Please help me with the D@#N Radiator drain plug

[Homebrw]

Normally I can do most jobs on cars. I'm pretty handy working on cars, bikes, gas powered equipment, pinball machines, jukeboxes, home improvement, woodworking, etc. i've changed rad coolant many times. But I've never worked on a German car...and certainly not with a D@#$ PLASTIC drain plug.

I'm going crazy. I'm on my 4th plastic drain plug (ordered). So the first 2 and likely 3rd are on me. I should have used the blue plastic screw. I tried to unscrew the first one and obviously broke the two ears for keying and the tabs. Ok. Lesson learned. Ordered a new one and couldn't get it to go in...I thought perhaps the tabs were too thick and trimmed a few thousandths off the plastic ears (90° tabs) as well as the ramp tabs. Come to find out the ear from plug #1 was blocking the slot, so the trimming of number 2 caused a leak. That's on me too. I put back in number 1 which doesn't leak, but I wouldn't trust it under pressure either. I got number 3 tonight and tried for 30 mins to get it to seat. Nothing was working. I barely trimmed just one of the ramp tabs as that was causing interference and not allowing it to seat, and finally it went in, but leaked! Went to pull it out and broke a 90° tab as I twisted 5° too much. Arrrgh. I'm so frustrated. Number 1 back in to stop the leak and back in the garage while I wait for number 4 to arrive in two days.

What am I missing? (yes, I won't trim the 4th one)! There has to be trick to get it to go in. It's keyed, but no matter how I tried I couldn't get it to go in without trimming the ramp tab offset of the 90° ears due to interference.

Please help a guy who's turned wrenches on British muscle, American muscle and Japanese muscle, but never German muscle cars.

Thanks,
Chris 2006 Z4MR

[solo_the_lad]

mate are you removing the whole plastic component? If we have the same blue drain plug, there's a hex portion at the base of the plug if I remember correctly, and a Philips ingress at the bottom. The bottom part is the only part you need to remove. If you are already doing that though then I am not sure how else to help you

[Homebrw]

Thanks for the reply. It was too late. I had already bodged it! I learnt too late that all I needed to remove was the hex thread d blue insert! Expensive lesson.

[enuff_zed]

Thanks for the reply. It was too late. I had already bodged it! I learnt too late that all I needed to remove was the hex thread d blue insert! Expensive lesson.

I never trust those drains. Always pop the lowest hose off.

[Homebrw]

^Good advice for next time.

[enuff_zed]

^Good advice for next time.

Yeah, sorry. I’m awesome after the event