5lb of oil pressure in me wifes rav 4,

[Flatwater]

It is sitting in oilville off I64. While in the mtns the radiator fan ate the radiator, and $458 later all is well. only on the wan home the oil light kept blinking on and off every 10 min or so. Stopped in Waynesboro and had it checked out. Good oil pressure, oil good and full. Drove another hour and the engine quit. waited 20 min started up drove to a gas station and there she still sits. 2004, w/80,000 miles. They are telling me the motor is shot. I am thinking of going back up and putting in the thick oil, engine rebuilder stuff and driving her home.

What are my options?

Oil pump $230 plus 6 hours labor to install. $777. and that is a gamble as most likely it is not the oil pump. Tow it home? $$$$ ARGH!!!!!!! it is not looking good for me to go fishing this weekend

[Percidae_Papermouth]

Mmmm ,,,, that's rough. Sorry for your troubles...that's a lot of money for a gamble, I had a 1900 head gasket done in a Porsche one time, got three miles up the road and all the sudden black smoke everywhere, I called the mech. He basically told me there was no way of knowing if the cylinder sleeves had been damaged until the head gasket was done... Well a new motor and thirteen hours labor later she was running smooth again lol

[Cray]

First thing, if light was blinking how did they check oil pressure? If they used manual gauge and you had pressure don't make much sense it would come and go like that unless regulator in pump is messed up. Did it run hot when damage to radiator happened. Is it locked up or knocking when running?

[Flatwater]

I talked to a lot folks that had all kinds of ideas, My first feeling was the shop that pulled the radiator bumped or put something back wrong and this interstate towing shop was just a crook looking to swindle a woman. So I went up there, changed the oil to 15 w40 with a qt of lukus. I drove it around the parking lot and the oil light blinked a bit seemed to blink when I hit a little bump. Hmmmm Motor ran smooth no noise. So I drove it home from other side of Richmond. Oil pressure is fine I think my wife was just a victim of someone trying to make a buck. Something is still not ok though, it wants to cut off at idle.

[crappie 11]

Have it plug ed up to the computer that will tell ya. Don't try to be a mechanic these days with the cars we drive you will loose your religion.

[Percidae_Papermouth]

Does it cut off when you cut the wheels hard? Did they disconnect the battery when they worked on it? If so the computer resets, if you have 80k on it and the sensors (especially throttle position sensor) is dirty and the computer compensates until total power loss then computer resets... Can of throttle body cleaner and scrub the butterfly will take care of it... If this is the case, don't ask how I learned this

["G"]

either a loose wire on the oil sending unit or the oil sending unit itself has gone bad .....easy fix if you are a do it yourselfer....new unit...less than 40 bucks

[Flatwater]

Update, So I took it to the dealer, YES I know they cost but sometimes I do think they pinpoint the problem faster. SO $39.95 for sending unit and $106 labor.

I asked the check out person, Why is it 106 dollars to unscrew a sensor and screw a new one in, Me thinks 5 min max. he calls up the mechanic, he knew his stuff, step 1 check voltage, Hmmm not good, step 2 remove sending sensor, plug in mechanical gauge, check pressures, all OK, step 3, drive around over bumps see what light does, step 4, replace oil pressure sending sensor. step 5 drive around see if all's well. 1 hour labor.

[Barnacle Bill]

Considering your first estimate that sounds like a happy ending.

[Percidae_Papermouth]

They gotta make money... Sounds like a very reasonable estimate, glad you got it worked out... I had a gauge cluster in my 03 Silverado go bad, was $1000 by the time I replaced it paid labor and reset the odometer/hourmeter. Amazing what they can charge for plastic pieces.