MG4 Reduction Gearbox Oil Leak

[Deleted member 10041]

So the confusion continues.. what leak, it's overfilled reduce level, supply photos before being allowed to order the part after reduced level did not stop the leak, the new breather fixing may have been incorrectly installed, it needs stronger fixings, there is another modified version........have I missed anything?

You forgot the dealer that said it's engine oil, no idea where it's coming from on your EV

 

[EVNewbie]

There isnt much oil in MG4(or dare I say any EV). Its only been used at limited places but each of them serving a very dedicated, critical purpose, such as brake fluid, transmission. Using wrong type of oil or altering amount of oil in the system could have severe consequencise to safety.

Short answer, the servereness of such leak shouldnt be overlooked.

In case any one needed:
Transmission Oil Part Number 10925167

Transmission Oil 1 Litre Shell MG5 MG4 - Brown and Gammons

Transmission Oil 1 Litre Shell MG5 MG4 10925167 in MG5 EV Accessories

www.ukmgparts.com

Believe no BS no matter the source. Do yourself a favour, regular checks on your driveway for oil spots or oily undertray(next to rear wheel on passenger side and below fog light).

MG still advertise MG4 being the "car of the year 2023" - All-New MG4 EV | Fully Electric Hatchback
Well, enjoy the dream MG, good night.

 

[Macadoodle]

So the confusion continues.. what leak, it's overfilled reduce level, supply photos before being allowed to order the part after reduced level did not stop the leak, the new breather fixing may have been incorrectly installed, it needs stronger fixings, there is another modified version........have I missed anything?

Indeed. I really don't have the time to be a guinea piggy for this nonsense so I've ordered 50cm of nitrile hose and a hollow M10 bolt with a 1mm thread pitch to suit the gearbox hole.
Going to carefully route my creation between the HV DC cables going to the inverter and clip it up as high as possible above the tranny, original breather stuck on the end.
Hose is 8mm internal diameter so should seal well with a couple of quality clips.

We'll see I guess, can't be much worse than the factory efforts to date.

Using wrong type of oil or altering amount of oil in the system could have severe consequencise to safety.

Short answer, the servereness of such leak shouldnt be overlooked.

Exactly. If the manufacturers of the reduction box initially recommended 900ml I would be very wary of the new 750ml spiel.
Even worse, the original set up leaks to the point where there's only 600ml left in there if my experience is typical.
That's not much oil for gears that are dealing with a decent amount of torque. Overheating and the break down of the boundary lubrication they rely on could easily happen IMO.

 

[stevegus]

Exactly. If the manufacturers of the reduction box initially recommended 900ml I would be very wary of the new 750ml spiel.
Even worse, the original set up leaks to the point where there's only 600ml left in there if my experience is typical.
That's not much oil for gears that are dealing with a decent amount of torque. Overheating and the break down of the boundary lubrication they rely on could easily happen IMO.

The MG produces less than 190 torque. Most diesels will exceed that

 

[the briggie]

Most diesels will have the transmission at the correct manufacturer recommended fluid levels though to handle the designed torque...just saying

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Exactly. If the manufacturers of the reduction box initially recommended 900ml I would be very wary of the new 750ml spiel.
Even worse, the original set up leaks to the point where there's only 600ml left in there if my experience is typical.
That's not much oil for gears that are dealing with a decent amount of torque. Overheating and the break down of the boundary lubrication they rely on could easily happen IMO.

Would that explain why your oil looked so dark with so few miles

 

[Macadoodle]

Would that explain why your oil looked so dark with so few miles

Quite possibly. I mean it didn't smell like anything other than oil but who knows.
Definitely lots of break in wear debris in suspension I think, kinda nasty for 7 weeks. Can't imagine leaving that in there for years would do it any favours.

 

[Les burrows]

The MG produces less than 190 torque. Most diesels will exceed that

Most diesels would deliver there torque in a gradual way where an EV can deliver it almost Instantaneously.
Les

Indeed. I really don't have the time to be a guinea piggy for this nonsense so I've ordered 50cm of nitrile hose and a hollow M10 bolt with a 1mm thread pitch to suit the gearbox hole.
Going to carefully route my creation between the HV DC cables going to the inverter and clip it up as high as possible above the tranny, original breather stuck on the end.
Hose is 8mm internal diameter so should seal well with a couple of quality clips.

We'll see I guess, can't be much worse than the factory efforts to date.

I wish you luck with it my friend, and if it does work maybe you could start a supply chain from Scotland to Birmingham longbridge and we could all have one fitted in a couple of weeks and maybe put this thread to bed.
Les

 

[Macadoodle]

I wish you luck with it my friend, and if it does work maybe you could start a supply chain from Scotland to Birmingham longbridge and we could all have one fitted in a couple of weeks and maybe put this thread to bed.
Les

Thanks It would be nice just to enjoy the car and stop peering nervously up its rear end every other day
Cost for my kit is totalling £7.30 so there could be some margin for a wee profit in there

 

[siteguru]

My news update is - no news, really. They looked at the car, took lots of photos, and have referred it back to MG for feedback and advice. (Remember, I already have the first modified breather - there was no mention by the dealer of a further modified breather). They also cleaned up the area, and I believe topped up the oil until further info is available.

 

[Macadoodle]

My news update is - no news, really. They looked at the car, took lots of photos, and have referred it back to MG for feedback and advice. (Remember, I already have the first modified breather - there was no mention by the dealer of a further modified breather). They also cleaned up the area, and I believe topped up the oil until further info is available.

Gawd, what a pain. This is the kind of pissing around I can't be bothered with. I've a 50 mile round trip to my dealer and they usually keep you hanging around for HOURS.
It will be very satisfying if I can solve it myself in the meantime, and if I give them the 1st service business come December when my car turns 1, maybe they'll have breather version *12b that actually works by then ?

 

[Cocijo]

I admire you having a go yourself. MG are not great with warranty so just be careful they don’t get a way to walk away from your issue because you‘ve had a go yourself.

 

[Bacarelle]

Hi;
I am due to take delivery of my MG4 on 1 March 2023 and so naturally have been scouring the web for useful information and experiences from owners etc.
I came across a series of videos on YouTube made by "Burl Solomon' which has provided a lot of information and first hand experience of ownership as he owns an MG4 Trophy himself.
One video in particular is titled "MG4 EV Collection/Delivery Checklist - Issues to look out for" and among the items highlighted is this very problem.
He says in the video that early deliveries suffered from an oil leak due to incorrect oil filling at the factory, although he states that he has not heard of any such problems recently.
So it would appear to be a fairly well known issue, especially in early deliveries.
Needless to say I will be checking this when I do my own PDI at the dealer !!

I would recommend this series of videos as they have certainly extended my awareness of the model's features and performance.

Hope this helps ?

 

[Deleted member 9692]

So it would appear to be a fairly well known issue

120 pages, 2384 comments and counting

 

[Bacarelle]

Hi Crawfyp;

My suspicions are confirmed !!!

 

[Deleted member 9692]

Hi Crawfyp;

My suspicions are confirmed !!!

It‘s a very well known issue unfortunately, though how much your dealer will let on can vary. When you do get your new car, ask the dealer if it has had the modified breather fitted which was supposed to fix the issue (it is not simply an over fill problem). Some dealers, most I think, will wait till you develop the leak before taking action. We have heard of a few dealers who have fitted the modified breather proactively but this seems to be the exception. Those who have had the “version 2.0” breather are beginning to get leaks from this also (myself included) and we await a permanent fix. Communication from MG customer services cannot be relied upon. Good luck!

 

[Bacarelle]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Hi;
I am due to take delivery of my MG4 on 1 March 2023 and so naturally have been scouring the web for useful information and experiences from owners etc.
I came across a series of videos on YouTube made by "Burl Solomon' which has provided a lot of information and first hand experience of ownership as he owns an MG4 Trophy himself.
One video in particular is titled "MG4 EV Collection/Delivery Checklist - Issues to look out for" and among the items highlighted is this very problem.
He says in the video that early deliveries suffered from an oil leak due to incorrect oil filling at the factory, although he states that he has not heard of any such problems recently.
So it would appear to be a fairly well known issue, especially in early deliveries.
Needless to say I will be checking this when I do my own PDI at the dealer !!

I would recommend this series of videos as they have certainly extended my awareness of the model's features and performance.

Hope this helps ?

Mate you will get far more worthwhile up to date info on this forum, there probably won't be an issue/fix that hasn't been discussed on here

 

[AndyL61]

Thanks for the advice.

I was lucky, picked my car up just under 2 weeks ago. Was told it already had the new breather, I checked and it has. Also get your dealer to run through all the systems with you before you leave . Mine had a problem with connectivity which meant you could not bind the car to the phone app. All fixed now !

 

[Macadoodle]

I admire you having a go yourself. MG are not great with warranty so just be careful they don’t get a way to walk away from your issue because you‘ve had a go yourself.

Yes, they would likely use any excuse for sure. Wouldn't do anything that can't be returned to standard in a jiffy.
Of course there could be SAIC spies scanning forums such as these, or lurking overhead in a 'weather' balloon