MG4 Reduction Gearbox Oil Leak

[Deleted member 10041]

Yep, still on there. Will try it without with the new setup. I have a brass 90 degree elbow pipe connector on order to screw into the fill plug adapter, I think I'll try a simple bung with a small hole on the end of a short pipe between the two.
Pipe connector I have fitted at moment is straight and horizontal so is allowing a little oil to flow into the tube before it turns up towards the boot floor, seems to be going no further though.
Can't quite believe the difference so far , chalk and cheese.

You do know that all this time you have just been wasting it on a minor issue that people have a BS Obsession over, apparently ?

 

[Deleted member 9692]

You do know that all this time you have just been wasting it on a minor issue that people have a BS Obsession over, apparently ?

We need to take a long hard look at our selves. If only someone would come along and point out the error of our ways, this thread could be marked solved immediately.

 

[Ian Key]

What I have noticed is that on the various MG4 Facebook groups the oil leak hasn't been mentioned for several weeks now.

 

[AndyL61]

What I have noticed is that on the various MG4 Facebook groups the oil leak hasn't been mentioned for several weeks now.

Quite a few think that it is all sorted or even yesterday I saw a comment "what oil leak" , quite a few ostrich's out there.

 

[Ayoull]

Quite a few think that it is all sorted or even yesterday I saw a comment "what oil leak" , quite a few ostrich's out there.

Or folk that don't question why their driveway now has a few dark patches on it

 

[Macadoodle]

What I have noticed is that on the various MG4 Facebook groups the oil leak hasn't been mentioned for several weeks now.

Can't leak indefinitely I guess, and gentle drivers will see their leaks diminish quicker.

What's left in there will likely be the volume equivalent of 2 cans of coke ( and probably a similar colour )
IMHO even if this amount is just enough to throw oil to the upper reaches of the box, its going to degrade quickly just because it's a tiny amount of oil, around 1/3 of what's in my 110BHP leaf.

Meshing gear teeth give oil a hard life, shearing and breaking the long molecular chains in the lube, reducing it's viscosity over time.

I saw this first hand when I changed the oil for the first time in my leaf at around 100k miles.
The oil was filthy and flowed like water, and both of the magnets on the fill and drain plugs were not only covered in metal silt, but tiny chunks of gear teeth

You could see under a magnifying glass evidence of 'micro welds' on these gear tips, showing a total lubrication failure and metal to metal contact, despite plenty of oil being in there.

Has made me very sceptical about the 'no need to change' spouted by manufacturers.
It should definitely be done every 50k minimum IMO.
That and a PROPER brake stripdown and clean is what an EV service should consist of, not the box ticking, washer fill up, and swirly car wash nonsense people usually get.

 

[Macadoodle]

Macadoodle if this holds please ho please send what you have found to MG with photos or drawings so they can get their people trained up on how to sort this issue I’m getting a little old and stiff for being under cars now so my dealer will have the task of fixing it.
So fingers X it holds makes perfect sense to me like I said earlier. Well done.
Les

Might be worth a try Les, but I've a feeling they'll totally ignore me ( and cancel my warranty )
The parts for the so far successful side mount breather were ALMOST 15 QUID so that might just be a step too far for MG.

 

[Ayoull]

Might be worth a try Les, but I've a feeling they'll totally ignore me ( and cancel my warranty )
The parts for the so far successful side mount breather were ALMOST 15 QUID so that might just be a step too far for MG.

Breather mod parts £15
MG dealer labour £900
MG reputation facepalm

For everything else there's.... A library card

 

[siteguru]

Thing is ... they wouldn't cost MG £15 per car to source the parts; they could buy in bulk for a big discount.

In fact, the solution above probably costs less (in materials) than the first breather mod.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Don't know what your all worrying about it's not a big deal?

 

[Les burrows]

Don't know what your all worrying about it's not a big deal?

It might be for some leni16 and will be more so if these cars get a reputation for being troublesome in this way, then no one will go near them on the 2nd market never mind the fact running a component like this with less than the oil it requires is just asking for trouble I sure you agree.

it’s time that MG motors did the right thing and do what ever needs to be done Mcdoodle as done some sterling work on this issue at his own cost in time and money, and I among others as MG4 owners are extremely grateful to him, will MG listen to what he has done I don’t know but they would be very foolish not to if this cures the problem on that you must agree.
Les

 

[Deleted member 10041]

It might be for some leni16 and will be more so if these cars get a reputation for being troublesome in this way, then no one will go near them on the 2nd market never mind the fact running a component like this with less than the oil it requires is just asking for trouble I sure you agree.

it’s time that MG motors did the right thing and do what ever needs to be done Mcdoodle as done some sterling work on this issue at his own cost in time and money, and I among others as MG4 owners are extremely grateful to him, will MG listen to what he has done I don’t know but they would be very foolish not to if this cures the problem on that you must agree.
Les

Les I totally agree, more of sarcastic reference to others downplaying the whole thing

 

[maverickz]

Update, my car went to dealer yesterday, the 3rd time for the oil leaking issue.
First time was December last year, had the new pipe fitted. Leaked again in January.
So send back on 23rd Feb, not sure what dealer did, but they told me all sorted. For sure they didn't do much.
Went in again yesterday, and dealer told me it is still leaking!!! They are contacting the MG to seeking solution. Dealer also said they have another pipe with them, they will wait for MG feedback before fit the second pipe.

Monday update.
received phone call from dealer just before 11, still waiting for MG's solution. The dealer believes the MG uk is talking to the MG engineer in China for the leaking.
I have requested their sales manager to call me for the ongoing leaking issue.
Nothing so far.

 

[Hagen]

May be good news when there is contact with a technical person from China. Hope so!

 

[siteguru]

I called my dealer again today (as I'd had no call back last week or the week before). The service manager still wasn't available so I got his email address and sent him an email.

In this email I stated (for records) that I am still driving my car as there has been no instruction, request or advice to not so do ... if they do do so then I'll return the car (which they'll keep until such time as it is fixed) and they'll have to provide me with a courtesy car (at no cost to me); if they don't then I put them on notice that any issues caused by the oil leak (e.g. oil quality causing damage, or low level causing damage) will be a warranty issue, whensoever it may manifest itself. (I also pointed them to this thread, and the fact that this is at least an EU-wide issue, if not world-wide, and this issue is also all over social media).

I got a holding response, for their tech to chase this up with MG.

 

[JuziWomble]

Just out of interest - Sorry if posted already - but with 138 pages ...
Is there a photo of said Oil Reservoir under the bonnet ?? So I could have a quick cross check look at so if it is dropping level (due to leaks - that you / I, cant see visually externally) - Then you at least know you do have the leak ? - Or is this a hidden reservoir around the motor (Encased in rear of car)

Hope that makes sense ...

 

[Ayoull]

Just out of interest - Sorry if posted already - but with 138 pages ...
Is there a photo of said Oil Reservoir under the bonnet ?? So I could have a quick cross check look at so if it is dropping level (due to leaks - that you / I, cant see visually externally) - Then you at least know you do have the leak ? - Or is this a hidden reservoir around the motor (Encased in rear of car)

Hope that makes sense ...

The oil is enclosed within the reduction gearbox which is attached to the motor assembly to the rear of the vehicle above the rear undertray as such without draining it down you don't know how much is left inside the unit

 

[siteguru]

But you could put your phone on video record (with flash on), stick your hand (with phone) up near the nearside rear wheel and move it around - that might let you get sight of the breather and determine whether any oil looks like it has escaped.

 

[Macadoodle]

I shortened the 1.5 metre pipe back to around 40cm with the side mount breather, still no leaks after around 60 fairly frisky miles today.
I can't say for sure come summer I won't have a few dribbles with the higher temps but so far the difference is huge, an 850 ml fill with the original breather location was an oily mess within no time.

Below is a pic of the brass M16 to M14 converter with a 1.5 thread pitch - under a tenner on ebay.
I'm waiting on a 90 degree elbow to finish the job properly but have used an airline fitting with a wrap of PTFE tape for now which happened to have the same thread.

Pic is without pipe fitted of course, but it terminates almost directly above the breather with a plastic bung drilled with a 3mm hole.
Also put a little bit of breathable foam over the end to keep the dust at bay.

 

[Les burrows]

Fantastic Macdoodle Fantastic if possible you say you got some bits off EBay can you post a link please.
Les