve cover off and clean out the PCV outlet. Apart from that running and driving mint now did a 500km round trip last night

 

[Dirbatua]

lol no **** it was running like crap then haha, some twat has completely filled the engine all the way to the top with oil