Here's another angle. I'm starting to doubt that's it. Am I even in the right area? Thanks.

It really looks a lot like the right bolt - look at the plastic plug the bolt is holding on - compare to OGBULLYLOCDAWG's pics from earlier. But I've never seen it from the angle in your photo...I can't tell what part of the car you're looking at.

Can you take a pic at the same area but from further away?

I just took a quick look at mine, which is the 2.8 (I'm sure it's in the same place). Here is how to find it on my car:

Look at the inside of the driver's road wheel. From the centre of the wheel, go in about 2 feet towards the centre of the car. The plug is almost directly above that point (although you would not be able to reach it from that point due to the metal part that links the control arms of the front wheels). I just eyeballed it now by lying down by the driver's side with my head forward of the wheel, and looking upwards a little, rearwards behid the ac compressor, and inwards towards the centre of the car, about 2 feet away from the wheel. Does that make sense? So it's behind and inward of the air conditioning compressor. The bolt you have to remove faces towards the driver's side of the car, more or less parallel to the ground.

I had to bend a soft metal bracket with 3 or 4 thick wires on it out of the way and then reach in and do it by feel.

OK here is is from a standoff distance:

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...ank_plug_1.jpg

...and close up:

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...ank_plug_2.jpg


...and here is the bracket that I had to bend out of the way (it's still bent out of the way a month later :) ):

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/...ank_plug_3.jpg

Going to take a look right now. I will keep you posted. I think the one that I was looking at was wrong. Thanks again.

What I'm seeing is slightly different. I tried recreating the same angle that you had in your image, and I'm noticing a few things. One is that I have the two ac lines going down the back of the oil pan, where I don't see that on yours. Also, I don't see the metal bracket with wires that you were referring to. Am I missing something here?

Is there something different here because I have the s-line?

I can only guess...but I'd bet the difference is that you have the turbo, rather than it being to do with the s-line. Mine is the non-turbo 2.8.

However, from checking my Bentley manual, which covers both engines, it doesn't make a distinction between the 2.7 turbo and the 2.8 for this particular step - so I presume the plug must be in the same place.

So, where in relation to all this is the item you identified in your last picture - the one that looked like the thing we're looking for? If it's in the same location relative to your oil drain plug, then that has to be it.

If you take a look at the last picture I sent, what I'm looking at in the other picture is basically straight up between the frame and the bar that holds the back end of the sound panel on.

I have a feeling that had I jacked up the car instead of lifting it on ramps, I would probably be able to see it through the wheel well.

My other problem with the other thing that I'm looking at is that it doesn't seem to look the same as the other images I've seen. The bolt is silver, there's a black piece that looks like it's connected to possibly a sensor.

Hmm...I'm not sure which thing you're referring to.

The first picture you posted (yesterday) didn't look right - wrong kind of bolt facing at the wrong angle.

But the thing in your pic in post #20 looks exactly like what you're looking for (to me). I can't make out where it is, or which way is up/down etc. - but the type of bolt and the black plastic bit it's attached to look like a perfect match to me. Compare to my close up, and to OGBULLYLOCDAWG's close up from post #15.

The bolt on mine looks like it used to be silver so I wouldn't worry about the colour :) You're looking for a 10mm bolt that holds in a black plastic plug with a very distinctive shape, above the oil drain plug...on my car there is nothing else in the vicinity that comes close to that description.

I'm afraid I have no experience of the 2.7 engine so I can't shed any light on the differences.

One more thing...you've definitely got the C5 platform right? Because I know the C6 was out in 2004 but I have no clue if it would be the same on that car.