Oil pressure light and timing off

[dradnc]

TLDR WARNING!!!! Summary - it’s broke

I have a 2012 sonic with the 1.8 (108k miles). Several months ago I started to experience issues with my oil pressure. The light would illuminate mostly at idle. Around the same time I was losing heat intermittently. Flushed the heater core, but it didn’t fix that. We definitely heard ticking increase with the oil light on so we didn’t think it was just a bad sensor. This made me assume it was a bad pump or pickup issue maybe.

Still not having an answer about the loss of heat, we did a combustion test to see if maybe a head gasket leak was also occurring. The test showed a slight change in color indicating it was indeed seeing oil in the coolant.

With this info I decided to do a head gasket and replace the oil pump (replaced the entire front cover). Sent the head out for a mil and pressure test-no issues. All new gaskets, bolts, seals, etc. torque to spec across the board.
When I put it back together I’m now getting a camshaft and crankshaft timing advance code.

I replaced the oil pressure sensor as well, but the light still comes on. Now however I don’t notice a difference in sound like before. Although I think damage was already done as the lifters are super noisy. So noisy that I’m now even getting a knock code. It sounds like lifters though, not lower like a rod knock.

It seems to be running “fine” at idle. Not perfect, but ok. Enough that I feel like I could drive it down the road ok. If the timing is off, which I’m still not 100% sold that it is, I don’t think it’s off by much.

Regardless of all of this, I’m still seeing the oil light illuminate at idle once the oil warms up and thins out. So it would appear that the same root issue is still present.

Some other notes:
When I took the oil pan off to replace the pump, I found a very small spring sitting in the sump. No idea what it came from. Photo is attached.

When I took the cams out to send out the head I kept them in order, but inadvertently rotated them on the floor while I was waiting for the head. When I put them back in I put them in, in the only way I could see that they would fit with my cam locking tool. The grooves at the end of the cam are offset to where I don’t think there is anyway to put them in incorrectly. Is that a poor assumption?

I checked the oil filter relief valve as I’ve heard that can get stuck open from a filter tab breaking off. Not the issue.

I checked the CCV solenoids. They both move fine when I put current to them. The timing code mentioned bank 1 sensor B. So I thought I would switch around the exhaust and intake solenoid to see if the problem followed the solenoid. It didn’t. I still haven’t checked the cam sensors yet, which I will today.

I checked my timing marks and they’re right on.

The pistons didn’t look like a head gasket was bad. I would have expected to see a piston clean from coolant getting in and I didn’t. The valve cover was sludgy, but the car sat in the garage for several months before taking it apart. The sump wasn’t the same. So I really don’t think the head gasket was completely toast. I wondered if it was possible that the front cover gasket was bad, causing a mixture there, which screwed up the pump? Not too sure.

I’m guessing the motor is just too far gone at this point. But I honestly don’t know. I can be ok with the fact that maybe I put something together wrong, or missed something. But it’s really bothering me that I can’t figure out why the oil light is still illuminated after all this work.

I’ve attached a bunch of pics of the job in case they’re useful.

Anyone have an idea of what else to check?

 

[TurtleOverlord]

When I took the cams out to send out the head I kept them in order, but inadvertently rotated them on the floor while I was waiting for the head. When I put them back in I put them in, in the only way I could see that they would fit with my cam locking tool. The grooves at the end of the cam are offset to where I don’t think there is anyway to put them in incorrectly. Is that a poor assumption?

Not sure about your oil pressure or mystery spring, but I would double check your exhaust cam.

This is a pic of mine (mark is a dot and actually on a tooth).
Keep in mind that my intake cam is set a tooth too high in this picture.

If the cam adjusters rotated, I assume they need to be reset somehow so timing marks line up while the notches at the other end are straight.

 

[Rockabetty78]

Not sure about your oil pressure or mystery spring, but I would double check your exhaust cam.

This is a pic of mine (mark is a dot and actually on a tooth).
Keep in mind that my intake cam is set a tooth too high in this picture.

If the cam adjusters rotated, I assume they need to be reset somehow so timing marks line up while the notches at the other end are straight.

I'm having the same problem! I replaced the entire timing kit, including both sprocket gears. This will be the 4th time I tear it back down bc I keep getting P0017. Sure enough, the cam locking tool won't fit bc the exhaust cam slot's not horizontal. I keep rotating it to line it up, insert the locking tool, but then I can't remove the tool bc it's too tight. When I finally wiggle it out the cam turns itself back out of line. How do I get it to stay aligned?