MG4 Reduction Gearbox Oil Leak

[WalkingBootWeather]

I would sincerely hope that if you ordered, by the time you got your car it would not come with an oil leak!

But a prospective buyer should not have to put faith in hope. We know what the problem it. We know how to fix it, and the cost of that fix is very modest.

To be expected to take a vehicle that WILL leak if conditions dictate is unacceptable. You then have to inspect at regular intervals, deal with any residue that is lost on your drive etc. then take time off to return the car to be checked by the dealer and again when part has been delivered.

If MG have this attitude to something relatively minor, how can owners have confidence in bigger warranty issues?

 

[tsedge]

I would be interested to hear from customers who have had the modification and still have a leak. Are these sorted now?

Yes. I am not confident that people are updating the poll, so it is unclear to me how many are still in this situation.

If MG have this attitude to something relatively minor, how can owners have confidence in bigger warranty issues?

As you say, it is minor, so their attitude may not be ideal but it is something minor.

Contrast with the lock-in issue: a fix appeared extremely quickly and cars are being recalled to apply it.

This is how they deal with a major issue.

I know some people will disagree that the oil leak and undertray are minor, but as far as I can see they are: neither affects the car's performance or drivability.

 

[siteguru]

I'm waiting a little while longer until I know the fix works, thereafter I'll update my poll option.

 

[Leni16]

As you say, it is minor, so their attitude may not be ideal but it is something minor.

Contrast with the lock-in issue: a fix appeared extremely quickly and cars are being recalled to apply it.

This is how they deal with a major issue.

I know some people will disagree that the oil leak and undertray are minor, but as far as I can see they are: neither affects the car's performance or drivability.

The lock in issue did also have a DVSA report accompanying it, I think they have a certain time to find the solution/ respond because of that

 

[WalkingBootWeather]

Contrast with the lock-in issue: a fix appeared extremely quickly and cars are being recalled to apply it.

This is how they deal with a major issue when they are mandated to do so.

FTFY.

There were consequences in not dealing with the lock issue which might have been as severe as losing their licence to trade in the UK.

Good customer service comes from wanting to do the 'right thing' to meet reasonable expectation, not just what you do with a gun to your head.

 

[Buster72]

I have seen a few images of the new breather but none in situ. I suspect realistically you might need the car on a ramp to be able to see if the new breather had in fact been fitted. Maybe ask for a quick video to be taken by dealer while they have it on the ramp?

Good advice thanks.

I had my new breather fitted a few days ago. I had looked under the car previously to see if I had the new one fitted, but had been looking at the wrong one. It's a lower pipe which runs to the rear of the car and when I looked again once the new one had been fitted the original pipe was still there!

The new one is higher up and points upwards. You will need the rear of the car on ramps or similar.View attachment 14812

This is great thanks.

 

[Buster72]

I had my new breather fitted a few days ago. I had looked under the car previously to see if I had the new one fitted, but had been looking at the wrong one. It's a lower pipe which runs to the rear of the car and when I looked again once the new one had been fitted the original pipe was still there!

The new one is higher up and points upwards. You will need the rear of the car on ramps or similar.View attachment 14812

So just for clarification.
Is what you are talking about THE PIPE THAT HAS A BLACK BRAIDED COVERING THAT THEN HAS A 90 DEGREE BEND AND IS THEN HELD WITH A CLIP?

 

[Leni16]

So just for clarification.
Is what you are talking about THE PIPE THAT HAS A BLACK BRAIDED COVERING THAT THEN HAS A 90 DEGREE BEND AND IS THEN HELD WITH A CLIP?

Yes it's a bit of hose couple of bends, breather valve on end and a metal bracket

 

[tsedge]

FTFY.

There were consequences in not dealing with the lock issue which might have been as severe as losing their licence to trade in the UK.

Good customer service comes from wanting to do the 'right thing' to meet reasonable expectation, not just what you do with a gun to your head.

Well that's what you think triggered it but you don't really know that was why, unless you have inside knowledge. It could just as much be because they wanted to do the right thing.

What a shame there aren't more major issues to prove who is right. Maybe that's because it is actually a pretty good car.

 

[Ayoull]

FTFY.

There were consequences in not dealing with the lock issue which might have been as severe as losing their licence to trade in the UK.

Good customer service comes from wanting to do the 'right thing' to meet reasonable expectation, not just what you do with a gun to your head.

My understanding is this has been a voluntary recall not a DVSA mandated one, so no gun.

 

[WalkingBootWeather]

Well that's what you think triggered it but you don't really know that was why, unless you have inside knowledge. It could just as much be because they wanted to do the right thing.

What a shame there aren't more major issues to prove who is right. Maybe that's because it is actually a pretty good car.

I have no inside knowledge and agree it is actually a pretty good car. The frustration is it could easily be a bloody good one if MG would resolve a couple of silly little things.

Whether MG were acting purely out of the goodness of their hearts, because they had a gun to their head or in response to a voluntary recall is moot.

The publicity from leaking a bit of oil, or a seized transmission, or a broken under-tray is nothing compared to someone getting locked inside a car, unable to exit and getting hit by a truck. Imagine how that might play out at the inquest. Bad enough that MG knew of the problem and didn't act, but worse that DVSA were also aware and didn't ensure there was a recall. If not voluntary then DVSA would be liable if they had failed to make one mandatory.

 

[WalkingBootWeather]

Cannot understand why some cars of exactly the same MG4 model have undertray bulges and some do not in the same way that some have oil leaks and some don't.

The apparent variation in oil leaks I can explain.

In order to leak the transmission first needs sufficient oil, secondly the pressure has to be raised which causes the air (and suspended oil) to be expelled.

Filled to specification, and taken on a long fast road trip I believe all cars would leak. It may be that some cars have insufficient oil (in which case what is the long term impact on transmission), have not yet been taken on drives that have sufficiently raised the temperature, and therefore pressure; or that owners have simply not checked or noticed the problem yet (why would if just bought a new car and are not forum members?)

 

[Cocijo]

Cannot understand why some cars of exactly the same MG4 model have undertray bulges and some do not in the same way that some have oil leaks and some don't.
I understand most cars are mass produced these days and/or assembled by robots but quality control checking must be a factor in the case of MG4's as you do not seem to hear of haphazard faults like this with other makes...they either all have the fault or none have it.
There may be exceptions but not to the degree of MG4's, surely?

I’m not too sure about the under tray but cars ‘without’ oil leaks could be due to quite a few reasons.
The one that I would suggest is that those cars without leaks might not have had the type of usage to create a leak - yet. This tends to be usage where the oil gets quite hot - so longer higher speed journeys - although not always.
Of course some owners may actually have the leak and not notice it as well. Unless you pulled every car and thoroughly tested and checked it you couldn’t say for certain.
A good example of faults going unrecorded is lease cars where niggles and minor faults can go un-notified for the life of the car, but they still have the issues, it’s just no one is particularly bothered in reporting then and getting them sorted.

 

[Les burrows]

Cocijo, you dead right above when you said

The one that I would suggest is that those cars without leaks might not have had the type of usage to create a leak - yet. This tends to be usage where the oil gets quite hot - so longer higher speed journeys - although not always.

I checked my wife car weekly from day one and never had any sign of a leak, not on the tray or the floor where it is always parked for around the first 1500 miles. Then after doing a 400 mile round trip on motorways at 60-65 ish MPH not the normal motoring this car is used for generally, I go to my dealer for a software update ( not done ) and ask them to check for leaks and look at the undertray bulging, I’m now told there is a leak and they are to send pictures to MG to get the parts to sort it out, I assume the new type breather pipe, funny thing is that’s now almost a week ago but there is no visible sign of any leak with the car on the ground, and nothing in the parking spot on the floor.
Les

 

[AndyL61]

Cocijo, you dead right above when you said

The one that I would suggest is that those cars without leaks might not have had the type of usage to create a leak - yet. This tends to be usage where the oil gets quite hot - so longer higher speed journeys - although not always.

I checked my wife car weekly from day one and never had any sign of a leak, not on the tray or the floor where it is always parked for around the first 1500 miles. Then after doing a 400 mile round trip on motorways at 60-65 ish MPH not the normal motoring this car is used for generally, I go to my dealer for a software update ( not done ) and ask them to check for leaks and look at the undertray bulging, I’m now told there is a leak and they are to send pictures to MG to get the parts to sort it out, I assume the new type breather pipe, funny thing is that’s now almost a week ago but there is no visible sign of any leak with the car on the ground, and nothing in the parking spot on the floor.
Les

Les , this could be because they cleaned all the oil off and if you haven't driven like this again since then probably not leaked since . Plus there's now less oil in it.

 

[tsedge]

Les , this could be because they cleaned all the oil off and if you haven't driven like this again since then probably not leaked since . Plus there's now less oil in it.

Exactly, a good dealer will have cleaned it thoroughly to protect your drive.

 

[Les burrows]

Les , this could be because they cleaned all the oil off and if you haven't driven like this again since then probably not leaked since . Plus there's now less oil in it.

Wel Andy I don’t think so because the morning after I did the long fast run I had a look under the car as I had been doing for weeks and there was nothing to be seen and as I said no oil on the floor only thing I can imagine is the oil if there’s any left to come out is on the upper surface of the tray that you can’t see unless it’s on a ramp perhaps.
Les

 

[Auto Surgeon]

Wel Andy I don’t think so because the morning after I did the long fast run I had a look under the car as I had been doing for weeks and there was nothing to be seen and as I said no oil on the floor only thing I can imagine is the oil if there’s any left to come out is on the upper surface of the tray that you can’t see unless it’s on a ramp perhaps.
Les

Probably as less oil in it, spoke to my dealer the other day & he reckoned there's no new breather being fitted at the factory, just less oil added. Any found with leaks then they apply for the retrofit breather. Same goes with the undertray, he's not heard of a new one. This is his view so if that's correct I couldn't say. Also as I've previously mentioned, I still thing it's a heat warpage issue, may be some vehicles on the ships are over heat vents. This may account for some being flat if not over said vents.

 

[Simler51]

That's why I'm going to wait a couple of months and see how you guys get on with your current cars, and any new posts about new cars still with issues.
I have had a quote (salary sacrifice through work) but I don't know what the delivery time is from ordering.

I'm definitely going to hold off for a couple of months, I'm in no rush to change cars.

Hi I got my MG4 SE short range just over two weeks ago my software is R13 not sure what that has updated. But I’ve done nearly 300 miles and at the moment spent £12 charging. Touch wood, I have had no problems (apart from a pod point issue now resolved). I’ll be honest I’m an A to B man and now driving is more enjoyable in this car. If you order now you may have to wait several months anyway. A lot of the guys on this forum have also had this long wait- it hopefully is long enough to iron out most of the problems. BTW don’t know if I have a breather pipe and have not looked under the car for the bulge

 

[PeteC]

The apparent variation in oil leaks I can explain.

In order to leak the transmission first needs sufficient oil, secondly the pressure has to be raised which causes the air (and suspended oil) to be expelled.

Filled to specification, and taken on a long fast road trip I believe all cars would leak. It may be that some cars have insufficient oil (in which case what is the long term impact on transmission), have not yet been taken on drives that have sufficiently raised the temperature, and therefore pressure; or that owners have simply not checked or noticed the problem yet (why would if just bought a new car and are not forum members?)

Mine leaked before I'd done any long trips at any speed. I'd only been doing local trips driving on rural roads. It had also had the oil level dropped before delivery but still leaked.