2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

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Mon 15 Sep 2014 11:42

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - bootzey

Hi All.

Got the following problem...

Drive the car 12 miles from cold, sounds sweet n quiet, but get to my destination and it sounds like a tin of nails. After 2 hours sounds fine on start up, drive 15 miles, sounds like a tin of nails again. After half an hour, start up tin of nails again then drive 200 yards to petrol station, put a tenner of petrol in, start up......absolutely perfect and perfect after a 3 mile drive home other than oil light flicking on n off at idle. Not the first time it's happened like this.

When I first changed the oil filter after buying the car there was a fair amount of oil that came out of the filter housing. Since then I've done the cam chain and associated stuff. Oh by the way, never use the pulley oil right g you get with a cam chain kit...always buy a separate one from vauxhall. The kit ones slip out at 3k revs whilst doing 870 on a motorway, so you drive as oil spills out everywhere under the car and up the hatchback door and over the car behind you!

Anyway back to the problem...

I'm now not getting any oil spilling out when I change the filter. The filter is oily so some is going through but there's none in the housing itself when the cap is removed. Seen a video on YouTube where the fella removes the cap and oil spills out but mine isn't doing it.

Can't help feeling there's a feed blockage somewhere that let a small amount of oil through but not enough at high revs or to fill the filter housing.

Any thoughts please?

Cheers

Dave

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Mon 15 Sep 2014 11:58

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - RobJP

First question : is it a genuine oil filter.

I ask this as I recall some cars have 'holding' oil filters, which don't drain back to the sump, which means you get faster lubrication to the top end on startup. An aftermarket filter might not have that. In addition, I've seen cheap oil filters clog up or just fail to filter.

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Mon 15 Sep 2014 14:42

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - Manatee

Oil filter sounds a good place to start. I only use genuine ones now, there are too many stories of aftermarket ones not having the right bits in, and brands don't mean much now unless you check that they have not been sold off or licenced to 'badge' products from elsewhere, like Crosland was.

Hydraulic tappets? Has it got the right oil in it?

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Tue 16 Sep 2014 08:12

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - Quicksilver

Maybe the oil pickup strainer for the pump is partially blocked?

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Tue 16 Sep 2014 08:51

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - brighteyes

All the above could be correct however my money is on the hydraulic tappets (if your engine has them) if it doesn't then I would suggest a worn oil pump. When the oil is cold/cool it would be able to keep the pressure near normal but not when the oil is hot. It will also let the hot oil in the filter flow back passed it into the sump.

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Wed 17 Sep 2014 12:26

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - bootzey

Thanks for the reply Manatee

Yep, hydraulic tappets. As far as I know 5w30 is the correct oil. I've used it before in the car with no problems. This problem only started after the crank pulley seal popped out at 70 on the M1 going to Leicester. It was a rubbish seal you get with eBay timing chain kits. Had oil under the car and up the back door. So now it has a genuine vauxhall one in...no leaks.

I had a Bosch filter in at the time. When I replaced it recently, it was mangled and squashed. There was a couple of holes in it. I've also found bits of sealant in oil filters and also the thermostat.

The camshafts seem to have plenty of oil on them and oil does spit out when the filler cap is removed.

As I write I'm starting to think it's a sump and filter housing removal for an inspection. There was no oil problems before I did the timing chain.

Cheers

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Wed 17 Sep 2014 11:11

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - bootzey

Thanks for the reply Rob.

No, it's a Mann filter...i think my next purchase will be vauxhall one.

You're right in that it's a holding filter housing. But when I take the cap off some now spills out. However, there is oil left in the housing that I can watch drain away.

It's almost like that on tick over not enough oil stays in the filter housing so it loses pressure and the oil light comes on. But it only comes on when the engine is really hot and been revved over 3k, drops to idle and the light cones on. After a while like this and with more driving eventually the oil light stays on longer then, say in a traffic jam the light goes off after a period of just ticking over.

I got a new oil pressure switch and have got Triple Qx 5w30 semi in it.

Cheers

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Thu 18 Sep 2014 17:57

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - Cyd

Thanks for the reply Rob.

No, it's a Mann filter...i think my next purchase will be vauxhall one.

See comments about Mann filters here
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=106587

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Wed 17 Sep 2014 12:21

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - Micky-BO

A oil pressure test at engine cold & at running tempature would not go amiss. The symptons you decribe points in the direction of centre main bearing shells. The 1st fall off point in any oil system..

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Wed 17 Sep 2014 18:12

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - Quicksilver

Mann are good filters so unless it is defective I think it would be OK.

How many miles has car done?

Sounds like it could be oil pump or main bearings.

Have you tried 10W 40 or thicker oil?

Might make it OK for a while?

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Thu 18 Sep 2014 09:52

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - bootzey

It's done just under 100k. When I had the timing cover off it looked like the oil pump had been replaced as there was clean unstained areas around it.

When I start the car in the morning or after 6/7 hours it rattles until the oil light goes out. If I take the oil filter cover off before starting the housing is oil free...but if I take the cover off straight after turning the engine off oil spills out and there's oil in the housing but i can then watch it drain away. So I'm taking the filter housing off today to try and inspect the release valve. It's almost like the filter is pushing the release valve down so pressure is reduced on tickover?

I've got a sump gasket so will be removing the sump and inspect the main bearings and big ends. Then will be using 0w40 and a vauxhall filter if they seem ok.

Thanks

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Thu 18 Sep 2014 11:16

2002 1.2 16v Corsa - oil problem - Wackyracer

Don't waste your money on 0w40. a 5wXX oil will give oil flow down to temperatures much lower than it ever gets here in the UK.

There is a drain back valve in the oil filter housing that lets oil drain back to the sump when your removing the oil filter. Make sure it is closing properly when the oil filter is screwed down.

Edited by Wackyracer on 18/09/2014 at 11:20

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