300 tdi SI Disco 144k Mls - I had a service two weeks ago and last Friday night i went to a do. She and the missus drove well. Got into it later ( sober and on a promise) at 2am and the gears were hard to get ( as was the missus ). Next morning looked at her belly ( the disco that is ) and saw the drain plug for the gear oil gone. My mehanic said it must have wormed itself out ( not his problem - bolloxs). Went to LR dealer and the lad shows me two plugs for the gear box on his LR computer program, he gives me both ie. the oil level indicator plug ( for filling) and a magnetic type plug, both don't fit - I think its the same size as the plug on the oil sump opposite any one got any ideas? Also what tool do I need to open the oil fill screw its got a star shaped head?
Thanks in advance.

GearBox drain plugs don't "worm themselves" out the prick of a mechanic hasn't tightened the plug properly. Your geartbox is probably dead. Contact Trading standards and your local CAB with a view to sueing the garage for the cost of a replacement gearbox.

i think you might have mis-heard wot he done sed. it was more like " ****! erm! how can I WORM my way out of this?"

phoenix said:

300 tdi SI Disco 144k Mls - I had a service two weeks ago and last Friday night i went to a do. She and the missus drove well. Got into it later ( sober and on a promise) at 2am and the gears were hard to get ( as was the missus ). Next morning looked at her belly ( the disco that is ) and saw the drain plug for the gear oil gone. My mehanic said it must have wormed itself out ( not his problem - bolloxs). Went to LR dealer and the lad shows me two plugs for the gear box on his LR computer program, he gives me both ie. the oil level indicator plug ( for filling) and a magnetic type plug, both don't fit - I think its the same size as the plug on the oil sump opposite any one got any ideas? Also what tool do I need to open the oil fill screw its got a star shaped head?
Thanks in advance.

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The 'tool' you need (for your Disco gearbox fill plug ) is a TORX bit

I agree with below, they don't just 'fall out' he DID NOT do it up, it is also supposed to have thread lock applied.

Go see 'em, and say you want it fixed to your satisfaction, if they don't want to play ball, threaten you WILL sue the cost of a replacement gearbox, and then go see the OFT, and CAB, also the Motor Traders Association would be a call worth making, and above all be VERY PERSISTANT . . that way you will win !!

Good luck, keep the forum posted !!

thanks for the support lads, I was just down with the fella borrowing a torx tool, he said to me that the gear oil wasn't on the agenda for the service, to be fair I noticed the lack of oil about 9 days after the service, I went to the hotel I was at last friday night and looked at where I parked and noticed quite a big oil stain. Is it possible that it fell out on the way to the hotel? What I also cannot underdstand is why the LR parts do not fit the hole, is it possible that this is just a bolt that came loose from the gear housing and leaked the oil? The plug LR gave me is about 2cm in diameter but it just won't go in!

phoenix said:

thanks for the support lads, I was just down with the fella borrowing a torx tool, he said to me that the gear oil wasn't on the agenda for the service, to be fair I noticed the lack of oil about 9 days after the service, I went to the hotel I was at last friday night and looked at where I parked and noticed quite a big oil stain. Is it possible that it fell out on the way to the hotel? What I also cannot underdstand is why the LR parts do not fit the hole, is it possible that this is just a bolt that came loose from the gear housing and leaked the oil? The plug LR gave me is about 2cm in diameter but it just won't go in!

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The drain plug is next to the crossmember the oil ****es all over it when you drain it, too wet to roll under to check exactly today but it's an obvious drain plug.

In relation to plugs falling out, it is quite rare without there being a leak beforehand and noticable at the service. But, it's always far too easy to blame the mechanic, it depends on what level of service the customer wanted and he might have simply changed oil in the engine if you can see where I am coming from, whereas a full service with full inspection would be more damming. I guess a loose bolt would have been loose for even longer leaking oil, so if its that then, why have you not got stains all over your drive.

Sometimes it's easy to whack it with beam jack without knowing, but on this occasion I think the plugs well out of the way.

Had a mechanic fit a recon box once and he forgot to fill with oil, it went out on driving instruction for a day or two before he got the problems you got, and was rattling it's balls off, BUT!!, filled it with oil and never had any problems. Do you feel lucky, good luck.