oil plug fell out, what to do?

[schnitzel_german Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close schnitzel_german]

So the story goes, I went to do some light tracks this arvo with a mate and as we got out after a few hills and smallish water puddles to check the depth of another puddle I notice my oil spilling out everywhere at a rapid rate. Realising I was not near a road I had to get the car as close to a road asap... So we get in the car and about 50m up the track the oil light comes on... Finally get the car near a road and check the problem....

The bloody oil plug was missing... My understanding is that the mechanic at Toyotaways hasn't put the plug back on properly... Would this be a good observation or is it a normal occurance?

So the car had to be towed to my house and will be towed to Toyotaways tomorrow. what sort of leg do I have to stand on?

Any help would be good...

[Guest Close Guest]

Can only take the issue up with the mechanic and show them the receipt for the last service done. Then get them to pay the bill for the towing and oil flush/change.

Hopefully there was no engine damage too.

[SWR Banned Find all posts View Profile Close SWR]

Gday schnitzel_german

schnitzel_german Quote: My understanding is that the mechanic at Toyotaways hasn't put the plug back on properly... Would this be a good observation or is it a normal occurance?

skywalkerrun answer: "No" it is not a normal accurance for a sump plug to unwind it's self when fitted properly!

If i was you i would leave the bit out where you said Quote: "I notice my oil spilling out everywhere at a rapid rate. Realising I was not near a road I had to get the car as close to a road asap... So we get in the car and about 50m up the track the oil light comes on..." Un-quote: ..

"if" the engine has sustained any damage they will hold you responsible for the damage to the engine on the basis that you knowingly drove it whilst loosing engine oil!

Before the truck comes to collect your rig check to see if the sump-plug thread is stripped or damaged. EG: stripped as in they over-tightened it or "damaged" as in maybe you drove over something and ripped it out.

"Personally" If you had drove over something you would have known "Heard it" as the sump plug is protected by the cross-member.

And also follow the advice as amts said.

Cheers.

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

Definitely leave out the fact you drove after realizing you were losing oil..

[Guest Close Guest]

Yeah, Driving losing oil has probably caused much undue wear to the engine.. Sadly this will probably cause a lot of issues down the track.

How far did you drive it after the oil light came on?

[schnitzel_german Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close schnitzel_german]

Thanks guys for the comments.

I drove about 100-200m I knew it was a risk but I also knew that anyone able to help wouldn't get down the track I was on...

So I reckon my best bet is to just tell them I stopped as soon as the light came on...
The RAC mechanic who checked it last night said that it hasnt been chisled off in the way that i've damaged it by going over a rock or anything. He was shocked that the threading was still in tact, so that led him to believe that they hadn't put it back on properly.

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

I notice my oil spilling out everywhere at a rapid rate. Realising I was not near a road I had to get the car as close to a road asap...

Bugger & Cringe...

So we get in the car and about 50m up the track the oil light comes on... Finally get the car near a road and check the problem....

Same question as Piggy, just how far was it driven with the oil light on?

[Ghost Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ghost]

That's not cool at all mate! Hope that service agent comes through, I'm
Back in a Toyota right now waiting to get my car back, came in for a 90k service yesterday and this morning I had oil pooled under it and all over my belly plates, rang the workshop manager and it's now back in! Not a confidence boost at all for toyo. But I should have expected it. Just sucks when I pay just under $500 and get f$&k all for it

[iantz Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close iantz]

Unless the service was done very recently, I don't think they're going to own up to this. But, you may as well have a shot and stand your ground. If thread etc is in tact, then my guess is it wasn't tightened enough. Unless, you are getting a lot of expansion etc in the pan due to excess heat, but even this probably isn't very likely.

[SWR Banned Find all posts View Profile Close SWR]

I have "NEVER" heard of a sump plug ever working loose irrespective to engine temps? (Un-less left loose or stripped).

They (Toyota) are supposed to change the sump plug washer (You will never know as the washer is sitting on the sump-plug somewhere in the land of never) and when tightened it compresses the new washer and it acts as a spring washer so expansion and contraction would not affect it in any way!... "Also" the oil in the sump would "never" reach boiling point and if it was too (practically impossible) then the temp-gauge would pop first. (More like the engine lock-up).

Clearly the mechanic (Apprentice) did not tighten the sump plug.

Given the time frame of the service (Guessing within two weeks) the odds are you do have a solid case of compensation. The ACCC and fare trade would back this case up

The odds are is that there will be oil drips on your drive-way.

Cheers

PS Just for the record! The sump plug only needs to be torqued down to a measly 34Nm - 25Ft-lbf which isnt that tight! (Obviously was only finger tight!).

[iantz Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close iantz]

I have "NEVER" heard of a sump plug ever working loose irrespective to engine temps? (Un-less left loose or stripped).

They (Toyota) are supposed to change the sump plug washer (You will never know as the washer is sitting on the sump-plug somewhere in the land of never) and when tightened it compresses the new washer and it acts as a spring washer so expansion and contraction would not affect it in any way!... "Also" the oil in the sump would "never" reach boiling point and if it was too (practically impossible) then the temp-gauge would pop first. (More like the engine lock-up).

Agree 100% with this. I was just pointing out some of the 'possibilities' that the Toyota mechs might like to dream up! Having said this, metal does expand and contract, regardless of whether the oil (in this case) is at boiling point. Still not enough to end up like this.

I'd be interested to hear how you go. Unless the service was VERY recent, I'd guess it won't be easy.

On a similar but different note, my uncle had his prado serviced at KMart tyre and auto about 3 months back. He rocked up at my place that night for a bbq and I noticed a huge pool of oil building up under the car. Checked the stick, yep nothing in there. Plug in, everything else seemed ok. Oil all over the engine and on top of the bash plates. In the end, it turns out the KMart mech forgot to tighten the oil filter. Idiots.....

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

The oil filter used to come loose on my 90, to the extent that I would have to re-tighten it when I got home and then a couple of days later. After that it stayed tight but if I didn't there would be oil on the bash plates and garage floor. First time I put it down to poor attention to detail by the mechanic (not Toyota) and mentioned it to them next service. But it did it again. Prior to that no problem. Weird. Mind you the workshop offered to pay for steam cleaning the garage floor, stripping the bash plates and cleaning them too etc.

Oh and on the subject at hand. Just say you shut the engine down the moment the light came on. Given the way the sump plug is fitted I reckon the service must have been quite recent and I see no way that a properly tightened plug would come loose. I struggle to see even how some off road abuse could knock a plug out.

Good luck.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

My best mate was floor controller for a certain toyota dealership, he had his nephew working there as well. Twice my mate pulled him up for loose sump plug after the first time (customer come back the next day with oil drips on his garage floor) my mate checked the plugs himself from then on and found it loose twice after his nephew had not done them up tight (different cars), then took another for a test run got back and could smell some thing burning, popped bonnet oil and shit everywhere, had forgotten the oil cap, then again two oil filters not tightened, one was an 80 series cruiser where the owner had rang from the pacific highway telling my mate he better take cover when he gets back there via a tow truck, again oil filter not tight. My mate gave his own nephew two warnings. He banned mobile phones during work hours, no radio's, and told them if he hears one beep from a phone he will bin it and they will get a warning. He was so pissed off and his nephew was not the only one. He said they were too busy texting/talking/blaring radios instead of concentrating on what they were doing, and the first person to do a runner on a friday before the car got checked would also get a warning. They were pissed with him but he didnt give a rats, even he said people pay big $$ to get there cars serviced by Toyota and they were getting shit servicing and a ""dont give a shit attitude"" from the apprentices and some of the experienced guys as well. My mate is extremely fussy like you wouldn't believe especially with his prado. He blew the crap out of the service manager from where he bought his prado from (Toyota dealership) He asked for the pads to be replaced (part of the deal of buying it, he bought 06 VX second hand) Luckily the prado was trucked down from out of Sydney here to Penrith (home) and when he got up in the morning to move the car his foot went to the floor on the brakes, they had left some bleeding valve open and he had brake fluid over his garage floor and is rims, he was pissed. Don't think you get A1 service from stealers, very rare. If you do find a good one stick with them. I believe Windsor Toyota here in Sydney have a very good reputation which is good to see.............Cheers Steve

[GreenVX Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GreenVX]

Ive had a similar problem once before, only it was my diff filler plug. Had sent the car off to the mechanic for a pre-trip service ( oil, filter, plugs and g/box + diff drain and refill) before heading off to newcastle from cairns. Made it down okay but on the return trip heard a diff whine at about rockhampton, stopped got down and found the filler plug was missing, thankfully wasnt the drain plug :? Couldnt get a bolt to replace it so had to whack some gaffer tape over it to keep the rest of the fluid in.
By the time I got it back to Cairns the bearing were well and truly overheated. Thankfully my mechanic was good about it and had the car back to me in two days with new bearings done and only charged for parts.
Not the worst thing ever but not a good experience All the same.
Think you did the right thing stopping straight away.

[K & M McF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close K & M McF]

18 months ago my mate had his 120 serviced at a southern Sydney Toyota dealer. He headed to SA and Kangaroo Island over Christmas/New Year. On the way back to the ferry his car seized up. It was the front diff. Turns out the filler plug was missing. Looks like all the oil was thrown out over the 2,500 km. He contacted the dealer and without any complaints, they paid for the repairs. I bet that they had found a plug and wondered where it had come from.

Another mate many years ago had an oil filter fall off his car. Luckily he noticed and stopped and did not kill the engine.

Going to be hard to prove what/who caused this.