Yesterday I took my 348 to get the oil changed. Of course, I hold my breath any time I have to take the car to get worked on. This a.m., I went out to my garage, and, sure enough...oil seeping out of the oil reservoir plug underneath. Did they tighten too much and strip the threading of the reservoir? Not tight enough? Has anyone else encountered this? Is it easy to strip these threads? I appreciate any advice you all can offer.
Why not take it back to them and let THEM fix it. Be very indignant and don't let them tell you it was leaking when they got it. Ken
That is why I always change mine myself......You will always take more pride in your car than others. I remember reading that a member here..TMOBILEGUY stripped his out several months back. I do not know if this is very common, but I would take the car back to the shop with no delay. It may be nothing, but TAKE IT BACK!! Best of luck!!! -Jay
Husker - How much of a "leak" is there? If it's really coming from the oil plug, the only way you'd know, is to remove the splash guards under the car. Remove the splash guards and make sure it's leaking from the oil plug (the one that faces the FRONT of the car. Not the tranny plug that faces downward). Don't go torque-ing things down. I learned my lesson last weekend doing the same thing on my oil tank. Tight is good. Tighter is not better. If it's leaking from the oil plug, make sure they replaced the copper crush washer. That in itself might not be your problem, but it's a cheap solution and an easy place to start. Obviously, you can't remove the plug to verify the washer's existence without a big mess! Call the shop and ask. (Remember, you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar)
If, indeed, the threads are stripped, there are two ways of fixing it. One is to get a "helicoil" inserted. This involves using a special threading tool to rethread the hole, and then another tool to insert the coil. This will allow you to use your original size plug. The other alternative is to drill out the hole and have it rethreaded to a larger size. In either case, it should be done by someone who knows what they are doing as special precautions need to be taken to avoid getting metal shavings into the pan. Otherwise, you are looking at removing the pan to have the work done, which is the safest way to do it. That said, chances are they re-used the old copper washer or didn't put one on at all. The old washer can be "annealed" and reused by heating it red hot and then letting it cool, but it's better to use a new one. There are also good fiber washers available that do a good job sealing, but it is preferable to use the copper crush washer if at all possible. The big problem with those quickie lube places is that the folks doing the work don't have any real knowledge of cars. A specialty car like the Ferrari requires special handling. There may not be a Ferrari mechanic where you live, but chances are there is a good foreign or even American car mechanic who actually knows cars and can do the work properly for you.
Update: He didn't replace the washer. So the car's back at the place, they are draining, putting on a new washer, and I should be all set. I will update later.
You really should change the oil yourself. The bubbas could be using an impact wrench to tighten the drain plug. If they are ignorant enough not to install the CU crush, there is no telling what they might do.
Just as bad, they could be using a regular wrench and overtightening it to be sure you don't leak. Since the pan on your car is aluminum and the drain plug is probably steel, which do you think gives first? You guessed it. I vote for do it yourself, unless you can find a mechanic with a brain (and that is not an oximoron. They do exist.).
Collin, Collin, Collin. Why are you having your oil changed by idiots? I thought I tought you better then that. Instead of vacationing this year, take the time and get to know your car, mechanically. It'll be a rewarding experience. Being able to do some of your own work on your car will make you appreciate it more, and give you a sense of accomplishment. When people ask me who works on my Fcar and I tell them "I do" they look at me with bewilderment. I tell them "Ferrari's are made by humans, just like every other car on the road." Except when you screw something up on a Ferrari, it can be expensive. But changing the oil is certainly not a high tech job.
Update: He simply didn't use a new washer. All is now well. John, I don't change my own oil because I hate that kind of stuff. Besides, if I screw something up (which I certainly would!), then I have to fix it (scarey proposition). If the shop screws it up, they have to fix! My oil change guy isn't some "schmo" that I drove up and asked to change my oil. He's a light mechanical guy that totally white-gloves my Ferraris and is super meticulous. He reads and re-reads my manual to make sure everything's just right. He just failed to put a new washer on. Easy mistake.
Well, I disagree. That's not the kind of mistake I would make and I'm a shade tree guy at best. It WILL drip without the washer. He WILL have a pissed off customer with oil drops in his garage. It's like forgetting to put the dipstick back in when you check the oil; it just shouldn't happen. Ken
In my personal experience I've reused copper washers and not had leaks. Whether or not they can be reused depends on just how much they were crushed the first time. The guy probably reused the old one because he thought it would work (it usually does) or it just slipped his mind. He's human.
If I was charging someone over a hundred bucks (or whatever) I'd use a new one regardless. Sloppy and cheap....I hope this guy doesn't do the same with valve shims. Ken
Hmmm, easy mistake. Well, my daughter took her 97 Camry into a place here in town some time ago to get her oil changed, didnt want to bother me or her brother with it, wanted to be a big girl. But she came home and wanted me to look at it, said something the guy did, how he acted, just made her not trust him. I seen greasy fingers prints all over the oil filter, but no oil down the side of the motor, and i swore it was the same oil I had put on a month or so earlier. I pulled the stick and it was as black. We went back, they all looked dumb at it and went ahead and "changed" it again. The owner of a shop could be the most honest, most Christian or God fearing man in the world, but it doesnt mean his help is. I had an alighment done on a MB at a shop called PTL tire, PTL refering to "Praise the Lord". The people who ran the place were saints. The guy who aligned my car wasnt, and he stole the chrome MB tire iron out of my tool kit. I may get flamed for saying this, but Husker, you should change your own oil, if for no other reason that it "IS" a Ferrari. Yes, its messy, its oiley, its greasy, and yes, you could screw it up. But Mr Ferrari started out getting his hands oiley and filthy, and he reveled in it to learn how to build the machine YOU drive today. Its a "right of passage". While your under YOUR car, you will see other stuff that makes it go and will begin to wonder what service it needs as well. Soon, you will move up to brake fluid changes, putting in brake pads, and God knows where else you will head off to. Soon, you too will have grease under your fingernails, and you will be one of "those guys". The difference will be, you can say you worked on a Ferrari, and what could ever be cooler than that? Working on YOUR Ferrari, thats what.
Doesn't sound too meticulous. Anyway, on the bottom of the oil tank on 348s there is a plate with the drain plug in it that bolts to the tank. If you have any major problems with the threads, just remove it and repair them.
After a Pebble beach F mechanic stripped my threads I ended up re threading them and I use a fiber washer, as it take some torque without stripping. The ultimate solution is weld a bung on there or use a time sert. If they have one they are the best!!!!!! Rob wish I knew then what I know now.......
