The starting point is to remove the plug and inspect the threads and replace washer and refill with the correct amount of oil and check the level sensor is accurate. I also made a manual dipstick from a length of brazing rod that I marked with the full level that i can use to verfiy the oil level sensor.

If the pan is truely faulty which is unlikely then I would have thought it would be covered by both power train AND dieselgate warranties

 

They state that the damage to the drain plug or threads is not covered as that is a wear and tear item. If you have any ideas on how to get it covered, I'm all ears!

I have some brazing rod so I will take your approach. Thanks for the tip.

 

Buy a Fumato valve. They come with a gasket made of gasket material. Little more pliable and will form better around and imperfection. If you really want to add to it, then put some RTV on the back side of the gasket.

Best part is you never have to take it out again to drain the oil.

Sent from my SM-S906W using Tapatalk

 

Buy a Fumato valve. They come with a gasket made of gasket material. Little more pliable and will form better around and imperfection. If you really want to add to it, then put some RTV on the back side of the gasket.

Best part is you never have to take it out again to drain the oil.

Sent from my SM-S906W using Tapatalk

I would consider it if it was not under the factory drivetrain and dieselgate warranty. I do not want any reason for the dealer to deny a claim and I can imagine if they see an aftermarket drain plug, they will likely use that as a reason to deny.

 

Wait.... What?
What does the leaky drain plug have to do with checking oil level? What am I missing here?

 

That’s the right question.

 

The right question is where do i find a decent Treg mechanic in my area as the dealer is clearly telling me BS

 

Eve if you did have a very slight leak, the thick end of two grand is going to keep you in top up oil for a very long time!

Sort out a dipstick!

 

Some moron may have used power tools to refit the drain plug and crossed/stripped the threads.

As rgh0 states, fit a new plug then re-assess the leak.

The oil level can still be verified regardless of a leak.

I assume the high repair cost is due to the labour required to drop the subframe/engine cradle to remove the oil pan.

A carefully applied Time-sert would repair damaged threads but the metal shavings would need to be carefully recovered.

 

No warranty will cover a wrench monkey butchering up a drain plug.... where was the previous oil change done?

 

No idea. I purchased the vehicle about a month ago. My filter and oil arrived just before last weekend when the check engine light came on. So I delayed doing the change until that is sorted out this week while it is in the dealer's hands.

 

This damage happened during last oil change?

 

Unknown. I purchased it this way. I did crawl under the vehicle to look around and didn't see any indications of a leak. Oil has not been changed since I purchased it. Fluids arrived late last week since the filter seemed to take forever to get in.

 

For anyone interested. This is the report from the dealer. Fluid and filter changes I declined because I enjoy doing my own maintenance. I have always done my own maintenance on vehicles. I feel like it gives me the opportunity to first hand look at parts of the vehicle I don't normally see to look for any degradation and to clean (yes, I know it gets dirty again immediately, I'm OCD).

I am in process of diagnosing the ACC. New cable did not fix the issue, so my plan is to open up the camera module and work with the electrical engineer we just hired onto my team at work to investigate for cracks in the solder that an Australian company says is an issue caused by temperature fluctuations. I can't recall the name of that company at this time, but will find it if anyone is interested.

Primary Concerns Analysis

• Concern
  Critical
  Customer States Check Engine Light Active
  Cause
  VERIFIED FOUND FAULTS FOR REDUCTANT QUALITY AND CONSUMPTION REMOVED DEF INJECTOR AND INSPECTED FOUND BUILD UP IN NOX CAT
  Correction
  REPLACE NOX CAT DEF INJECTOR AND REAR NOX SENSOR
  Approved
  No Charge
• Concern
  Critical
  Customer States Intermittent Rattle Upon Start Up
  Cause
  COULD NOT VERIFY LOW OIL LEVEL COULD BE CAUSE LOW OIL LEVEL CAUSES MORE TIME BETWEEN START UP AND PROPER OIL PRESSURE
  Correction
  RECOMMEND OIL PAN REPAIR AND REASSESS
  
  Approved
  $ 179.88
  Declined
  No Charge
  
  
• Concern
  OK
  Uber/Lyft Rideshare
  Approved
  No Charge

Maintenance Services Requested

• Customer Authorized Vehicle Sanitization
  Approved: No Charge
• No Interval Due Vehicle History IndicatesNo Maintenance Interval Due
  Approved: No Charge
• Complimentary Multipoint Inspection ... a $69.97 Value
  Approved: No Charge
• Customer has agreed to receive text messages from Momentum Volkswagen. Please text STOP at any time to no longer receive these messages.
  Approved: No Charge

Multi-Point Inspection
Items requiring immediate attention
Additional Service Repair
Critical
Cause
DRAIN PLUG LEAKING NORMAL CAUSE IS DRAIN PLUG OVER TIGHTENED CAUSING PAN TO WARP
Correction
REPLACE OIL PAN OIL LEVEL SENSOR SEAL AND DRAIN PLUG
Pictures/Videos

Declined
$ 1,816.81
Additional Service Repair
Critical
Cause
DIESEL FUEL FILTER DUE EVERY 40K
Correction
REPLACE DIESEL FUEL FILTER
Declined
$ 179.13
Additional Service Repair
Critical
Cause
BRAKE FLUID FLUSH DUE EVERY 2 YEARS
Correction
BRAKE FLUID EXCHANGE
Declined
$ 193.46
Additional Service Repair
Critical
Cause
ACC AND FRONT ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE WARNING LAMP PRESENT
Correction
DIAGNOSIS
Declined
$ 179.88

 

Well, I know what are you talking about. I had to reseal oil pan, but it is not difficult. I had to disconnect steering column from rack, put jack under gearbox and lower the subframe (only at front). Then you have access to oil pan. OEM oil pan is pretty expensive...here its like 370eur. Be careful with bolts, they are made of aluminum. I have replaced them with stainless steel bolts. Original catalog does not offer steel bolts, but repair shop does (also with torque spec).

 

The oil pan here in the states is around $200 for the lower pan which is what this is. The upper pan is ~$375. Thanks for the heads up on the bolts.

 

Don't bother... they clearly don't know what they are doing, so they'll probably set "the tool" to the incorrect settings and butcher more stuff up.

 

The biggest issue I see is that, because the plug has seapage/leakage they basically won't investigate further for the timing chain slap at start up. We all know what it is, but they use every excuse in the book to not do work. Typical dealer.

 

No need to disturb the drain plug to change the oil if you extract.

 

Agreed. Although, there is the question of how much residual oil is left behind. I always extracted on my A4 2.0T and never had an issue. However, if they are refusing to do further diagnosis for the timing chain slap at start up because of a leaky plug then I do have to figure out some remedy to that if I want to get the slap covered under warranty.

 

is there another dealer near where youre at?

 

Yes. I'm in the Houston, TX, area so major city and we have several VW dealers. Does VW put the info into a central system though that all dealers pull from?

 

Here is my 15 with a drain valve after a grease monkey screwed up the threads. No issue at the dealer they just noted the drain valve.

 

Here is my 15 with a drain valve after a grease monkey screwed up the threads. No issue at the dealer they just noted the drain valve.

Looks like they do not list a Fumoto valve on their website for the TDI. Where did you get yours from? Do you recall what model or valve number it is?

 

Those Fumoto valves are very handy for sure. I loved mine on my old Cummins. Didn't realize they now have a clip to secure the valve stem. What model is that?

 

Whaaaat!
How does an over tightening of a drain plug make the pan warp! I smell a rat!
If the dealer is causing all the agro and it doesn't sound like its true (from what we are been told,,,) I would name and shame the dealer.
The dealer will use their software to tell the level of oil and if they don't do that, then they will have an adjustable dipstick that they use daily for different VW cars to tell them the level of oil in that particular engine, when they do an oil change. they would never use the in-car level indicator on the GUI!

 

I use a Stahlbus drain plug/quick connect/cap arrangement on my engine. I would never let anyone else do any work on it. Unscrew cap, plug in drain tube, let oil drain out, disconnect the tube, screw cap back on. No mess, no leaks, no retorquing plugs and no new gasket required.


.Aeroquip also make a unit too

 

I use a Stahlbus drain plug/quick connect/cap arrangement on my engine. I would never let anyone else do any work on it. Unscrew cap, plug in drain tube, let oil drain out, disconnect the tube, screw cap back on. No mess, no leaks, no retorquing plugs and no new gasket required.


.Aeroquip also make a unit too

I like Aeroquip products. I have used them a lot in subsea control systems with great reliability. I do like the Stahlbus cap method over the Fumoto valve since the Stalbus has the ball check and an o-ring for a dual sealing mechanism.

 

Just got my 7P back. Strange that it feels a little sluggish off the line now, but there are no CELs showing. Kind of now wondering if they changed something else without noting it. Service Manager seemed like a pretty nice guy. He says he likes the Touareg TDIs as well, but the emissions stuff is just a nightmare. Yeah, preaching to the choir there.

I'm not here to bash some company unnecessarily, but when I checked the onscreen oil level after picking it up, it is showing full to max level. Doesn't change that they claim it has to be fixed because it could be causing the tensioner to loose pressure causing the timing chain slap. I think they are just making stuff up to keep from doing the chain tensioner or the technician is not the best.

At any rate, here is the service records for the Adblue fix. Service Manager said it was covered in crystalized urea. They covered the service charge for the diagnosis of the chain slap since they didn't get very far on diagnosing it.

 

Despite the angst this dealer is causing it's all too common. It's their way of saying they simply do not want to work on your vehicle. Keys point here are that yes, many dealers do not have techs qualified to work profitably on Tregs.

I also agree 100% that the idea of warping an oil pan by over tightening the drain plug is beyond ridiculous to the point of somewhere between embarrassing and just plain stupid.

my CATA drain plug leaked once because I forgot to replace the washer. I installed one without draining the oil (yes it was cold) and lost less than a cup. Point here being that I don't think the threads are what seals a plug...it's the washer. I use true crush washers not the stamped metal ones on the advice of my tech whisperer.

If the pan is truly damaged that will never be covered by any warranty so I'd stop trying. Find another dealer or an Indy who knows his a$$ from a hole in the wall.

sorry for droning

 

If the pan is truly damaged that will never be covered by any warranty so I'd stop trying. Find another dealer or an Indy who knows his a$$ from a hole in the wall.

I am not sure where you are getting the idea that I was pushing the dealer to replace the part. I did ask if it was covered or not, to which they stated that it was not. I didn't press them on that. I am just amazed they are using such an excuse to not diagnose the actual timing chain slap and claiming the seepage is why they can't verify oil level or pressure. Dumb.

 

TXEngiNerd,
Looking at the dealers notes, it seams all OK to me and they aren't trying to get one over you.
Urea crystalline structure is concerning.
I would get a dipstick to check your own oil level. dealer won't have them but if you look up your engine, in the service manual, it will list all the tools for working on that component. It will give the VW part number which you can look up online and buy it from Amazon, Ebay, and other places. that what i did to buy a few VW specific tools for mine. Some of the tools came from Eastern Europe but was perfect!

You said you are in the Subsea Controls. What do you do? I work with ROV's, offshore, on a vessel.

 

Yes, all is ok with the emissions equipment now for sure. My interest was them diagnosing the timing chain slap at startup that I have read is common. According to what I have read on here, this occurs due to the tensioner losing oil pressure (likely due to a seeping check valve is my guess). This results in lack of tension on the timing chain when the engine is not running and causing a bit of timing chain slap on the case at initial startup. The strange part is that it is not consistent. The dealer simply saw the seeping oil drain plug and didn't want to go any further until that was remedied.

I am definitely sorting out the dipstick. I did the same for my previous A4 engine and it worked perfectly.

I cut my teeth in subsea controls and would love to go back to it actually. I left offshore O&G in 2017 when I changed industries completely and eventually worked my way into onshore shale industry. I'm now in carbon capture though. Been a wild ride. I still miss subsea controls though!

 

A dipstick is cheap peace of mind.

I got mine on eBay for about US$25. Vendor was eurotrade777.

059115611AM

 

Let me know if you find a good mechanic around here, the last 2 I used screwed me on a turbo. I somewhat get it, they are slammed, but that was an expensive mistake...

 

If it is not being serviced at the dealer for warranty work and I am not doing the work myself. I will only take my vehicle to ABR Houston (Advanced BMW Repair in Spring, TX). I am friends with the owner Alex Noll and trust him emphatically. He has a VW master tech on his team and knowing Alex's eye for detail and doing the job right leads me to never taking a German vehicle anywhere else. Heck, I even took my Dodge Cummins to him previously and he was able to resolve issues others weren't.

 

Depending on what's going on, if the drain plug is leaking and still will snug well, you may want to consider Permatex Right Stuff bolt after cleaning it drain oil using a Pela 14 Pro oil vac from the dipstick for oil changes. $150 vs $2k. Yeah, it's a little wonky but it's your cash. The right stuff is my go to for any type of seal, gasket, or problem mating metal sealing surfaces. All I can say it, it's a VW and this is what VWs are all about. The stealership or get creative.