caucano

Hi all,

I just recently (jan 07) bought my 1st car, a 2007 civic Lx. I love it, aside from the fact that the low oil pressure light keeps coming on randomly (well not randomly, it seems to come on when I have the air conditioning on for a while) I live in AZ so the air conditioning is crucial. I have taken it to my local dealership three times already. The first two times they told me it was fixed; I was told it was an electrical problem in the sending unit. But the light came on again last weekend and I took the car back to the dealership and complained. Now they tell me that they got in contact with Honda Engineers (they should have done this before) and that the oil pump needs to be changed.

As this is my 1st car, I am learning a lot and wanted to get your input on what I can expect from the dealership. I mean, I'm sure they'll tell me this time that its fixed, but if it comes on again what I am to do? Is there not some law against getting a bad new car? Are there others out there with the same problem? Also, is the fact that the oil pump need to be changed a serious issue?

Thanks for your inputs.

Boilermaker1

iTrader: (16)

Anything can be defective, it sometimes takes a little while for it to show. If they're changing the oil pump.... you got a big problem, and there's no guarantee it fixes it. That light doesnt come on until there is ZERO oil pressure. Force them to rip out the girdle and the rod caps and make sure you didnt spin a bearing. If you had no pressure and the crank made contact with a bearing, the whole motor is ****ed. I'd make em change the entire short block out anyways, you'll probably have to fight with them, but its a fight worth while. Every state has a lemon law, you'll have to look up your state's requirements for declaring a car a lemon.

From experience, dealers are morons, and they tend to play a guessing game, trying simple things and claiming its fixed, rather than actually trying to trouble shoot the actual problem.

caucano

Boilermaker, thanks for your reply. I had not actually worried about the oil pressure being actually low since I was told the dummy light came on by mistake and that there was nothing wrong with the oil pressure. They even took measured the oil pressure with a gauge and it was alright (so they say). Damn, not having full knowledge of the insides of the car is really going to hurt me. I'll check out the lemon law thanks

DaMadScientist

iTrader: (10)

wht i would do would be fight for a new car

Boilermaker1

iTrader: (16)

Yeah, telling you this saves them the trouble of swapping out the motor because they think that you dont know whats going on with it. I would fight em tooth and nail to yank the thing apart and show you the bearings, or make em replace the bottom end.
That switch going off more than once, especially if its more than one switch, is not an electrical fault, thats a problem. This gauge they hooked up.... were they driving around with it? Or did they idle it on a lift.... cuz thats 2 different things.

caucano

Can I just go and fight for a new car? And about the oil pressure, I think they tested under idle and accelaration...not too sure about crusing...I'd have to check the receipt. I don't mind asking to see bearings but this is all new to me and learning takes a while; don't want to look like a fool when they show me busted bearings and I just smile like an ***

DaMadScientist

iTrader: (10)

i would and just save the headaches cause you dont know if this will lead to any other premature failure of other engine parts