Engine oil thermostat sealing plug

[douglas96]

Hi,

I have a question about the sealing plug for the engine oil thermostat. When I changed the engine oil last year, I renewed all sealing plugs and all aluminium washers with the correct parts listed on ETKA. The one sealing plug that I ended up not changing (I did change the aluminium washer for it though) was the engine oil thermostat plug. The reason being is that the one that ETKA lists for the oil thermostat (N 908 132 02 - "Seal bolt with sealing ring") is absolutely nothing like the one that was on my thermostat.

Here is a picture of the sealing plug that was (and still is) on my engine oil thermostat;

It is made from an aluminium alloy and is very light. The dimensions of it are M14x1.5x19 and it is 18mm across the flats. It also has the option to use a triple square socket (I can't remember the size) to loosen/fasten it.

The part that ETKA lists as being the correct part is made from steel. The dimensions for it are M14x1.5x22 and it is 19mm across the flats. There is no triple square or similar hole on the head that can be used to loosen/fasten it. Here is a picture of it below;

N 908 132 02

ETKA parts catalogue showing N 908 132 02

Has anyone else come across the sealing plug that my car is fitted with at the moment, or is part number N 908 132 02 the correct part? The reason why I didn't change it was mainly because of the difference in length of the two plugs - 19mm vs 22mm. I know it's only 3mm, but I don't want to restrict the oil flow just in case ETKA is listing the incorrect part and that it should actually be 19mm.

Any help is appreciated,

Douglas

[Jim Haseltine]

That's what is on my car. All the drain plugs on mine take triple squares - one size for the 3 round plugs and a different size for that one but it's nothing like as tight as the others - 25Nm compared to 40Nm for the others.

[douglas96]

That's what is on my car. All the drain plugs on mine take triple squares - one size for the 3 round plugs and a different size for that one but it's nothing like as tight as the others - 25Nm compared to 40Nm for the others.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the reply. I'll admit that I was hoping not to hear that, and instead that the part that ETKA is listing is what is fitted to yours!!

Yes that's right - the round plugs with only the triple square hole on them that are on the steel oil pipes are M16x1. Those ones are steel if I remember correctly (they had a good bit of weight to them anyway), but the one on the thermostat is very lightweight aluminium.

Last year I took the aluminium sealing plug into TPS whilst it was off the car draining the oil, and showed it to the man there who is very knowledgeable about parts. He said that he had never seen one like that, and confirmed that the part number N 908 132 02 is listed as the correct part for the engine oil thermostat. I wouldn't be that concerned if the difference was purely the lack of the triple square hole, but the fact that the one fitted to the car at the moment is a completely different material and is shorter in length compared to the one listed by ETKA is strange to say the least.

I don't know where I would get a new plug the same as the one that is on it since I can't get a part number for it.

I tend to replace the bolts and, in this case, sealing plugs the first time I remove them on a car since I can't be sure that if and when they have been taken off before that they have been correctly torqued. Once I know that the bolt has been correctly torqued if I have done it I go by what Elsa says whether it can be reused or if it has to be replaced, hence the reason I would like to find a replacement sealing plug.

[Jim Haseltine]

When I first changed the oil I went into the local dealers and asked the parts manager (whose knowledge I've trusted for years) for a few sets of all the seals that I'd need. What he gave me were a load of alloy washers in 2 different sizes - one size for the round plugs and one size for the hex-plug. If there'd been a different fitting he'd have given me that, for certain.
How recent is your copy of ETKA? Perhaps the original part (the alloy one) has been changed - friend of mine works manages an autocentre and a year or so back told me that their instructions on VAG oil changes had changed to always replace the sump plug rather than just the washer, maybe VAG have changed from plug & washer to some sort of combi fitting (like pictured)?

Talking of ETKA, I could do with a copy - I lost mine when I upgraded my desktop to Win10 and am finding the on-line versions less than satisfactory can somebody point me in direction of a decent version? Similar with ElsaWin, mine is unable to find some of the pictures now, usually the most vital ones for a job - it's a bit difficult to locate bolt 1, clip 2 and ignore items labelled 3 when all I can see is a box containing a red X.........

[douglas96]

When I first changed the oil I went into the local dealers and asked the parts manager (whose knowledge I've trusted for years) for a few sets of all the seals that I'd need. What he gave me were a load of alloy washers in 2 different sizes - one size for the round plugs and one size for the hex-plug. If there'd been a different fitting he'd have given me that, for certain.
How recent is your copy of ETKA? Perhaps the original part (the alloy one) has been changed - friend of mine works manages an autocentre and a year or so back told me that their instructions on VAG oil changes had changed to always replace the sump plug rather than just the washer, maybe VAG have changed from plug & washer to some sort of combi fitting (like pictured)?

Talking of ETKA, I could do with a copy - I lost mine when I upgraded my desktop to Win10 and am finding the on-line versions less than satisfactory can somebody point me in direction of a decent version? Similar with ElsaWin, mine is unable to find some of the pictures now, usually the most vital ones for a job - it's a bit difficult to locate bolt 1, clip 2 and ignore items labelled 3 when all I can see is a box containing a red X.........

Hi Jim,

I ordered all the plugs and washers going by the part numbers and quantities listed on ETKA. This is the only time I have not been able to order the correct part. The aluminium washer that I used to replace the one on the aluminium plug on the thermostat was part number N 013 849 3 which measures 14x20mm which is the same size as the one that was on it. This washer is not listed near the engine oil thermostat. Instead that aluminium washer is listed alongside part number N 029 701 4 - "Oil drain plug" which there are two on the car - one on the front of the intake module and the other is used as a coolant drain plug. This plug is shown below;

N 029 701 4 - "oil drain plug"

Obviously this isn't the same part as that on the thermostat; however, I believe I *may* have found the aluminium drain plug that is fitted to the thermostat on both of our cars, not thanks to ETKA for once.

I searched online for "M14x1.5x19 drain plug" and the first link that showed up was a website called "Scuderia Car Parts" (link to the page here - https://www.scuderiacarparts.com/part/4 ... 15x19.html). They have the part number being listed as 036 103 193 and that this part is fitted to a variety of Lamborghini models. So I searched ETKA for this part number and the only car that is listed on ETKA that uses this part is the Audi R8, 2007- 2012 and 2013-2015. ETKA lists the price of this drain plug to be £23.27 + VAT. ETKA also lists on the drawing for the R8 oil circuit that this plug is used alongside an aluminium washer; N 013 815 7 "seal ring". According to ETKA it measures 14x20mm and it is actually also listed on the RS 6 illustration #115-000 being numbered 25 on the illustration. So I am going to add both of these parts to what I'm ordering from TPS for its service next month and fingers crossed that the plug is the correct one!

Regarding ETKA, the version I use is 100% up to date. It shows when parts have been superseded also, and what the replacement part is and it doesn't list anything for the thermostat so for whatever reason it looks like the part number - N 908 132 02 - for the thermostat plug has been on ETKA since day 1.

Also, yes, that's correct about always replacing the drain plugs if the washer is not removable from the plug. I don't exactly know how they make them; I suspect the diameter of the holes of the washers are made slightly smaller than a normal one and are heated and then dropped onto the plug, and once the washer cools down it can't fit over the threads. Either that or again the diameter of the holes of the washers are made slightly smaller and are fitted onto the plug before the threads are formed, and once the threads have been rolled the washer cannot be removed. It seems very wasteful, since the plugs really have nothing wrong with them and have to be disposed just because a washer has to be replaced.

Jim I'll PM you about ETKA later on.

Thanks

[douglas96]

The part - 036 103 193 - is the same part that was fitted from factory, at least, to both Jim's car and my car. The new one I got is shown below;

036 103 193

The seal ring I bought - N 013 815 7 - is not flat - instead it is cylindrical, like a doughnut. It is shown below;

N 013 815 7

It is not the correct part in this instance and I will not be using it along side 036 103 193 on the engine oil thermostat.

I believe that the correct seal ring for this use is, as I suspected, N 013 849 3, which is a flat aluminium sealing washer. It is shown below;

N 013 849 3

Hope this helps,

Douglas