So long story short, I don't come to the forum very often. It my wife that owns a 2005 MCS covert. Bought it about 2 years ago as a CPO from our local dealer. It was serviced about 1 year ago (10K miles). I have always changed oil in my other cars but never in the mini. I have a new garage with a lift now so this time around I said, "What the heck."

So up on the lift she goes and after trying everything I can its no go on the oil drain plug. I tried everything, heat, Coldshock, BFH, huge vice gripps, bolt extractors, needless to say there is no head left to the plug. So I say to myself, screw it I'll pump the oil out of the dipstick just to get the oil changed. So I get my 34mm short socket I ordered from Amazon and try to get the oil filter canister off. No go again, even with a bigg a$$ breaker bar. So now I'm wondering if the damn things ever even been off (car had 47K miles when I bought it). I pumped out about .5 liters of oil from the crankcase and its quite sludgy.

So now I need to be angry at someone. Sure I f'ed up the oil drain plug, but in retrospect it now seems as though the last guy who changed the oil really messed things up. Should I go back to the dealer and lay into them? Where should I go from here?

Thanks guys

 

Oh yea......definitely get back to the dealer. That service should have been done as part of the vehicle prep, so if they did it they can fix it. If they didn't then they should have.

 

The only thing we know is that the drain plug and filter were difficult to remove and the oil looked bad when it was pumped out. This doesn't mean that dealer did anything wrong. I hope the OP kept an oil sample.

 

If the dealer did the oil service and it over torqed the drain and oil canister it sure is something wrong....

 

Yes, I have an oil sample. I guess at this point to me its a difference between "difficult to remove" and "totally seized". I can deal with difficult to remove. At this point the oil drain plug needs to be totally drilled out and retapped or the oil pan is going to have to changed. I did not go to any extremes with the filter canister, other than putting a breaker bar on it. Now that this one is stubborn I'm starting to think something was done wrong at the last service. I think the car is still under warranty so I'm going to see what the dealer says, but if they say its going to be $1000 bucks for a new pan I'll be taking a big ol' drill to the thing.

 

double post

 

If for some reason the dealer refuses to make this right, politely ask to escalate this to MINIUSA. They should make this right.

 

Understand that I am not trying to make any appologies for the dealer. If they screwed up, they needed to make it right.

The reason I said "difficult to remove" was that I had a similar problem with my old VW. I watched the tech change my oil and I know he didn't over torque anything. When it came time to change again, nothing would budge. He was sure any additional force would break something expensive, so we waited for the VW area guru to check it out. They got both the filter and the plug free. The plug had to be drilled, but the filter just needed a LOT of force. It happens.

 

I've found a 6 point 1/2" drive impact socket on an impact wrench or a long breaker bar to be the best way to remove a drain plug that doesn't want to play. Sometimes it helps to tighten it a bit first, then take it loose.

I thought the oil filter socket was 36 mm?

The filter cannister does not need to be that tight, it has an o-ring seal, so all it needs is to be tight enough to not back off by itself due to vibration or heat/cool cycles. It does not need to be tightened by the wrath of Khan!

I know this is after the fact and won't help you that much now, but unless the plug is completely FUBAR'd, a good well made 6 point should get it off. You might need to drive it on with a hammer, but then that's all the better to get it loose, unless you've rounded it off with vice grips or something - then it's time for the drill. Sometimes, drilling thru the bolt even with a smallish bit will relieve the tension enough that it will come out.

You can get an impact socket at Sears if you don't have a set - and remember, it's metric....

BTW, NEVER use Vice grips, if a proper sized socket won't get it - they never will, all they'll do is make it worse - as you've no doubt found out now.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. This is a good forum without much of the BS that I see in other automotive forums. Anyway, as far as the oil drain bolt goes, there's not much left to put a socket on seeing as though I took an angle grinder to it and its completely flush now. I did this as a last ditch effort so I could drill a 1/2 pilot hole into the bolt and use a large bolt extractor to try one more time. The bolt extractor snapped in half. The only way that bolts coming out now is in many little peices, which may be the way to go.

 

Yikes, I think your next move may be to pull the pan, because at this point you've made it almost impossible to do anything more with it. I understand why you tried the extractor, and usually if you drill a hole thru the bolt you release enough tension to get it out that way. I think your plug was probably cross threaded and is possibly even galled into the hole. Repairs might take a new pan, or at least a new bung welded in and a new plug.

Good luck with this and let us know what happens.

For those who encounter a similar problem, don't do what he did. Take it to the dealer or someone with a shop you trust and let them deal with it, it will be cheaper in the long run.

And never use vice grips, cresent wrenches or pliers on a drain plug! Use the correct sized box wrench or even better, a six point socket.

 

You should try not to drill it. Make one last ditch effort, find a welder and weld a 1/2" bar stock about 3" long. Weld the bar on to the drain plug, allow it to cool about 5 minutes, it will still be hot. Now put that vise grip on it, and a pipe over that, and nice and easy crank. She'll come right out! I've done this twice so far on two different cars that I know were not cranked down at the last service. For some reason these MINI plugs just park themselves in that pan. So now, we always just replace the plug at each oil change.

Good luck, but I recommend not drilling and retaping, they always drip for me that way. The welding method only takes about 15minutes.

 

I wonder if the dealer used the impact wrench or actually followed the Mini recommended torque? I have heard of a lot of cars that get the drain plug over torqued either at a "cheap" quick lube or at one of the scheduled services. Almost seems that they make sure it will get the two oil changes covered under dealer service and then it is non usable..

 

I was thinking about welding a large 1/2" socket head bolt to the now flat drain plug, and would definitely do that if the filter canister was coming off easily. The fact that I can't get the filter off with a breaker bar has me wondering what happened at the last oil change.

 

Sorry for your troubles but I'm wondering how much reading you've done around here cuz the stuck drain plug problem is a very frequent occurance for first time DIY oil change folk on the GEN1. Frankly my opinion is that there can't be THAT many dealers over tightening and I've become very suspicious of the integrated plastic washer the plug uses. But I digress .... first time I encountered this problem while hosting a tech-day for new owners I was about to break out the welder as suggested when I tried one more thing & I've had good luck using the type of extractor that goes over the outside of your now rounded plug for several folks in this position.


Don't be afraid to pound the extractor that is just a bit too small over the end of your now destroyed plug. Then use a big breaker bar. My dealer has a 4 footer they keep handy. If you don't have a breaker that long, just find a length of pipe that will fit over your existing handle. I've never needed more than 18 inches altho I have pressed with a leg rather than pulling with an arm! Here's a post IRWIN extractor and a virgin plug just pulled . . .


The advice about the 6 point socket is good but there's a reason....the bolt head is just a wee bit smaller than the recommended metric size. It happens to be a PERFECT fit for a 1/2 inch. 13mm is .51 inch; .5 inch is 12.7mm That little bit of slop coupled with a less than great wrench fit and a stuck plug can lead to slopped off edges and then as frustration mounts the situation goes down hill. The 6 point socket helps cover this mis-sizing. I now just use a 1/2 inch when faced with a standard bung.


Eliminate the problem in the future and replace the plug with a Fumoto drain valve. I've used for years on several vehicles and when they fit they are GREAT (btw, they won't fit on a GEN2)
http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

btw - HAYNES says to replace the plug with each change - do not reuse. Again, my guess is that integrated plastic 'crush washer'.

My guess on the filter housing is you just are having trouble getting things at just the right angle to achieve enuf throw to get the damn thing to crack loose. If it is just a bit too tight and your ratchet has just a wee bit too little area to move you are backed into a corner. Wait 'til you get to experience the joy of getting it back on! I think the engineer that gave us this setup still laughs himself to sleep each night. If U R having trouble getting enuf 'throw' the only option I can think of is trying a different brand of socket which may match-up to everything just enuf different. I went thru 3 b4 I got my GEN1 filter off the first time - SEARS was what worked for me....and 2 socket wrenches and a breaker bar b4 I hit a combo that got it off the first time. I just didn't have enuf throw to break the seal. Tried the troq' wrench but didn't have crearance for the wrench and socket until I got the sears socket. After time one I know what I'm expecting to feel tho so no more problems.

if/when u get to put the filter back on - press down HARD while turning until you feel the o-ring pop past the lip. I can feel the rubber of the o-ring start to slide on the metal and know I'm good to go. Then continue to turn as far as you can, I usually find the housing is not flush yet and need to still apply 1/2 turn or more with a wrench to get it fully seated. Yes - as against the rules as that is I find U must tighten the filter can with a wrench else you won't get it seated. It is also a situation where a rubber glove facilitates a much needed tighter grip.

Bring it over, I'll give you a hand .... or should I come to your place and use your lift?

 

Since you rounded off the plug, the dealer will easily deny responsibility. But they should take of the oil filter cap for you.

When I first replaced the oil & filter on my '06 MCSc, it was difficult to remove the oil pan plug as well. For sure it was over-torqued. On the other hand, the oil filter cap was easy to remove. If proper torque specs were followed, neither of these items should require a break bar.

You should send the used oil sample to Blackstone Labs for an analysis if you suspect the dealer lied about the oil change. Furthermore, I would not follow the oil change interval indicated by the ECM. 10k is the maximum I would go on between changes (using synthetic oil).

Keep us posted.