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Breather pipe

Cliff Mitchell

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Location
Wyee Point, NSW, 2259 Australia
Driving
MG ZS EV
On the left side of the motor (passenger side) in my ZSEV is, what appear to be a small black (plastic capped) breather pipe. Around the pipe there is a small amount of oil, which appears to have come from the pipe.

Can anyone tell me what the pipe is for, and does anyone else have any oil around it?
 
See attached photos of the pipe. Possibly a breather pipe with a black plastic cap
 

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On the left side of the motor (passenger side) in my ZSEV is, what appear to be a small black (plastic capped) breather pipe. Around the pipe there is a small amount of oil, which appears to have come from the pipe.

Can anyone tell me what the pipe is for, and does anyone else have any oil around it?
Hi Cliff - Great question 🙋🏻‍♂️.
I was about to go out and check it on my car, but then remembered it is stuck at the dealership !.
Long story covered in another thread.
From you pictures, I think you maybe spot on with your guess.
It does look like either a breather assembly to let out any heat etc or could even be a “fill tube” for the single speed transmission ????.
Does it look big enough for you to get fluid into ?.
Daft question ( sorry ) but I wonder if it has some type of dip stick 🦯 arrangement on the end of that top section ?.
Don’t go pulling in it and break it for Gods sake, or it could take you weeks to get another one 🤣.
 
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That was exactly my thought. I didn't want to fool with it until I knew what it was and how it either opened or didn't. To be honest it doesn't appear large enough to use as a filler and without removing the cap I don't know whether there is a dip stick attached.
 
I wonder if it has some type of dip stick 🦯 arrangement
That's not far off my guess. I think it's where you add the oil for the reduction gear / final drive; the only oil in the whole vehicle. It's one of those every ten years service items.

I had a go at removing the cap; it didn't come off with the force I thought it should take, so I left it.

My car is 6 months old, and there is no sign of oil near there. So if you're seeing oil, I'd guess that there is a small leak; perhaps the cap doesn't fit properly. Probably not a huge deal, but I think it should be checked anyway.

Edit: though I don't see any oil in your photo either. Perhaps you're seeing the same as me, a very light sheen to the metal that looks very slightly oily. But to my finger, it's dry, so I think that the sheen might be some sort of coating for corrosion prevention or the like.
 
I doubt it would be a filling point but it could be a breather for the reduction gearbox.
 
The cap is more than loose. It appears designed to spin freely around the pipe. Just a quick check - does everyone have the same free spinning cap, or is mine unique!
Sorry Cliff I am unable to verify on my car, as it is at the dealership.
But it does sound more and more like it is a breather pipe and cap then.
I am sure somebody will be able to check the status on the car and report back for you 👍.
 
Mine doesn't have that black pipe, just a brass coloured (could be plastic) short solid bar there.
nopipe.jpg
 

[SIZE=4]Lucky5[/SIZE] had posted about changing reduction gearbox oil, be interesting to know if this was done and I know Lucky5 is driving an MG5 does it have a breather/filler like the pictures, just a thought, 2birds 1 stone?

 
Sometimes you have to chuckle. The forum contains a huge amount of technical information. Incredible stuff like, how to access coded settings in the vehicles computer, SOC %, SOH, BMS details, the percentile variation between battery cells during and after balancing. And who could forget the secret options menu and how to access it - and yet, no-one can tell me what a big black pipe with a cap on it sticking out of the side of the motor is!
 
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