Oil leak / jacking points

[thedoginthebog]

Hi, I've recently noticed oil dripping from the sump after scraping it on something sticking out of the ground. Ive had a look at this page http://www.chimaerapages.com/resources_sumpplug.ph... which is quite helpful but first i need to jack the car up to have a look if it is leaking from the plug.

Could anyone tell me where exactly i need to place the jack? and if anyone has any further advise on this matter i would be very grateful to hear it. Sorry for the rookie question.

Mike

[thedoginthebog]

Quinny said:

What sort of jack??

If its a trolley jack, then you can jack on the corner plates... But my preferred place is to jack in the middle of one of the cross bars.. either the one just behind the radiator or the second one just a little further back...

Then I place axel stands out by the corner plates

Its a scissor jack. Where is the preferred place to jack on the side of the car? is it just behing the front wheel or half way between the front and back wheels? Thanks in advance

[thedoginthebog]

Thanks for that. dont worry i supported it once it was up and only really need to reach my arm underneat anyway. The sump plug was really loose so tightened that up sufficiently, hopefully that should stop the leak. I think i will invest in one of the circular magnetic plugs.

[graeme4130]

IMHO scissor jacks really are particulary unstable and just for emergencies.
You can get a reasonable trolley jack for around £50 from Halfrauds and you've then got loads of options

[harricook]

Dave Batty @ The Garage drilled & wired my sump plug on as a matter of course - as he said he had been out & recovered too many that had shed their plugs & dumped their oil

I thought it was good of him to have the 'preventative' approach


Cheers

.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

It happened to me...



Thread here.

[chelseawiggie11]

And me...............

[spend]

harricook said:

Dave Batty @ The Garage drilled & wired my sump plug on as a matter of course - as he said he had been out & recovered too many that had shed their plugs & dumped their oil

I thought it was good of him to have the 'preventative' approach


Cheers

.

Just put a big steel washer between the bolt head & copper sealing washer, to deflect any impacts. I still use that approach even with a socket cap instead of plain hex bolt. The washer could still spin, but being more like a ski / sled / runner deflects any impact with less angular force ( glances off IYSWIM?)

[SILICONEKID340HP]

Use more silicone

[Motik]

It happened to me too... Drove 3 km after hearing "something" fall from the car but stopped the engine immediately when I started hearing a clicking sound (the starving hydraulic lifters). There was no oil left in the sump but it turned out that almost 1 litre remained in the filter.

I put a new sump plug and oil... No damage to the engine whatsoever

[Andy JB]

Per the image - how on earth does this happen on a Motorway? Not a good advertisement for the marque!!

Mine is lowered in ride height & often taken across very rough terrain & never had an issue with the sump bolt. I have had a bolt from the sump itself at the back snap off and the pos wire to fuel filter removed by grass and a splitter rip off several times, but never an issue with sump plug or heard of it before!!

[FlipFlopGriff]

I've caught mine but only caused a drip. Tried the Steve Heath option but it won't fit (Exhaust too close - pre serp) and I'm not taking the exhaust off to change the oil. Like the penny washer idea though. At least you can see if its been ttted - downside is that once that flats off you have the problem of that spinning the bolt off but better than nought.
FFG