This is a new one for me – the guys at the garage went to service my Focus today, tried to unscrew the sump plug and got it halfway before the threads stopped engaging the the right direction. They did it back up again at this point, thankfully.

It’s an 07 Focus with plenty of miles, and not much residual value, so a new sump isn’t a good idea. Any solutions? Helicoiling I suppose or I vaguely recall hearing about a technique of vacuuming the oil out via the dipstick hole.

Any advice?

They caused the problem = they are responsible to fix it

I’d change garages

I had an issue with the sump plug on my Transit, wouldn’t shift at all. Not a big deal to just take the whole sump off to change the oil, probably a more thorough way of cleaning it too. Tube of gasket seal when you put it back.
A few months later I dinged the sump on a tree stump and broke it, managed to take it off and bend it back into shape (thankfully! I was 1,000 miles from home and didn’t know much of the local lingo) Replaced sump when I got back though, cost less than £40 (2004 Transit) Garage should buy you one if they’ve ruined it.
Sump story here if you are really interested http://andrewhowett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/its-not-bike-race-without-van-incident.html

unfitgeezer – Member
They caused the problem = they are responsible to fix it

I’d change garages
Only if they serviced the car last.

My old alfa 156 had a helicoiled sump plug (alu sump so easy to knacker).

Was already done when I got the car, my garage told me it was slightly wonky and was causing a bit of a drip which some PTFE tape stopped.

Other than that it’ll be fine.

There’s a kit where you take the plug out, rebore and tap an oversized new sump plug. No need to change the whole sump.

Check out sump plug kits on eBay

I was just about to type exactly the same as mrjmt has reported (also on a 156).

Only if they serviced the car last.

Yep, can’t identify the ham-fist here. It’s aluminium rather than steel, so I imagine it’s fairly easy to knacker. Part of the problem is the garage can’t even get the thing out – it just starts tightening up again halfway down the thread.

Cheers for the advice. Would need to get a competent adult to fix it rather than an idiot like me.

EDIT: Just looked at the price of sumps on Ebay – I was expecting a lot more than that from the way the garage owner was sucking his teeth.

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/index.php?option=shop&page=shop.product_details&product_id=12233&l=uk&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&gclid=CMmgw7WEss8CFa0V0wodbC0J9w

I am surprised the garage does not use one of these as a lot do as it saves taking off the undertrays on modern cars

Focus sump pan probably isn’t big money.

I am surprised the garage does not use one of these as a lot do

If I saw one of them in use on my car I’d take it back immediately.

Crappy half a job botch tool used by Kwikfitters. Avoid.

mcmoonter – Member

There’s a kit where you take the plug out, rebore and tap an oversized new sump plug. No need to change the whole sump.

Check out sump plug kits on eBay

This.
My garage did it to my Ibiza – it’s an alloy sump, so apparently quite common on high mileage cars.

Although I had the sump replaced on my old Fiesta (it was rusting through) and it wasn’t that expensive.

A lot of garages have a suction system, stick it in the dipstick hole and suck the oil out to change it, saves hassle with shagged sump plugs, have a ring round local garages see if anyone has one.

If I saw one of them in use on my car I’d take it back immediately.

Crappy half a job botch tool used by Kwikfitters. Avoid.

That is how some manufacturers expect oil to be drawn out (some do not have sump plugs) and it takes more oil out of sumps with recessed plugs but you do what you want.

Thanks all, really helpful!

Not just sump plugs, many cars need the undertray taking off as well.

Those dip stick extractors are much cheaper to buy from a chandlers (marine place) as all boats use them, there’s no sump on a boat.

I add an oil cleaning additive to the oil, get it hot for ~20 mins and then suck it all out, once checked how much came out of the sump after – bugger all.

Regular oil and filter changes are more important than where you get the oil out I reckon.

The thing is on many cars you need to take the under tray off to get to the sump plug, you also need to take the tray off to change the filter. If they suck the oil out have they changed the filter as well?

As an update, another garage in town is taking a look next week with a view to sticking in one of oversized sump plug kits mentioned above. Didn’t seem to think it would cost much.

So McMoonter wins!

Cheers all.

looks like a new sump is about 15-30 quid on ebay, though depends on your exact car. I’d just do that!

My only worry with a helicoil type fix is that some swarf is going to end up in the sump if its done on the car (and if its coming off anyway Id just replace it).

For the sake of £30 for a s/h sump off ebay I’d just swap it, probably the same price as a helicoil job anyway.

tbh its got an oring on the back of it anyways (good design of sump plug imo)

just helicoil it.