The previous owner of my car cut a large hole in the pan under the engine for drain plug access. I have been looking in the parts catalogs for a replacement, but have been unable to find it. The service manual refers to it as a "splash pan". Any ideas?

 

If I could figure out a good way to ship it, I would sell you mine...the first thing I removed...and will be removing the one on the coupe when I begin work on it as well...

 

LOL,I can understand removing the splash pan, but cutting a hole in one!!! That is crazy. Good luck finding one.

 

Oh - I do not know.
Think about using one of those Fumoto drain valves and a short hose to drain the oil (permanently installed), a small access hole to reach the valve and there would be no need to remove the splash pan duing oil changes.
Plus no crush washer to replace on the drain.

It would be a real time saver and a lot less messy.

BTW: I do not like the top side change pumps.

 

I think cutting the hole was a pretty clever idea. Why do you not like it?

The part number is 05096759AA.

 

Left brained neat and orderly side of me I guess. LOL It did make me think about the way I change the oil on my boat though. The water drain plug has a chain attached to the back side of the plug that once you unscrew it, you can pull out the oil drain hose that is attached to the chain. Now that would be pretty cool to have a plug on the bottom of the drip pan that you could unscrew and pull out an oil drain hose. And.... no unsightly hole for my left brain to be tormented with.

 

LOL! My right brain is always thinking about how things can be done better.

 

Now don't go and blow a brain cell here...I just removed that plastic rediculous MB requirement and haven't had any trouble changing my oil....more air to engine compartment for cooling...etc, etc...it was just there so the MB crowd would never have a drip of oil or anything on their garage floors...serves no purpose other than that....just in the way....and, as FP would say, it isn't even "chrome"!

 

I thought it was for aerodynamics too.. The best way to reduce drag charicteristics is to reduce airflow under the car and decrease turbulance. I don't think the splash shield would have any effect under 80 mph or so, but that's why mine is still on. Then again, I guess you srt guys need all the cooling power you can get.

 

The hole is sort of a hack job. Not a nice, neat circle from a hole saw. Just a misshaped sort of rectangle. With a circle you might get lucky and find a plug of some sort.

 

most people have removed theirs. If you really want a replacement then let us know where you are and someone close can offload theirs. Just a suggestion, or you could order a new one from dealer.

 

I understand now. Note that I provided the part number in my first post.

 

Wow, I never thought of cutting a hole to make the drain plug easier to get to. Why didn't I think of that before? If you lived close to me I'd swap mine with yours before I cut mine. I do hate wasting time pulling it off and putting it on again.