[matthew@f]

i agree with many of your comments and your overview of the situation.. however YES i at least would have no issues heli coiling or welding the sump or any other part as I know and would be 100% confident it would be ok.... vw has no risk at all if you make a mod to your vehicle, you run the risk that it "may" effect warranty not vw.

something as basic and simple a sump plug is not even a blip on the technical radar as far as i'm concerned and should be just an easy garden variety issue for vw, sadly vw/dealer politics and likely your (usa) penchant to sue has made it difficult.

I would be far more concerned (as should VW and the Dealer) as to why it was stripped in the first place!!!!!!! That is what the focus should be on and not making a simple cheap solution the big issue..

for the mech comfortable here i am sure we think this has been blown all out of porportion.. like the old saying goes "if you want it done right, sometimes you just got to do it yourself"

 

[pkware]

My local vw dealer hates me b/c I do all my own repairs and only bring it in for warranty work. One thing I have seen consistently with alot of vw techs is that they are incompetent.

 

[matthew@f]

My local vw dealer hates me b/c I do all my own repairs and only bring it in for warranty work.

very funny, i have had the same issues too in the past.. mostly with ford..
I found vw ok BUT it depends on individuals in the workshop, usually switched on techs and not the service guy etc..

 

[chitown alex]

so you have a car that you drive for around 8 seconds a handfull of times on occasion. In between those runs you can check for leaks, and on top of that you seem like a mechanically talented person. VS someone who does not know much and drives their car say......45 min to a few hours at time time twice a day 6 days a week. Now if theirs were to leak when would they know? would it be too late? Now lets say you own VW of america, would you want to warranty a 15000.00 dolllar (more or less) engine, for someone who is using a 20 dollar helicoil? Also remember that vw america doesn't own, operate, or employ anyone at the dealerships. So the fact is that VW america probably only has a certain amount of trust for those working at the dealership. Its even a strict process for technicians working in dealerships to replace warranty parts for customers, you have to go through so much paper work and bullshit for them to just approve it. And for all the people talking about using helicoil and welding and stuff, you know what I would do the exact same thing you guys said if it were my vehicle. But alot of people here either dont have the time or the know how or much less know how to weld aluminum. A new touareg v8 will run you around 50 grand or so, would you be willing to risk losing your warranty over a helicoil? Just try to look at things from all sides here.

I understand what you are saying. My comment was not to offend you or anyone on this forum, so I hope you don't take it that way. I was just backing up the fact that you can indeed use a heli on something that is going to be assembled and disassembled. And you are correct, why would you do a cheap fix on such a big $$ vehicle and void the warranty? That would be like putting cheap oil from a gas station in it when you do a oil change. True, we all don't have the time or the know how to do certain jobs like this, and it's very hard to trust anyone to work on your car. My point is, I just feel as if the dealer should be able to offer an alternative fix for something like this. My problem is, that dealers don't try to go the extra step to try to make things easier on the pocket. If they can't guarantee a heli coil, fine. But don't void a warranty because of it! It's not that hard to look underneath to see the pan and check if it's leaking or not, I'd rather do that than pay over 2 grand!! I know everything is not a simple as said, and you do have a good point. My apologies if I came off the wrong way, It was not intentional.

 

[underwoodk]

I know this is an old forum so I'm not sure if anyone will read this, but I am having the same problem with my oil pan and drain plug on a 2000 VW Jetta. My oil pan has already been re-threaded once, and the threads in the oil pan are stripped again... when I changed my oil last week, little shards of metal came out with the plug. I got a self-threading bolt and it still didn't solve the problem; oil was still leaking badly. So, I took it to a shop this morning and I had the same problem...they couldn't seem to find the right size helicoil anywhere to re-thread the pan. Apparently this is a common problem with Volkswagons. The best solution they had, other than buying a whole new oil pan, was to put in a universal drain plug. I was wondering if anyone else has used this plug and how well it works....or if anyone has any other solution besides buying a whole new pan??

 

[Palew]

Two days ago I got my beautiful car back and she runs wonderfully!! The dealer did not purchase the tool kit so I am looking to sell it locally to any of the places my husband spoke to regarding all of this. The dealer didn't know what to do about the shavings so my husband suggested pouring oil straight through to clear it out. The total I paid for 50,000 mile tuneup and all was $499, plus the tool kit of $528, still better than $2400. Thanks again for all of the advice, it took awhile but I am happy to be driving my baby again.

Why not buy a strong (rare earth) magnet, affix it to the drain plug (externally should be OK) then drive car for a couple of thou, drain oil carefully removing plug with magnet attached. Wipe all metal shavings/pieces from plug, replace and refill with oil. I would be inclined to do this at least a couple of times to ensure removal of all meatl before it gets into the engine workings. Would be heaps cheaper than an engine rebuild.

 

[TVaitonis]

Being in a business that deals with special machines I know there's an easy fix for you. One that comes to mind is to thread the original port to fit a tapered pipe fitting. After that would be fitting a reducer bushing that has an outer thread that mates up to the new port size in the oil pan. The bushing would have inner thread where you can screw in a new drain plug that has a more common wrench hex. A trip to a decent plumbing supply store should set you up. Just explain to them the situation and I'm sure they can set you up with the materials you'll need. On a scale of difficulty of 1 to 5 beers this is a 2 beer job.

 

[selnash]

Forgot to let you guys know that VWOA, paid for the repairs in full, this was after BB Auto got involved.

 

[creedjammin01]

Simple fix to a stripped oil pan plug!

So I have read all of these threads about the stripped lower oil plug and the fixes that people have come up with. I also was told by VW that the repair would cost me $2500 to pull engine and replace oil pan.

I contacted a diesel mechanic friend of mine and asked if he could help me out and did he ever! The simplest, fastest and easiest option was a SLIGHTLY larger oil plug, which he was able to find. He informed me he first lubricated, then started the new, slightly larger plug into the pan, then would back it out and clean off any metal shards/flakes. He then repeated this process until the plug was fully installed with the new, slightly larger gasket. He once again removed the plug and cleaned all metal shards off the threads of the plug and pan. He also ran oil through the motor so it would drain, removing any shards that may remain inside the pan.

This was performed at 60,000 miles and my Touareg now has 82,000 miles with no leaks! So…..for the cost of a $10-$15 dollar plug and 15 minutes of work I saved thousands!

If anyone would like the exact plug I purchased PM me and I can get it for you or give you the specs. :clap:

 

[matthew@f]

glad its fixed, your mechanic should have used a helicoil or run a tap through (for the size plug he chose) for a better quality thread.

if it does leak or strip (may be likely due to how your new thread was formed) in the future you can at least do as suggested above and still save the big $$

 

[CanyonRS4]

I just purchased an 04 V8 yesterday and found a pool of oil on the garage floor this morning. Yes the oil plug is stripped and inserted finger tight with a sealant that is leaking. 44K miles on the car in great shape otherwise. Dealer also stated the only fix was the replacement of the pan- $600 dollar part and 25 hours labor (must have included lunch and coffee breaks in that labor estimate) GRRRR I have an indi shop who will do the insert just does not have the part...

 

[wardinbb]

I will suggest that you match and re-tap the female threads on the oil pan and re-die cut the oil plug. Stripping is usually just the rearrangement of the metal threads of the parts. The tap and die proceedure should work. If it doesn't, change out the oil plug until you get a seal and plan on using the evacuation oil change method.

 

[creedjammin01]

Remove the existing/leaking oil plug from the pan and take it to your local machine shop / parts store. Get one size larger that the current plug you have. I had to make several stops before I found someone local that had 1 size larger. Lubricate the plug and slowly tighten it into the existing stripped pan. Every half turn you make with the plug back it out, re-lubricate and re-tighten. Repeat this process untill the plug is completely inserted. Remember to get a new oil plug ring seal that will fit the new sized oil plug, the old replacement rings will be too small. Take your time doing this! I have changed the oil in my car several times now and the new plug works great! I no longer trust my local VW dealership since they are the one that cause the origional striping of my plug. They however never owned up to it .

Good luck!

 

[CanyonRS4]

Update- I ordered the Timesert ++ TIME-SERT STRIPPED DRAIN PAN REPAIR KITS ++ Stripped drain pan, leaking oil drain pan stripped, stripped oil pan oil drain pan stripped threads stripped drain pan threads, leaking oil pan threads leaking, leaking oil drain pan. drain plug leak lea kit and will fix this DIY on Saturday. will take some pics and post them up. The kit has 4 more "inserts" and as such will offer to "rent": the kit and "sell" the coils to recover some of the sunk cost to any forum member who is in need... Thanks for those who replied I am confident this this will fix the issue on a permanent basis.

 

[BonesNTX]

I have bought similar insert/plug at local auto parts store. Could be available right down the street from you there.

 

[VWRalf]

selnash,

Which one of our dealers did this? The old one or the new one?

 

[CanyonRS4]

The oil plug job is complete and is as good if not better than new. Thanks tot he forum for the help and history of past fixes. I used the Time-Sert product to fix my drain plug. The insert is a solid insert rather than a helicoil type repair. The insert is designed to expand at the bottom of the insert so that once installed and expanded it will not come out and is a permanent fix that allows for repeted removal and re-installation of the part, important for a drain plug. The plug was torqued to 50 NM with no problem and not a single drip.

Here is the amount of oil that dripped when I brought it home after 24 hours in the garage.
DSC_0045.jpg
The plug after removal, it would turn out just not hold any torque, the dealer used a silicone sealant to leep it from leaking....
DSC_0047.jpg
If some silicone is good more is better!
DSC_0049.jpg
The Time-Sert insert test fit to the plug:
DSC_0052.jpg
These are the shavings that came off the plug after removal:
DSC_0053.jpg
The Time-Sert Kit, all inclusive of the reamer, tap, guide and inserts and insertion expansion tool:
DSC_0055.jpg
The Threads don't look too bad but will not hold any torque...
DSC_0060.jpg
This is the reaming tool used to remove the old threads and some material to the correct size in preparation for the tap. I used some grease to capture and hold the shavings, repeated cleaning and reapplication keeps the pan clean. Note the top of the reamer it makes a taper for the top of the insert to sit flush with the pan.
DSC_0066.jpg
Here is the hole ready to be tapped- notice no threads!
DSC_0068.jpg
Here is the tap and guide to keep the tap square with the surface of the pan:
DSC_0070.jpg
The tap then cuts the new threads for the insert:
DSC_0072.jpg
The new threads ready for the insert:
DSC_0074.jpg
And the insert ready to be driven home and expanded...
DSC_0076.jpg

I cleaned any residual shavings from the hole and rinsed the pan with 2 quarts of oil just to be sure I had all the shavings out.

Once the insert is expanded it is permanent and will not come out, I now have steel threads for the oil plug. It holds the 50 NM of torque like new!

 

[CanyonRS4]

I will figure out how to get the photos in with the text... noob poster on line...

 

[selnash]

selnash,

Which one of our dealers did this? The old one or the new one?

It was the new one, the old one did the repair

 

[Maui Touareg]

do you know the exact size of the time sert needed? m12x1.25x24mm or m12x1.5x24mm? Thanks so much..i never though changing my wifes oil would become a nightmare. first drain plug I have ever stipped.. Ben