Oil pressure warning at hot idle and a hard brake pedal
- Make and model
- Peugeot 208
- Year
- 2016
- Engine
- 1.2 PureTech 110
- Fuel
- Petrol
- Mileage
- 112,000 km
Customer complaint
The oil pressure warning flickers at idle when hot, and a few times the brake pedal felt hard when braking at low speed. Service history with long oil-change intervals.
Fault codes
| Code | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| P0524 | Engine Oil Pressure Too Low | Stored |
Measurements and live data
| Parameter / measurement | Measured | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| Oil pressure, hot idle (gauge) | 0.7 bar | typically above 1.0 bar |
| Vacuum at the brake servo, idle | −0.45 bar | about −0.8 bar |
| Timing belt width (manufacturer gauge) | Beyond the wear limit | within the limit |
Tests performed
- Oil drained through a fine strainerBlack rubber flakes from the timing belt in the oil
- Sump removedOil pump pickup strainer partly blocked with belt particles
- Vacuum pump oil feed inspectedFeed restricted by belt debris
Solution
Root cause
The timing belt that runs in the oil had degraded; belt particles blocked the oil pickup strainer and the brake vacuum pump oil feed.
Repair
New timing belt kit, sump cleaned and pickup strainer replaced, new vacuum pump, fresh oil to the PSA specification and a new filter. Oil pressure and brake vacuum back within specification.
Parts
Timing belt kit, oil pickup strainer, vacuum pump, oil and filter
Labour time
5 h
Lesson learned
On a PureTech a hard brake pedal can be an engine oil problem, not a brake problem.
Training case: the usual fix for this fault, not a confirmed repair on a specific car.
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