It might be $10 tops from the dealer and you can have it today. Ask for AAA or car club discount...even if you don't have either, you can always ask for a break for any part and will often get a little something off anyway. Most don't ask at a dealer, I suppose, but you can.
Quality, magnetic, OE...or were you just testing us? :lmao:
Oops...when OP asked for OE quality, I guess I focused on that more than even thinking whether ours was magnetic or not.
Whatever the OE plug is made from, though, I think I'd want to be that, whether magnetic, plastic, or cardboard!
I never thought that I've never collected metal on my drain plug...though I know there's a magnet or two in our drain pan. Hmmm? Has anyone ever just tossed a few extra magnets in?
I wonder if by being magnetic, whether it might then be of a material that would expand and contract differently than our aluminum drain pan. I'm sure there's some room for this built in, but also, the hollow plug has seemingly saved many guys from otherwise cracking the drain pan.
Oops...when OP asked for OE quality, I guess I focused on that more than even thinking whether ours was magnetic or not.
Whatever the OE plug is made from, though, I think I'd want to be that, whether magnetic, plastic, or cardboard!
I never thought that I've never collected metal on my drain plug...though I know there's a magnet or two in our drain pan. Hmmm? Has anyone ever just tossed a few extra magnets in?
I wonder if by being magnetic, whether it might then be of a material that would expand and contract differently than our aluminum drain pan. I'm sure there's some room for this built in, but also, the hollow plug has seemingly saved many guys from otherwise cracking the drain pan.
So many have cracked their drain plugs only to discover how nice it is to get it out easily with an extractor.
I guess it can't hurt...you could drill a magnet out easily if you needed. Only risk is how strong the bolt is vs. those who might be tightening it. If it's only you, not much of a risk. Jiffy Lube? Morons? Then OE might save you an oil pan. I don't know how strong these non-oem plugs are and when they'd break.
Then again, I know I worry too much about too many things!
just seen these arrive on Bimmian's website
seems like a good idea and the price is right but doesn't look very popular with the fanatics so i think i shall stay away as my drain plug is working as it shold
Out of curiosity, why not just stick a rare earth magnet to the drain plug? The plug is a magnetic metal, which will magnetize and catch metal shavings just like the fancy plugs. But, it costs less, and remains hollow for the safety of the stupid.
We already use a neodymium magnet. Our total price of plug with magnet already installed is less than consumer cost of just buying the magnet. Plus, of course, the drilling and mounting.
Have you given any thought of going to the parts store where they actually sell auto parts? The only thing special about your drain plug is that it is metric.
oh is that it?
i don't think you've been reading the thread. we're talking about an oem plug that has a magnetic to pick up metal particles in the oil.
It's a drain plug. You could meet the need with a rubber stopper if you had to. There is no pressure on the oil in the oil pan. The only way it comes out is due to seepage through cracks.
The critical dimensions are diameter and thread count, with total length coming in a distant third. You could easily use a plug that is up to 5mm longer than the one that's in the car already, so for the sake of discussion let's just say the plug is 15mm long. If the diameter was M10 and the thread count was 1.5, then the plug would be 10mm in diameter with 1.5 threads per mm. Any plug one could find that was M10x1.5 that was anywhere from 15 to 20 mm long would fulfill the need. Add a magnet in the end, and you're done. You might want to make your plug be a Grade 8 bolt, and that's perhaps a good idea.
The magnet will not fall out because it is a magnet that is attracted to the surrounding metal that is ferrus (I might not have spelled that right). The magnet is further affixed in place due to machining tolerances and glue.
I guess I don't understand the problem because the answer is so easy. My local Ace Hardware has a huge assortment of Grade 8 metric bolts, surely I could find one that fit my BMW. The magnet adds a level of complexity, but that just means it is an auto part instead of hardware so I would not look for it at Ace.
It's a drain plug. You could meet the need with a rubber stopper if you had to. There is no pressure on the oil in the oil pan. ..You might want to make your plug be a Grade 8 bolt, and that's perhaps a good idea.
...I guess I don't understand the problem because the answer is so easy. My local Ace Hardware has a huge assortment of Grade 8 metric bolts, surely I could find one that fit my BMW. The magnet adds a level of complexity, but that just means it is an auto part instead of hardware so I would not look for it at Ace.
You are unaware of the special design of the BMW oil drain plug. It is a special hollow design with a larger head and a tapered neck. Designed to not strip the soft aluminum oil pan threads. But break before damage and easily be removed. Sure you could use another correct thread bolt but almost everyone wants to use the BMW design for the few dollars of insurance. Understand now.
In 40+ years of driving, and 4 different BMWs, I guess I have not noticed that the drain plug on my BMW is different than any of the others. I'll have to pay closer attention on the next oil change.
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