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Dealer stripped the threads on my oil pan

4K views 28 replies 13 participants last post by  520d 
#1 ·
As per the title. Had a call from the dealer today while my M2 was in for it's second oil change (RIS being the first) and the tech went to release the oil plug and it spun and the threads in the pan stripped.

No car this weekend :cry:

They think the last dealer who did the running in service over tightened the plug. Looking on real OEM the sump is the same as M3/4 and different to M135i. I also recall the plug is different as the sump is a different material, makes me wonder whether they used the wrong one.

Also got me thinking, thank god it wasn't me doing an oil change at home! That would be a tricky situation. Probably just a one off and bad luck but would make me think twice about a DIY oil change in the future.
 
#3 ·
:rollseyes: paying lots of money for a service is no guarantee of competence eh?

Similar to a problem I had with a Mercedes a few years ago but slightly different as they returned my car with the plug cross threaded and leaking. After zero apologies I asked them if it was acceptable to charge £350 for a basic oil change and to not give to hoots if it was done properly. Their response was oh it happens sometimes. This is when I realised they are all the same from the cheapest to the most expensive :thumbs:
 
#4 ·
There really is no excuse. It's the most basic task, especially with a torque wrench. Clearly they didn't use one. I have the service pack otherwise I think I'd be asking for some money off.
 
#5 ·
Reading on bimmerpost forum there are a lot of posts for this issue on F80s which share the same oil pan. Seems it was quite common on the early ones which had a magnesium pan. BMW changed to aluminium in 2015 but even '17 cars have suffered it. Seems the aluminium is very soft.

Has anyone done a DIY oil change on the M2?

I haven't yet but would plan to next year and do intermediate oil changes like I did on my M135i. Never had a problem on that but if this pan is prone to stripping I might get the dealer to do them for risk of having a stripped thread on my driveway.
 
#7 ·
At least they are gonna sort it. Surely an oil change is day one of being a mechanic, very amateur, I always accept things can go wrong it's always how its dealt with that separates the good from the bad. Not sure where your based but after an awful experience with BMW Enfield I now happy with Chigwell, going for a service next week.

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#8 ·
This sort of incompetence really makes me uncomfortable in taking my car for its first service to a main dealer. I would rather use my local Indy who will use geniune parts and cares for the car. I'm going to keep my car long term and is the warranty really worth the hassle when I have already voided the suspension and exhaust part.
 
#9 ·
sawda said:
At least they are gonna sort it. Surely an oil change is day one of being a mechanic, very amateur, I always accept things can go wrong it's always how its dealt with that separates the good from the bad. Not sure where your based but after an awful experience with BMW Enfield I now happy with Chigwell, going for a service next week.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Agreed, these things can happen and it's how they deal with it that matters. They've given me a courtesy car and I'll see how they deal with the repair plus a couple of other things I raised; condensation in tail lights and a clicking clutch pedal.

Provided it's repaired with no oil leaks down the line I'll be happy. Can't wait to get the car back now!
 
#10 ·
It will be interesting to see whether they replace the sump pan or repair the stripped thread with a helicoil, or drill and tap a new thread to suit a larger bolt. That said, I'm sure BMW will have a process as your incident probably isn't the first.
 
#11 ·
Hoss said:
It will be interesting to see whether they replace the sump pan or repair the stripped thread with a helicoil, or drill and tap a new thread to suit a larger bolt. That said, I'm sure BMW will have a process as your incident probably isn't the first.
They are replacing the sump. I wouldn't accept anything else especially on a car under warranty. They did mention using a helicoil as a temporary repair though.
 
#13 ·
especially with a torque wrench.
you break the torque with a torque Wrench !!!! We do off torques at work with an expensive TQ wrench, at home I only use a TQ wrench for tightening stuff not releasing the initial TQ.
 
#14 ·
mctga said:
Hoss said:
It will be interesting to see whether they replace the sump pan or repair the stripped thread with a helicoil, or drill and tap a new thread to suit a larger bolt. That said, I'm sure BMW will have a process as your incident probably isn't the first.
They are replacing the sump. I wouldn't accept anything else especially on a car under warranty. They did mention using a helicoil as a temporary repair though.
Excellent!
 
#15 ·
tweeky said:
especially with a torque wrench.
you break the torque with a torque Wrench !!!! We do off torques at work with an expensive TQ wrench, at home I only use a TQ wrench for tightening stuff not releasing the initial TQ.
Confused by your post. A torque wrench should not be used for undoing a bolt, only for torquing up. In my case the plug was installed without a torque wrench or one set too high.
 
#16 ·
mctga said:
tweeky said:
especially with a torque wrench.
you break the torque with a torque Wrench !!!! We do off torques at work with an expensive TQ wrench, at home I only use a TQ wrench for tightening stuff not releasing the initial TQ.
Confused by your post. A torque wrench should not be used for undoing a bolt, only for torquing up. In my case the plug was installed without a torque wrench or one set too high.
And/or the copper (or whatever they use now) washer wasn't replaced...
 
#17 ·
Certain torque wrenches can be used to measure the release torque on a bolt stud etc etc. I work in automotive R&D and some times these values are required.

The sump plug my have been fitted using a Tq wrench but under vehicles a hostile place (even with under trays) some grit/deposit may have found its way in to the threads causing the problem.
 
#18 ·
tweeky said:
Certain torque wrenches can be used to measure the release torque on a bolt stud etc etc. I work in automotive R&D and some times these values are required.

The sump plug my have been fitted using a Tq wrench but under vehicles a hostile place (even with under trays) some grit/deposit may have found its way in to the threads causing the problem.
Ah ok that makes sense. Hoping the car will be ready tomorrow so I'll see if the dealer has a better idea of what happened. I'm guessing it's just a one off and bad luck.
 
#20 ·
So over a week on and I am still without my car. BMW UK had to step in after dealers were arguing over who paid for the repair and then they realised they didn't have all of the stretch bolts when they came to do the repair.

Sub frame has had to come off to fit the new sump and I won't get it back until at least Monday.

Suffice to say I'm not impressed with the service and I'll be writing to BMW UK to let them know.

I just hope when I get it back it's repaired to factory standard and there are no problems down the line as I plan to keep this car for a long time.
 
#22 ·
This makes my nervous taking mine in for it's running in service. Removal of the front sub-frame will probably mean either splitting the suspension or removing the front struts from the body to allow the sub-frame to be lowered. The car will need a full alignment after as well. I noticed on RealOEM that the sump plug changed part number in 2017 so maybe a modified plug that is weaker (aluminium) so it will hopefully strip before the sump threads maybe ?
Any idea which dealers in the midlands areas can be trusted not to mess it up?
 
#24 ·
520d said:
This makes my nervous taking mine in for it's running in service. Removal of the front sub-frame will probably mean either splitting the suspension or removing the front struts from the body to allow the sub-frame to be lowered. The car will need a full alignment after as well. I noticed on RealOEM that the sump plug changed part number in 2017 so maybe a modified plug that is weaker (aluminium) so it will hopefully strip before the sump threads maybe ?
Any idea which dealers in the midlands areas can be trusted not to mess it up?
To be honest I think this is a very rare issue so I wouldn't worry too much. If you have the new sump plug then perhaps that reduces the risk. This is the first occurrence I am aware of on an M2 but there are a few on M4s which share the same sump reported on bimmerpost. Most were with the old magnesium sump which changed to aluminium in 2015.

It'll probably never happen to you so enjoy your car. I just hope they reinstall everything correctly. And if I get a free alignment out of it then maybe that's the silver lining!
 
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