1toyota4me

I recently took my car in for a tune up/oil change. During that service my oil gauge stopped working. The mechanic said it was the oil sensor but when it was replaced it didn't help the oil gauge. Also, we discovered a clicking/rubbing/knocking kinda sound whenever I hit the gas? Are these two issues related? Any ideas or expertise about what the problem might be?
- What is the clicking sound?
- Why isn't the oil gauge working, even with the new sensor?
Any input would greatly appreciated. Thanks.

It's a '90 v6 4x4. 3.slow

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

So your oil pressure gauge suddenly "stopped working" while also your engine is knocking? I know the gauge itself in the dash can go bad but with it knocking is probably related. Have you checked your oil? Oil pumps and such can fail but so can the person you paid to change your oil.

1toyota4me

exactly! just stopped working when i had the oil changed. fishy. anyway, now the sound too! so another mechanic, a friend, looked at it today. the oil looks good. the wiring/electrical/fuses are all good. he suggested it might be the oil pump. but if it's not the oil pump making the sound, could the sound be something more serious? does a malfunctioning oil pump cause the oil gauge not to work?

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

A oil pump does just that. Pump oil. All the gauge does is show you the pressure. If your oil pump failed and you have drove your truck it might have spun some bearings. No oil pressure=No good.

1toyota4me

thanks. makes sense. so do you suggest i don't drive it anymore until i know for sure what it is?

1toyota4me

is it really bad if i "spun some bearings"?

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't drive it or even crank it up if you have reason to believe the oil pump went out. When a engine looses oil pressure it doesn't all of a sudden throw a rod or lockup, there is a thin coating of oil that stays on engine parts that help on start up but it doesn't take long for it be metal on metal. A few years ago I got into synthetic oils and I found a video that demonstrated that. They took a small block and removed the oil pan and it continued to run at red line for about 15 min. They removed the coolant also so it might have went longer than that.

One thing you can do is get an aftermarket oil pressure gauge and hook it up. I'm sure there are write ups on here. If you crank it up and the aftermarket gauge shows nothing you've got a big problem.

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

Yes. Like new engine in your future

1toyota4me

so its not as simple as just changing the oil pump? forgive me, i am at the mercy of mechanics.

also, for reference.... i have driven quite a bit since the oil gauge stopped working. the mechanic told me it was fine to drive because it was only the sensor that wasn't working. that was about two weeks ago. i've been driving the 4runner since then. today is the first day i noticed the sound when my friend installed the new oil sensor and we listened to my engine. if it's the oil pump would i still have been able to drive my car for the last two weeks?

i'll try the aftermarket oil pressure gauge... i must admit i'm worried.

1toyota4me

i feel like the mechanic who did the tune up/oil change might have misdiagnosed the problem with the oil gauge... and by giving me the ok to drive maybe screwed me into badly damaging my car. yikes!

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

I think if you have drove it that much already it's probably not the oil pump as it would have locked up by now. Still get a aftermarket gauge though. What kind of noise is it making exactly? At idle? Revved? Or during normal driving?

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

Yea some mechanics can be shady like that. That's one reason I work on my own stuff. That and when I was younger I couldn't afford to pay someone so I taught myself.

1toyota4me

to me it sounds like a loud ticking noise. its when i really push on the gas. i guess revved. i can't hear it in the car while i'm driving but it can be heard outside the car. thoughts???

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

It only happens when the engine is under load? Like going up a hill?

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

Nevermind I can't read. Is it coming from the top of the engine or the bottom?

1toyota4me

well, it was a friend who had worked on my car before. he also replaced the valve cover gaskets cause i had an oil leak. so i did trust his work. he was the one that was gong to replace the oil sensor... that was going to happen yesterday.... but we had a falling out and he won't be working on my car anymore... (as of yesterday).... so today another mechanic who is a friend looked at it. so unfortunately, i can't go back to the mechanic who originally diagnosed the oil gauge issue. really, i wish i could work on my own 4runner!!!!!!!

1toyota4me

good question. i can't tell. my guess would be the top.

1toyota4me

when i start the car and its just running idle, it sounds fine/normal/great. its just when i hit the gas that the clicking sound starts.

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

I know there not as good as Toyota but pick you up a Haynes or Chilton service manual for your runner and read it front to back. Start with simple stuff like steering and suspension then work your way to engines and what not. That's how I learned, reading and looking at pictures lol With the Internet also it's so simple to research things and how-to's. I started working on trucks when I could walk helping my dad just change tires. I completed my first engine swap when I was 16 and by that time I was teaching my dad stuff about trucks and cars he didn't know. And I still am to this day. (I'm 21 now) It does have a downfall of knowing how to work on cars is all your friends want you to fix theirs lol it's also bad when you get stuck on something you know more than the mechanics in town and your really stuck lol

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

Does it start shaking or anything when the sounds starts?