Re: draining oil

[Elliott Potter <epotter@abraxis.com>]

>>>You'll have to first remove the plastic sound-deadening pan from under the
>motor before you can get to the drain plug<<
>
>No,no.  It's not a sound deadener, it is to catch all the parts that fall off. 
>:-)
>
>Actually, it is an aerodynamic aid to smooth airflow under the car.
>
Hm... I always thought it was to protect the underside of the
engine/belts from stuff you run over.  I thought it was a great idea
after I ran over a stick (well a big stick) in an older car and it
ripped the timing belt and broke the radiator fan.

The pan in my 93 90 also serves another purpose: catching all of the oil
that leaks from the engine!  When I first got the car I checked the oil
religously, but after it didn't use any I quit bothering.  Then one day
I take it in for an oil change, and when I come back the service advisor
tells me that the oil is leaking from every possible seam!  I wonder how
this would go without notice until I see through the window an extremely
irritated and oil-soaked Audi mechanic waiting while his spouse is
searching for paper to cover her car seats with...


Elliott