Sump Pan

[Guest V6KID]

Just been told during routine 40K service that sump pan needs replacing.

Reason being the sump plug being made of aluminium has worn and the

delaer is having difficulties re-securing. Have been quoted

[Ivor_E_Tower]

If the plug itself has worn, only it needs replacing, not the pan, which should be of harder material. If the pan has had its thread damaged, this is almost certainly due to dealer incompetence with a "technician" damaging the thread during an oil change (eg by cross-threading or trapping a bit of dirt etc in the thread, not having cleaned it out before re-fitting the plug).

[Topbloke]

sumps made of ali are alittle bit prone to striping but are repairable insitu, it needs drilling out to a larger size then retaping, then a helicoil fitting, not very difficult in itself but if a muppet managed to strip it i sure as hell would not let him near my car with a drill and all that swarf

[seatkid]

Confused. :angry:

 

1. Never heard of aluminium sump pan and/or plug on VW engines.

 

2. You wouldnt put an aluminium plug in a steel pan.

 

3. Even if it or they were aluminium - it shouldnt wear.

 

4. They have either cocked it up (cross threaded) or are pulling your plonker.

 

5. Demand to inspect it (or take a friend who knows something about mechanics)

 

6. If its damaged - play merry hell.

 

7. If the plug is worn - why not change only the plug?

 

40k and its falling to bits? :angry:

[Guest V6KID]

Just returned from the Dealer. Appears a previous dealer has cross-threaded the

screw and now they are unable to tighted the plug (It just spins). Left with dilema that plug COULD fail and I would lose all the oil - 4k for new engine !!!

So have left it with them to repair to be on the safe side. Agree that if we had real ' technicians' these days then it would be repaired as Topbloke suggests but

unfortunatley that's not wot the book says....

[Richmond]

the sump plug being made of aluminium has worn

Why should a sump plug wear? It's only undone once a year, or am I being stupid? So what if it's made of Al (which seems a bit odd)? Al isn't particularly soft. Are you sure it's not made of lead? :angry: Sounds like your chap may have cocked up and is asking you to pick up the bill.

 

If it has worn and you do need a new sump pan, it must be a truly awful bit of design.

[Tigger]

Are all engines alli sumps. Eg Tdi s.

 

Is the V6 a ford engine?and the tdis Vw.

 

The reason I ask is I changed oil in my tdi today and sump plug was a to heavy for alli?

[MrT]

On many cars (years ago) I have taken the sump plug out of they have they have been some form of magnetised iron to attract metal particles. You used to have to remove the swarf from the sump plug. I suppose that would be too expensive nowdays and a cheaper alternative is used.

[Topbloke]

i think wires are crossed the plug is mild steel but the sump is ali

[Ivor_E_Tower]

If the sump is ali, it should have a helicoil (thread insert) fitted making cross-threading almost impossible, except by a real oaf. If necessary the helicoil could be removed, probably by drilling out, but I uspect that the dealer's technicians do not have the capability to do this, so a new sump appears to be a "simpler" solution. If the thread was damaged though, how was the plug refitted last time? Sounds highly suspicious to me..... :angry:

[seatkid]

Yes, of course, it was a previous dealer guv....wasn't me mate... :angry:

 

Why did you change dealer??

 

Contact the previous dealer and ask their comments... :angry: