Oil pump?

[mcmoxley]

We are looking to buy an '87 full camper we found on AutoTrader from a dealer in Chicago. The rig has less than 57,000 original miles on it.

When we took it for a test drive, the oil light and buzzer both came on. It did not overheat. We took it back to the dealership and checked the oil level...there was plenty of oil and it looked fine.

Could these symptoms indicate a bad oil pump or something else? Any help would be appreciated...we're under the gun to decide on whether to spend $15K on this puppy or not. Cosmetically it looks like it's been in a time capsule, except for a few minor issues.

[tencentlife]

If you think it sat for a long time, possibly the high OP switch is stuck in open circuit. It should ground its signal wire when OP is over about 13psi. Given the mileage, and looking well-cared-for, I would be more apt to suspect a warning system hangup like that than a real OP problem.

But it should be easy to find out. Have the dealer hook up an OP gauge as a condition of your further consideration. OP when hot (oil at 170F) should be 29psi at 2000rpm. Idle OP at that temp should be at least 10psi.

[mcmoxley]

tencentlife - awesome answer...we'll follow your advice and post the outcome.

[RCB]

Congratulations on your find, I wish you the best.
Side note: For $15.000 I would have the dealer solve this issue for you prior to putting out the cash.
What sort of warranty or guarantee are you getting? Make sure everything is written and all eyes are dotted and the teas are crossed.
I might even be tempted to take it by a local VW dealer for a good going over.
Anyway,safe and happy trails to you and yours.

[mcmoxley]

We passed up the '87. The A/C didn't work (was blowing chunks of stuff out the vents), there was some rust in the places you'd expect from a Midwest vehicle, the seal was gone from around the poptop and luggage rack, and the dealer wasn't willing to guarantee anything. We got our deposit back, so they did act with integrity on that.

If you're interested, here's the link: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=231431097

What we DID buy (just today!) is what we were really looking for all along...a '90 stick shift Multivan. California vehicle all its life, straight body and seemingly strong engine. My partner is driving it home to BC right now...

The '90 or '91 manual weekenders are just so hard to find, we had opened up the searches to include full campers and going back to '86/'87. We figured we could swap the interior from our '91 Carat to the full camper, making the camper a virtual Multivan, and then sell the Carat as a hardtop camper. No need for all that now...

[msinabottle]

Those still small voices of warning are very easy to ignore, because they are so very quiet and GREED I WANT THAT NOW is so blessed loud...

But if you get bad vibes, you are VERY wise to heed them. Winston... Oh, he looked AWFUL when we saw him... I took pictures right after Nick delivered him. And have I sunk... SCADS of money into him--note the Avatar!

At the time we bought him, it felt as if he was running and driving as well as he did out of sheer pride and willpower, or good engineering, your call, and it took more than a few weeks before the two of us felt comfortable with each other...

But...

He runs. He starts and does what I ask of him. And for the purpose I bought him, camping at the jobsite, he started good and has only gotten better. And I never feel that a dollar I've put into him was wasted.

I hope you feel about this van that way.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."