While you’d expect most mechanics to rely on standardized tools and hardware, that’s not always the case. One technician says a previous mechanic’s creative workaround has made it difficult for him to perform the most basic car maintenance: an oil change. Prior Mechanic Leaves Behind A Surprise A mechanic at @kautosuk says he ran into an issue he’d never seen before while attempting to service a vehicle. In a TikTok, the mechanic has the car up on a lift and is inspecting it from underneath when he notices something unusual. “Come have a look. This is one of the smartest business ideas I've seen in a minute,” he says. He then points toward the vehicle’s oil pan. “The previous mechanic has put the lug nut on the oil pan,” he continues, showing what appears to be a star-shaped fastener with six edges in place of a standard drain plug. “So it requires a certain tool that I do not have for myself,” he says. “The previous mechanic only has it.” He explains that the lug nuts on the vehicle’s wheels don’t have the same pattern either, and the key is nowhere to be found. “Only have the regular bolts,” he says, pointing to the wheel. “No security lug nut, no nothing.” He’s unsure about what to do next. “I’ve checked for the lug nut on that for the past hour,” he says. “It is driving me insane. I do not know what to do. Can someone tell me? Should I continue? Should I leave it? I’m not sure.” Is This Fix Actually Obvious? Viewers in the comments shared their suggestions. “Change profession my guy,” one person wrote, attaching a photo of pliers. Others recommended abandoning the project. “Unable to perform oil change at this time. Previous service provider damaged the oil pan. If plug is removed, it will be unable to be installed again. Recommend oil pan replacement,” another said. “Finish your inspection and [expletive] it.” A third commenter believed they recognized the part. “That’s a Volkswagen wheel lock lol,” they guessed. Another commenter responded, “Specifically the 742 number. I have all of them.” What Kind Of Bolt Is It? Based on its shape, the fastener in the video appears to be a locking lug nut, which is a type of anti-theft wheel nut designed to be removed only with a matching key. Without the correct key, the bolt will typically spin in place, making removal difficult if you don’t have special equipment. Repair shops usually have lug nut removal kits that can extract the fastener without damaging surrounding parts. It’s unclear why the previous mechanic decided to use a wheel lock in place of a standard oil drain plug. However, mechanics in online forums like r/askamechanic have previously discussed similar improvised fixes. “If it works, it works,” one user wrote on Reddit. “A bolt is a bolt.” Motor1 has reached out to @kautosuk via TikTok messages for comment. We’ll be sure to update this piece if they respond. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team