[Darth Xed]

OK, I the worst first post of all time....

I can't seem to find the oil pan drain plug on my 2008 V6 AWD SRX.

Does the transfer case block it??? That's my best guess.

I did a search on this, but it seems most peopel have a hard time finding the filter, not the drain plug. I know the filter is on the topside.

FWIW: I don't have a lift, so I tried doing it on the groud, then even jacked up the front of the SRX, and stilll couldn't find it..

Sigh.

Any help would be appreciated, and feel free to take jabs at me... I deserve it.

 

[The Wrench]

Ha, don't feel so bad - I looked for the torque converter drain for 20 years on my Mercedes. Finally found it last year.
I don't have my SRX here to look at, but I checked in the service manual.
Look at the left front corner (driver side). The plug screws in horizontally; that may be what is throwing you off.

DG

 

[Darth Xed]

Well, I took a chance and took the plug out of the transfer case, hoping they routed the oil through it somehow to make draining it easy to reach.... luckily I was right.

It was a 15mm bolt too, which other oil change threads said it was a 13mm bolt, so that threw me off too, but I am assuming those were for RWD applications.

Anyway, ya me LOL. Still incredibly pathetic. :shhh:

 

[jpettit]

Send me a request at jpettit(at)swbell.net and I will send you the complete oil change manual in pdf format compiled by members of this forum.

 

[In2 Cars]

Hello jpettit-I just sent you a message. I was wondering if I could have the PDF too?

thank you
Frank

 

[The Wrench]

Darth, sorry for the bad info. I have a 2WD, but the service manual showed the same oil pan for the AWD. after reading your later post I dug a bit deeper, and apparantly the front differential bolts to the oil pan, and uses the drain plug at the front lower left as one of the bolts to hold the diff on? So, removing the front left lower bolt will allow the oil to drain out through the diff mounting flange?
Was the location of the bolt you removed: faces left and is low near the front of the pan?

Anyway, glad you found it.

DG

 

[Darth Xed]

Darth, sorry for the bad info. I have a 2WD, but the service manual showed the same oil pan for the AWD. after reading your later post I dug a bit deeper, and apparantly the front differential bolts to the oil pan, and uses the drain plug at the front lower left as one of the bolts to hold the diff on? So, removing the front left lower bolt will allow the oil to drain out through the diff mounting flange?
Was the location of the bolt you removed: faces left and is low near the front of the pan?

Anyway, glad you found it.

DG

Yes, that is exactly what I did!

I didnt want to drain the front gearbox, but I figured there was just no other place for the oil to drain from, so I chanced it, and it was channeled through there.

A bit confusing, but super easy once you knwo where everything is.

 

[ewill3rd]

I'm pretty confused, but maybe not as much as some.

The oil pan setup on these engines is really weird. It kind of looks like a funky plate with lots of bolts that "could" be drain plugs.
If memory serves... that rectangular thing in the middle isn't some gear box or part of the front drive unit it's the oil pan. Towards the driver's side front edge pointing straight out towards the left side of the car is the drain plug.
The transfer case is behind the transmission, the front diff drain is someplace you can barely see over near the right side lower control arm.

For added fun on the new CTS they put a big splash shield under the engine that you have to remove to even get that far.

Hope this helps.

 

[Darth Xed]

I'm pretty confused, but maybe not as much as some.

The oil pan setup on these engines is really weird. It kind of looks like a funky plate with lots of bolts that "could" be drain plugs.
If memory serves... that rectangular thing in the middle isn't some gear box or part of the front drive unit it's the oil pan. Towards the driver's side front edge pointing straight out towards the left side of the car is the drain plug.
The transfer case is behind the transmission, the front diff drain is someplace you can barely see over near the right side lower control arm.

For added fun on the new CTS they put a big splash shield under the engine that you have to remove to even get that far.

Hope this helps.

I did use the term transfer case incorrectly earlier... Re-reading it, I shuld have said front dif, or gearbox.

I could also still be mis-identifying things.

The box I drained the oil from has the bolt located where as you describe, but the box has GETRAG embossed in it (I assumed that company would easily be involved in the gearboxs since they are a tranny company...)

The box also has the front half shafts coming out of it (or through it anyway, which I suppose is possible, but very hard to tell from crawling underneath the car)

 

[The Wrench]

Yeah, you got it. The transfer case is behind the tranny, with a driveshaft running back forward to the front diff beside the engine oil pan. Axle shafts sprout from the diff and go to the front wheels (one goes right through a tube in the oil pan, just like my '82 Eldo).
As long as 5-6 quarts of oil came our, (and not 1 quart of diff lube) you're good to go. If you pour in 6 new quarts, and oil pukes out the dipstick tube, you might try a new plan - Ha!

DG

 

[vdo]

A thousand words...

 

[ewill3rd]

:yeah:
What he said!
It looks funny, and yes GM has been running the front drive axles through the engine oil pan for quite a while now, thus generating the remaining confusion.
I know it seems crazy but that picture says it all.
The AWD differential drain is way over to the right from here, as I said in a place you can barely find.