Hi! I'm hoping someone has some advice for me.

I have a 1981 240D diesel with over 338k miles. It's old, I know. Recently it has developed a very loud rattling (not knocking!) at idle. Again, it's not knocking, just rattling loudly, and the oil pressure gauge registers 0 at idle. When I rev the engine above 2000 RPMs, the rattling stops and the pressure gauge pops to the top (3). Seems I need to keep the RPMs above 2000 in order to keep the oil pressure up.

Is this a common problem with older 240D engines? I'm inclined to think it's a defective oil pump. If I replace the pump, does anyone know if a "high-volume" oil pump is available for older, worn-out 240Ds?

Thanks for any and all replies!

Greta

 

Thank you ForcedInduction - you were right, that was exactly the problem! My brother is a auto tech (but not a diesel guy) and he was able to check the oil pump today now that he had an idea of what to look for. We found the valve was a little sticky. He also checked the bearing closest to the pump and found no damage from running it with the defective valve, so it looks like I've escaped disaster this time! Woohoo!

I've got a new pump ordered and on the way.

Thanks a lot for your spot-on advice!

Greta