We bought a new Suzuki Ozark about a month ago. After riding it for about 10 hours over the month, I decided to do the 1st oil change.

I drained the oil. Then I screwed the oil plug back in by hand. Then I tried to tighten the plug with a socket wrench. It just kept turning. It never got tight. I backed the plug back out. The plug was fine. The oil pan was stripped. I couldn't believe it. I've changed the oil on all three of our cars and our two dirt bikes dozens of times and I've never stripped out a drain plug before.

I never used two hands and braced it with my foot or anything. I was just turning it with one hand. It simply never felt tight.

Here's the problem. I say that Suzuki tightened it too tight at the factory and that it had already been stripped. There is no way that as tight as I was turning it that it should have stripped out. I'm sure that they are going to say that I was torquing on it with a cheater bar or something.

So what do you think? Am I screwed for warranty work? Any idea what this is going to cost me if I lose the battle over the warranty? Do I have any chance of winning this argument?

Thanks

Dave

 

just tell them like it is

i won't take my Eiger in i am afraid that they'll intetionally not do something and charge me and it has 1070 miles on it in 6 monthes
so how they like that and of course i know how to do mantaince they just wanna take $400 to change my oil

jeez dealers these ddays i tell ya

 

If the plug will stay in then fill it back-up w/ oil and take it into the dealer for its first oil change [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] LOL

 

Will the madness ever end? I hate it when this happens.

You really need to prove to Suzuki that you did not strip the plug hole. Do you have the original washer from the drain plug? If so, is it dented, mis-shaped or anything? Were there any oil spots or anything before you changed the oil? Has the oil level gone down at any time before you changed the oil? Did you actually strip the drain hole?

Even if Suzuki agrees to fix the problem. How will they fix the problem? The only right way to fix it is to replace that part of the motor. If they choose to tap it then they might not get it done right. Drip.

I had this happen to me with my Recon. I had found an oil spot under my quad after the third day. The washer had a press mark in it and was pressed into a oval shape. I actually did not strip my drain hole. But the guy in the garage did accuse me of doing it. Then they tapped it and messed that up too. Drip. Drip. Drip. Time went by and I became more and more angry. I wrote Honda a letter and they called me and told me to take it back in for service. I took it to another dealer. The second dealer went to bat for me and Honda replaced that part of the motor. The tap job was bad and the drain hole wall was really thin. Later a Honda person told me that the Recon might have been traded from one dealer to another. So the first dealer might have been at fault.

It might just be easier to take IndyPreds advice. Put the used oil back in. Try to snug up the plug and take it in for it's first oil change. They do charge a bit for the first oil change. You'll end up paying either way. It's your burden to prove that you did not do anything wrong. I'm not sure how Suzuki will handle the problem. They will probably have to send a Suzuki rep out to look at the hole.

 

if you do end up losing the fight,which i hope you dont.you can go to autozone and get a self-tapping screw with another screw inside it for about 2 bucks.i had to do this to my quad and i just put some sonic weld on the lager screw and made it permanent and just use the smaller screw for draining oil.its a good,cheap way to fix the problem if you run out of options.hope this helps

 

LOL. What if you do take IndyPred's advice and they don't say anything about the stripped hole? What if they just change the oil and then snug the plug back up to give it back to you. Drip.

You:Uh.... excuse me.....sir. Did you find anything ..... wrong?... I mean with my quad.

Garage guy: Nope, everything went ok.

You: Um.....uh.... are you sure there isn't anything wrong?

Garage guy: Why? Was there a problem with the quad when you brought it in?

You: Uh..... I don't know.

Oh what a tangled web we weave..........................................

 

I used to turn wrenches for a living, thank God I don't do that anymore, and sometimes when you take plug out that darn gasket will fall off. Did this possibly happen? Alought of drain plugs are designed without threads all the way to the top causing the drain plug to seem like its stripped out. by the way I agree that taking your bike to a dealer is not the answer,they generaly have a holier than thou attitude. If it is stripped out then would agree with barnlt230 on using an oversized self tapping thread and if your not comfortable with this then ask around and find a reputable repair shop. smaller owner operated shops actually want your buisness!

 

There isn't a small replacable part of the bottom of the motor that the drain plug goes into?

 

You could also tell them you have not done your first oil change yet but you did notice that you are leaking from that area of the motor. So when they do your first oil change could they please find out what the leak is since it is still under warrenty. Please dont take me the wrong way because I do not condone ripping off anyone which includes a dealer. If you stripped it you should pay for it. But in this situation I would almost bet money that they will say its you that stripped it out.

 

i have an old suzuki and i stripped the oil pan without even putting much force on it. that is wy i dont plan on buying another suzuki