Just added oil to my engine for the first time (11,500 miles). The filler cap design looks good but is really very silly.

Sitting down inside the plastic engine cover it is ideally suited to gathering road material (dirt,dust, grit, etc). and furthermore because its set down inside it is very difficult to clean.

Even with a vacuum cleaner it is quite hard to get the grime out before opening the filler cap at which point of course there is nothing to stop said grime falling straight inside the rocker cover.

Perhaps one is meant to remove the plastic engine cover first? Not that that wouldn't make the design any less silly though!

Quite pleased with the oil usage 1/3 litre in that mileage including running in period.

I pop mine off for cleaning. 5k on mine and only a little down on the max mark.

I remove my engine cover and clean it with a spray of Ciit Bang degreaser and a wipe off. Comes up a treat.

How easy is it to remove the engine cover?

I remove my engine cover and clean it with a spray of Ciit Bang degreaser and a wipe off. Comes up a treat.

Next time give it a spray of wd40 and rub it off with a cloth.. Brings it up beautiful

Yep, lousy design.

Luckily its very easy to pop the cover off (just pull - its only held on by a couple of clips) then pull away the rubber ring that goes around the oil filler cap. It really is easier to do than to explain/type!

N.b. i've added this already to the "hints and tips" thread.

I'll give it a go tomorrow - how much are new engine covers !!!???

Just did the job - absolute doddle. Takes about 30 seconds to remove cover and about another 5 to remove rubber seal.

Must be better to top oil up like this, even on a garage forecourt.

Also gives chance to clean over the coil pack covers etc.

The engine cover on my mk1 octy has spent the last two years hanging up in the shed. Also if you remove the cover you can actually see all those hoses and joints that are prone to splitting.

The engine cover on my mk1 octy has spent the last two years hanging up in the shed. Also if you remove the cover you can actually see all those hoses and joints that are prone to splitting.

I wondered if it were really necessary, but I suppose it does protect the electrics etc from various kinds of muck.

The cynic in me reckons that the plastic covers are there to put people off doing routine maintenance to their cars (but making everything appear inaccesable) so that they go to the main dealer for every little piece of work !!

I wondered if it were really necessary, but I suppose it does protect the electrics etc from various kinds of muck.

They don't protect the engine from muck, most of the muck comes in through the radiator, in fact the cover was mucky on the underside on mine.

They don't protect the engine from muck, most of the muck comes in through the radiator, in fact the cover was mucky on the underside on mine.

Ah.....so it is there to make sure the muck doesn't escape!