I’ve had enough. (And still having) M43 Saga

[Zephyr]

When I bought thr car I took it to a “specialist” to have all fluids changed.
Some months have passed and my gearbox started whining.
puzzled I raised the car and had a look.
can somebody tell me what exactly am I looking at here?
(Two photos and one video).

View: https://youtu.be/2nrBD0j26CA

So… anything strange?

 

[t-tony]

Before I refit those tapered plugs I always clean them on the wire wheel then a few laps of PTFE tape on the threads. If you have a helper to put a thumb over the hole you don't need to drain the oil. If you don't, get a new plug and do a swift swap.

Tony.

 

[Zephyr]

I paid for this Tony. I paid an “expert” to do it.
and it seems it is leaking from the oil pan also.
I will do it myself eventually.
but still I am furious with that “expert” who took my money. Tomorrow I will go over there for a not so friendly discussion.

 

[t-tony]

When you say leaking from the pan, do you mean leaking from the sump plug itself? Almost all filter manufacturers pack a new sump plug washer (soft copper) with a new filter. So, assuming he/she fitted the new washer and tightened the plug correctly it shouldn't leak. Is that a video of your car?

Tony.

 

[Zephyr]

Yes. Mine. Photos and video. I suspect that its more than the oil pan. Maybe a gasket.
I will lift it during the weekend and inspect.
pretty strange for such a low milleage car to have a blown gasket. Unless ten years of storage killed the engines seals…
still, a trained eye should have foreseen this. Anyway. I was just curious on what you guys say about it.
and vent a little as all I wanted when I paid for this car was trouble free driving.
otherwise I could have paid half and get me a high mileage one. (But not in such a good external and internal shape). Anyway. Life goes on….

 

[Oddly Godly]

Very annoying when you pay for something to be done and it's not done correctly. Autoglass took five attempts to fit a windscreen in mine. During the attempts one shut a heat gun under my bonnet denting it. Four hours to get the bonnet open, another attempt left my passenger side carpet soaked. But to top it all I found out when I changed my oil that halfords had snapped the sump plug and stuck it back on. It had been booked in for the previous mot and service. They rung me to recommend it had an oil flush but I declined as I needed it that evening. So they left the broken part of the plug in the sump and stuck the end on. 9 months I drove around in a ticking time bomb. By a miracle I was able to get the threaded part of the plug out. I was told the engine may have had to come out otherwise.took my father's car to a halfords for a new battery a month ago. Told them I didn't have the radio code. They said no problem they can keep an electric supply connected so it wouldn't need the code. Guess what they forgot
Sometimes I think it is best just do everything myself.

 

[Zephyr]

so true.

 

[Stevo7682]

I have 2 things I'd like to comment on.
Firstly the gearbox plug may not be leaking in the picture and video car looks pretty dry round about it( some specs on cent box think thats the engine oil leak) possibly plug just not cleaned up properly.

Now the oil leak your engine an m43 .
What he doesn't show on the video is the front end on the engine ( in front of subframe) yes definitely has a leak.
Get a look at the front lower crankshaft seal ( have had to replace in my m43)
And also around the oil filter alloy housing where it attaches to engine ( 2 seals in there replace on mine) .
Make sure its sump before touching ( get it all cleaned and see where fresh oil appears) as sump gasket will more than likely require front subframe removal.
Stephen.

 

[t-tony]

I agree Steve, it’s more likely the oil filter housing gasket that is leaking, it’s very common on BMW engines. Before going anywhere all guns blazing I would get a can of brake cleaner and get rid of any/all remnants of oil leakage and see what happens after a period of use. Did you ask the repairer to do drain things or ask them to trace and rectify a leak? Is oil actually dripping off the gearbox drain plug?

Tony.

 

[Zephyr]

i am sure the gearbox plug is leaking. There is no oil around other than there.
and the front off course.
but I will hit it with brake cleaner all over the oil pan and gearbox tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[Oddly Godly]

That should be a relatively easy fix. If you have a torque wrench it might be worth checking it is tightened up correctly. Has it been leaving oil mRs underneath?

 

[Zephyr]

Have wrench will torque to spec If needed. also ordered four cans of brske cleaner i am going to sanitise the whole engine. One thing is for sure, I saw absolutely zero leaks when I first checked the car and all this happened during my ownership.
maybe the oil change and fresh fluids removed the sludge that was sealing the gaps that already existed and now I have these leaks. Or not torqued to spec, or just my luck.
one thing is for sure, my wifes range rover, me 1 series and the Z will never visit this shop again if its their fault. I dont have time to cross check people who are supposed to be doing their job.

 

[colb]

Certainly looks like the gearbox drain plug has a small leak, probably due to worn threads in the alloy casing rather than the plug thread being damaged as its a taper type threaded plug. Use some Ptf tape around the thread on the plug to help seal the thread when the plug is screwed back in as @t-tony suggested.
Always remove the filler plug on the side of the gearbox before draining so you know it will come out for refilling the oil.
It also looks like the oil filter housing to engine block gasket has failed hence the oil staining down the side of the engine. Replace that and clean off the staining/oil from the side of the engine with a good degreaser spray.
When dealing with the gearbox, drain the oil into something that you can measure what comes out so you can see how much its lost over time because of the leak. Refill with the correct amount which should be up to the side level plug, when its full it should start to overflow out of the filler plug hole. The M43 engined version should take one and a half litres of fluid. My 1.9 M43 uses Automatic Transmission Fluid.

 

[Zephyr]

Thanks, much appreciated.

 

[Zephyr]

Drain plug in transmission 10nm less than spec.
Oil filter housing gasket -> shot
Oil pan gasket -> shot
Quite puzzled, seems that being in storage and parked for so long killed them.
will also change head gasket because you never know when it will give up also.
such a fun task (not) for the weekend.

 

[Zephyr]

This is getting out of control. Each time I open the bonnet a new surprise awaits me.
On my way to the fuel filter housing I had to remove the air filter box.
and this mess was revealed…..

 

[Zephyr]

Cleaned. Moving forward to the bloody gasket.

 

[Stevo7682]

Thats the way they go with age inside the airbox.
Stephen

 

[Zephyr]

Thats the way they go with age inside the airbox.
Stephen

i know, but it was supposed to be cleaned or they should have warned me at the shop that I took it for inspection and maintenance when I bought it. Anyway.
just made me a bucket of coffee and reloaded my cigarette case, moving on to the gaskets. This will keep me busy the whole weekend. What a glorious way to die. Wrenching till your heart stops beating.
thinking of it, since I have disassembled so many things, I may also order new bearings for the belts and a water pump.
will think about it while working on it…..
cheers.

 

[Stevo7682]

Be careful with the top 2 bolts on the oil filter housing only 4mm diameter they are quite long but only threaded at far end one of mine came out not too bad the other required a bit of finesse
Stephen