Cracked plastic VRS sump dripping oil

[Orville]

I cannot believe my luck with this car. Last night the Missus took a wrong turn and then attempted a U-turn down a narrow country road. There was a hidden rock (must have been a boulder) in the verge. She heard a small thud and a scraping sound but thought nothing of it after getting out and checking the car looked okay. Today I used the car. Everything felt fine but when I returned home I noticed a small puddle of oil on the drive. Upon checking underneath the car there is scuffing to the webbed plastic sump and a small quantity of oil is oozing out. The dip stick still shows full so the leakage has been minor, but a replacement sump will be needed.

 

Replacement looks simple, and the remaining oil can be drained and reused. Any guesses how much a Dealer will charge for a VRS TSI sump replacement?

 

edit 21/8/2016: Replaced the sump myself after sourcing parts from local TPS VAG Specialist. The job is relatively easy, even for non-mechanically minded. Please do not pay Skoda Dealers ~£500 to replace this when you can get the parts for £116 and do it yourself within an hour. If you decide on the DIY route, you'll need the following:-

 

DIY Guide

 

Tools

*T25 bit to remove the under-tray - 8 screws

*T30 bit to remove the sump - 20 screws

*Size 10 Hex socket to remove the oil-level sensor from old sump.

*At least one jack, but best to raise both sides of the car. Two car-ramps will be ideal.

 

Parts

*New Sump. TPS (or any other VAG Specialist) will identify exact part from your Reg number. Part cost me £98incl.

*New Seal. Part cost £18incl

*6L of oil. I used Castrol Edge FST 5W30

 

Process

#1. Drain oil

#'2. Remove under-tray

#3. Unclip oil-level sensor cable

#4. Undo 20x bolts. All are easy to reach (once car is lifted). Pop-off the sump.

#5. Remove oil-level senor from old sump and fit to new

#6. Fit seal to new sump, afix new sump to engine

#7. Clip oil-level-sensor cable back in-place

#8. Fill with 5L of 5w30 oil

#9. Start the engine and check for leaks. Topup oil if needed - mine needed an additional 1L (totaling 6L)

#10 Refit under-tray.

 

Comments

*Do not over-tighten screws or bolts. 8-9Nm is the specified torques setting. This is pretty low (think hand-held screwdriver tight).

*Have plenty of rags available to wipe up oil. I used old tea-towels.

*The video below shows how to remove the sump. It is easy as there are no obstructions once the under-tray is off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJuuPZMDt3E

Edited 3 November, 2016 by Orville

[Neily03]

Drain and reuse the oil?? Even if it had recently had an oil changes that's just daft

[Nathanio]

It can only be £50 for really expensive stuff. Just renew it

[SuperbTWM]

I agree with the above, whats the point in risking contamination from draining it and then putting in back in for the sake of a few quid

[Orville]

Drain and reuse the oil?? Even if it had recently had an oil changes that's just daft

Used engine oil is toxic so why not save the environment, plus a little money in the process? I can understand replacing it if it is old or degrading, but the next service would have been a topup only.

 

I am sure that the sump replacement will cost far more than the oil itself.

[Neily03]

I wasn't suggesting dumping it at your local nature reserve

[Orville]

For anyone interested, the plastic sump is shown within the video link below, where it is replaced by a third party metal version.

I was a little surprised to find a plastic sump. The Missus says that she only brushed the rock, so I guess they are not so tough. I guess it could have been a lot worse.

Edited 17 August, 2016 by Orville

[hobbie2k]

The plastic sump is probably lighter, cheaper, and easier to make. For most drivers it is plenty strong. Depending on how force is applied, it may even be stronger than a steel one.

[Wakey]

For anyone interested, the plastic sump is shown within the video link below, where it is replaced by a third party metal version.

I was a little surprised to find a plastic sump. The Missus says that she only brushed the rock, so I guess they are not so tough. I guess it could have been a lot worse.

You let your wife drive your car? Now that's asking for trouble. Edited 18 August, 2016 by Wakey

[Orville]

You let your wife drive your car? Now that's asking for trouble.

You should see what she's done to my alloys. Next car will have to be an SUV for better clearance.

[Orville]

New sump & seal costs £117 incl VAT from a local VAG Specialist. That's less than I thought it would be for OEM parts. Fitting will be extra.

[V6Jules]

Ouch, unlucky. Can't imagine it would take them more than an hour's labour to change it unless there is anything in the way that needs to be removed subframe wise etc.

Whilst I'm sure the plastic sump is fine I can't see it ever taking a beating like a steel one can. Seem some right messed up ones. On one car for a TV series myself and friends did we dropped a car off the end of a large seesaw(land rover pivot type obstical and we went too quick) right onto the slam panel and sump so hard the rod bolts left 4 dents in it where they pushed the sump back out after the ground bashed it in :-) Can't see a plastic one surviving that but thankfully most will never see that kind of abuse lol.

[SuperbTWM]

I reckon the cast alloy sumps fitted to most cars are just as brittle as the plastic ones, the more resilient ones will be the steel ones that can take dents without cracking

[Orville]

I am sure that plastic is used for weight reduction and cost saving only. It is the first plastic-sumped car I have owned and the only one which has ever sprang a leak. I am pretty sure I have banged previous sumps much harder than the wife says this one was scraped.

[HeavyMetalRich]

I was under my car, servicing it the other night and can confirm that there is nothing obstructing a straight-forward replacement. I was also surprised by the fact that there isn't a full undertray.

[Breezy_Pete]

A plastic sump? Haha, I thought the plastic cam-cover on a Vauxhaul we used to have was pretty bloody daft, but a sump?! 

What's the drain plug, a rubber bung?

[Orville]

The drain plug is also plastic/nylon.

[Breezy_Pete]

Hmmm. Are you replacing like-for-like or fitting a steel one?  I know what I'd do.

[Orville]

It will be a like for like OEM replacement. I do not want to provide Skoda with any excuse to deny a warranty claim in case of an engine-related failure. The car will also be returned once my PCP agreement expires, so everything needs to be standard.

 

If the car was out of warranty and I owned it then I would have purchased a stronger 3rd party metal sump. Metal tends to dent or scratch rather than split at the merest contact.

 

edit: There are very few reports of plastic sump replacements, so I guess that we have just been unlucky and that the plastic sump is fit for purpose. It would have been nice if the undertray provided some additional protection, but the sump itself is open to the elements and anything the car bumps/scrapes over. There is also a small scrape on the underside of the front spoiler/bumper, so it scraped the spoiler first before scraping the sump. If the half-sized undertray was larger it would have prevented sump damage.

Edited 19 August, 2016 by Orville

[Neily03]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a plastic sump, just like there's nothing with a plastic fuel tank.  There's nothing to say a metal sump wouldn't have failed in the same situation.  The key here is don't drive you car into solid objects....

[Orville]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a plastic sump, just like there's nothing with a plastic fuel tank.  There's nothing to say a metal sump wouldn't have failed in the same situation.  The key here is don't drive you car into solid objects....

I will tale some photos during the weekend. I am pretty certain that a metal sump would have survived the scratches I can see on my punctured plastic sump. I could also argue that a relatively low and sportily sprung car should have better protection/shielding for the sump, or a stronger sump. Either way, I think the Missue was a little unlucky for the sump to have scraped over a hidden rock. One plus point is that plastic will never rust.

[Orville]

Local VW Dealer quotes 2.5 hour labour to replace at £138 per hour. My closest Skoda Dealer is 15 miles away. I reckon that I could do it myself within 30mins, so may end up doing so.

Edited 19 August, 2016 by Orville

[V6Jules]

Local VW Dealer quotes 2.5 hour labour to replace at £138 per hour. My closest Skoda Dealer is 15 miles away. I reckon that I could do it myself WITHin 30mins, so may end up doing so.

I think you're right!

[Breezy_Pete]

Just find the crack and run a hot soldering iron tip along it...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Orville]

A local non-VAG garage will install it for £65. I may as well change the oil. Can anyone recommend the correct/best grade for a VRS TSI?

 

I collected the new sump and to be honnest it is not an overly impressive piece of plastic for the price (>£100). I think that a good kick or punch could easiliy break it.