Lexus RX Oil Pressure Light and Engine Knocking

I have a 2010 Lexus RX with a gasoline engine and around 90,000 km. Recently, the oil pressure warning lamp has been lighting up intermittently and I've noticed some loud mechanical noises, almost like a knocking. I checked the oil level, and it's fine, and the oil itself looks relatively clean. I'm suspecting low oil pressure, but I'm not sure what could be causing it. Could it be something as simple as the wrong oil viscosity, or am I looking at something more serious like oil pump failure?

4 comment(s)

Sounds familiar! I had a similar issue with my old Volvo V70. The oil pressure light flickered, and the engine started making some nasty sounds. With me, it turned out to be the oil pump. Is the sound like when you start a lawn mower after it has been sitting all winter?

That's worrying to hear! You're right, the sound is a bit like that first crank of a lawnmower after winter. How did you confirm it was the oil pump, and what was the eventual fix?

Well, I'm no mechanic. I took it to a workshop, and they ran some tests to confirm the oil pressure was indeed low. Based on the symptoms and the test results, they diagnosed a faulty oil pump. If I were you, I would do the same.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I was hoping it wouldn't be the oil pump, but it sounds like that's the most likely culprit. I'll book it in with a trusted workshop and have them run some tests. It was indeed the oil pump. The repair ran me about 755€, but at least the RX is running smoothly again.

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