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I my answer to How to move car a small distance without tow dolly I suggested putting a manual transmission vehicle in 3rd gear while towing with a rope or strap to apply back pressure and help keep the tow rope tight.

Most of my flat towing experience is decades old, everything with a manual had a V8 or inline 6 with a mechanical fuel pump. Assuming the oil is present, and nothing major is broken (and not to cold) the oil in the engine and transmission move around reasonably well.

But I got thinking, maybe oil pumps have followed fuel pumps into the electric world.

Are there any vehicle engines that don't have a mechanical oil pump?

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  • I think an oil pump that's not mechanically connected to the engine is too much of a liability. The engine could suffer a lot just because of a broken wire or blown fuse if it was electric.
    – JPhi1618
    Commented Jan 18, 2016 at 19:10
  • Dry sump setups
    – Zaid
    Commented Jan 18, 2016 at 19:31

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Oil pumps are always mechanical pumps as they are cheaper to produce than electrical pumps and more reliable as they are driven directly by the crankshaft. A running engine needs sufficient lubrication. By using a directly connected mechanical pump only a few possibilities of a pump failure remain.

However, some cars are equipped with an additional electric oil pump. They are used in cars equipped with a start-stop system or in hybrid cars to maintain oil pressure during the periods when the engine is not running. Electric oil pumps are also used in race cars to circulate the oil after the engine is stopped to prevent damage resulting from overheating.

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I know Corvette's dry sump system has an electric oil pump. Also on 2016+ Hyundai Sonata Hybrid there is an electric oil pump.

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