Car oil drain pan casing threads issue:?

Hi,


Today I have taken my Acura 3.2 TL for a regular oil change and the folks told me that I need to replace the oil pan.


They says the guy at where I changed the oil last time did not do the proper job and the threads


in the oil pan casing have been damaged due to cross fixing the oil drain bolt.


They told me that it will cost me $410 to change this oil pan and say I have no way but to replace this oil pan .


I have two questions now.


1. Is there any fix for this to avoid spending $410 that I don't have?


2. Can I take any action against the folks who did this bad job?





Any help appreciated.





Best regardsCar oil drain pan casing threads issue:?
First of all you cant blame the last place that did the oil change. I have never seen any technician in my life purposely cross thread an oil draingplug, that is idiotic. The threads wear over time and usually the shop that notices this blames the last place that changed the oil. You can either replace the pan, or what I'd suggest is getting a two piece drain plug, one end permantly self threads into the pan, and then it has a seperate ';plug'; to where you can change the oil without disturbing the part threaded into the pan. Any oil change place should have this and parts and labor couldn't cost more than 40 dollars including another oil change which obviously you'd need.Car oil drain pan casing threads issue:?
cant say about taking action against the guy that mangled it but there are kits to repair that sort of thing. whether you have a steel pan or an aluminum pan you can probably find a kit for far less than a new pan. also if there is a local junk yard you might find a cheap used pan. sorry i don't know where to find a kit but id call your auto parts store.
Bummer about the car. Here is an idea. There is always one size bigger when it comes to bolts. An oil pan drain plug is, a short bolt. I don't know off hand the ';pitch';(Diameter and number of threads per inch)of your plug. What ever it is all you need to do is get the next size up and a ';tap'; to cut the new threads in the pan. Go to your local auto parts store and tell them what you want to do. A NAPA store will have what you need.


In the mean time some teflon tape should make sure the plug stays in place.


No way to prove which service person made the mistake...word against word. Sorry been there.
You don't need to spend 410 bucks for a new oil pan , someone is trying to get rich off of you . All you need to do is take the old oil pan bolt to the auto part store and tell the that you need a new oil pan bolt for your car plus a thread chaser(re threader bit) for the size bolt that they sell to you for the oil pan.All you have do is run the re treader bit up into the bolt hole a few time , then the threads will be just like new.
Go to the parts store and buy a self tapping drain plug. it will cut new threads into the pan and you will be fine. Maybe $10.
did they get it in at all or is it still there at the place? if they were able to get it in even with bad threads it can be forced in enough to get it to a ';real'; mechanic not one of these idiot oil changers that screw these things up , i guarrantee you the guy who did the change right there tore it up and wont admit it. a real mechanic can chase the threads with a tap and probably fix it for a few bucks compared to a new pan. if you do need a pan a salvage yard would be whole lot cheaper than 400 bucks, like the other fella said above they make oil pan drain plug savers that you can get at your local auto parts store and install it or have ot done. anyway learn how to do your oil yourself. stay away from those cheapy oil change outfits thatll hire any idiot off the street for minumum wage to ruin your car in the end you will know its done rihjt if you do it yourself and you will save $$$