Oil & Oil Light ~ 300 TDi

Hello

I have been having a few problems with flickering oil warning light, on my 300TDi Disco. I have a new oil pressure sensor / switch to fit tomorrow. However, when I got home tonight, after a 200 mile tow with nearly 2 tonns on the back I noticed a little oil leak.

There's oil coming from what appears to be the aluminium casting that the oil filter screws into. The oil appears to be coming from somewhere between the casting and the engine. The oil fiter is screwed on tight.

Its a bit dark to be ferreting about under the bonnet now, but I guess this is where I could be loosing oil pressure, hence the light coming on. Oil level is still pretty high though.

ANy ideas what this casting is called, and are they prone to leaks ?

I 've had a look in the Haynes guide, but can't quite figure out what the thing is called or how it works.

Cheers in advance Y'all !

justa quick question has the engine ever got too warm ?

No never got "too warm". Once, it started to rise and got as far as half way, before I pulled over. P Gasket job. Even since then never higher than 1/3 of the way up the dial.

Engine is fine, not a head gasket job.

Ta

waant thinking head gasket to be honest...had a flickering oil light on my old 300tdi that came and went fer a while then got worse...turned out the bottom end bearings were on their way out..... i'd stick a new oil filter on just to check its not the rubber seal thats not fooked

Well well...

I nipped out and took some photo's (attached) . By getting the photo's at filter level, you can see what appears to be a fresh oil leak around a head of a nut. I'm not so sure its oil...I think its fuel.

I think the oil pressure switch has gone, and I have a fuel leak. This may explain the chuffing noise I hear, that speeds up as the engine revvs.

Ideas anyone ?

Ta

change the oil pressure switch.There have been numerous posts everywhere about this problem and changing the switch cures 99% of the problems.Let us know how you get on.

cheers
jim Anderson
1996 300tdi auto(Jap import