INEOS CAMPAIGN: trailing arm bolts being monitored

[TheDocAUS]

I happened to look under the rear of my car today, from a distance, and I noticed something green. It was one of the recent campaigns done on my car. INEOS are monitoring whether the rear trailing arm bolt is coming loose. A brilliantly simple idea.

I am going to get myself one of those green pens and do the same on other bolts under the car, like those on my under car armour. A simple and effective way to visually monitor bolts becoming loose.

It will speed up checks on the car when traveling remote.

Great idea INEOS.


@Rok_Dr , @Logsplitter , @globalgregors

 

[TheDocAUS]

What are these marking pens called? Are they scratch repair pens or car body markers?

 

[Clark Kent]

I happened to look under the rear of my car today, from a distance, and I noticed something green. It was one of the recent campaigns done on my car. INEOS are monitoring whether the rear trailing arm bolt is coming loose. A brilliantly simple idea.

View attachment 7910454

I am going to get myself one of those green pens and do the same on other bolts under the car, like those on my under car armour. A simple and effective way to visually monitor bolts becoming loose.

It will speed up checks on the car when traveling remote.

Great idea INEOS.


@Rok_Dr , @Logsplitter , @globalgregors

It's a common practice in many industries. Just use a paint pen or a medium point permanent marker. I do the same for critical fasteners on my camper; like the D035 coupling to drawbar bolts, suspension links, shock bolts, towball and nut.
There are specialist products like Torque Seal (I found some old stock in my shed).

Don't use the same green pen. That's the colour my agent used also and that cannot be a coincidence. Use a different colour for bolts that you mark so they don't get confused with an Ineos service campaign.

Those link bolts are a single use item. They're supposed to be replaced if they get removed. When that same campaign was done on my vehicle in July six bolts 'failed' a torque check so were replaced. It was odd that any failed and improbable that six failed. They're a substantial M14 bolt. I asked my agent how they did the torque check. I'll leave out the details and simply say, badly. Some bolts were replaced unnecessarily. A learning experience for a young apprentice...

Edit: Torque Seal inserted and pics added for reference.

 

[MrMike]

I happened to look under the rear of my car today, from a distance, and I noticed something green. It was one of the recent campaigns done on my car. INEOS are monitoring whether the rear trailing arm bolt is coming loose. A brilliantly simple idea.

View attachment 7910454

I am going to get myself one of those green pens and do the same on other bolts under the car, like those on my under car armour. A simple and effective way to visually monitor bolts becoming loose.

It will speed up checks on the car when traveling remote.

Great idea INEOS.


@Rok_Dr , @Logsplitter , @globalgregors

The mechanic did the same to my Grenadier when I had the HD springs fitted, called witness marks

 

[AWo]

Edding 8750 Industry Marker

Used for all kind of markings on clean or dirty metall. I use them always to mark things.

Recently I used it on the pulley of my Rover V8. Should be temporarily....I needed a metal brush to get rid of it again.

Sad and worrying that this is necessary.

AWo

 

[landmannnn]

A torque seal marker is the premium product. Eg Dykem. Aviation spec, it chips off with a screwdriver so you can reapply as and when.

 

[255/85]

Don't use the same green pen. That's the colour my agent used also and that cannot be a coincidence. Use a different colour for bolts that you mark so they don't get confused with an Ineos service campaign.

This. ⬆︎

I used a red paint pen on the small bolts holding the rear trailing arm protectors in place.

 

[TheDocAUS]

This. ⬆︎

I used a red paint pen on the small bolts holding the rear trailing arm protectors in place.

I ordered Red and Blue stuff (a technical term).

 

[255/85]

I've been working on one of our older vehicles this week - a 25 year old Jeep. There are green paint marks all over the under carriage. Little dots, slashes , and even an "X" or two on just about every component (yellow on the rear inner half shafts). Must've been a busy job for the inspector on the assembly line.

 

[Tazzieman]

My 60s Benzes had those marks on critical components.
Do it once , do it properly.
Carry the marker (and some degreser) in the vehicle , so if you have to do something on a journey you know you've ticked the job off properly at the time.

 

[Dokatd]

I use the Dykem Cross-Check on every build I do where I need to keep track of things. It's better than straight paint for sure. I have several tubes in all my workshops.

 

[TheDocAUS]

View: https://youtu.be/QuxrHtB5PGs

 

[Clark Kent]

My 60s Benzes had those marks on critical components.
Do it once , do it properly.
Carry the marker (and some degreser) in the vehicle , so if you have to do something on a journey you know you've ticked the job off properly at the time.

The benefit of a specialty torque-seal product like I posted and @landmannnn also mentioned is that it can be removed with a plastic (preferable) scraper and doesn't leave any significant residue. It's a thin plastic bead that hardens when exposed to air. It's really intended for critical fasteners that get disturbed or torque checked semi-regularly during maintenance or repair hence the temporary nature. It's easy to remove and reapply when required.

For fasteners that rarely get touched but you still want a visual confidence check then a paint pen or a marker is fine albeit with a little more work to do to establish a new mark whenever the fastener is disturbed. Or, do as my agent did and use a new colour each time they messed with the trailing link bolts. In that sense they're being used as a QA check not a creep check, same as the factory marks.

 

[TheDocAUS]

I have added torque sealer brands to the Torque Resources guide below. Thanks for the name provided in this thread.

INEOS Torx bolt sizes and torque settings (Fastener types)

May 4, 2025

Various torx screws/bolts described and their torque settings provided where know.

• TheDocAUS
• bolts fasteners help screws torque torx
• Resources, Maintenance Tutorials, Procedures and guides.