Just changed my oil and I'm getting a little bit of seeping. Enough that after sitting for a few days I got a quarter sized spot on the driveway.

Checked the plug and it was tight. Tightened it a little more. No, I did not go grab my torque wrench as I should have.

Drove it 40 miles today and checked it again. Tiny bit of residue on the plug.

I've replaced the plug a few times. Don't recall if it is an OEM or crappy aftermarket in there right now.

Most obvious thing to do after reading up on this is to go buy a new OEM plug and wrap it in Teflon tape. Do it quickly so I don't lose too much oil.

True or false?

 

I wouldn't use Teflon tape. Go to auto zone and get an oil drain plug washer.

 

Or replace the copper washer.

 

Teflon tape isn't for sealing leaks. Although i have had success with air connections. It's an anti-seize tape to keep connectors of 2 different metals from corroding together. At best it will stop a leak temporary until the oil seeps through.

If your drain plug doesn't have a rubber seal, you'll need to use a copper "crush" washer like previously mentioned. Which are generally meant to be one time use, however, you can usually get 2 or 3 uses out of them if you don't over crush them. But if you don't want to dump all that fresh oil you MIGHT get away with putting some RTV around the plug. Kind of shady, but it might work until your next oil change.

 

Just curious, but is there a reason you are going through so many drain plugs? I have never seen one go bad, much less several on the same vehicle.

 

There should either be a rubber o ring near the top of the plug or a copper washer. I have seen them leak from over tightening. Make sure you have 1 of the two rings I place.

 

fumoto valve, just flip the lever and out comes oil. Works great on the psd, and i have 15 qts to drain..

Sent from my Sprint PC36100 using IB AutoGroup

 

Copper washer is a few years old, although the original one lasted ten years. Doesn't get a lot of use as it is a second vehicle and typically goes three or four months between oil changes.

Does the Fumoto do anything to address the leak, or just make for easier oil changes?


About year ago I was chasing this same leak, so I tried a few different drain plugs. Turned out to be coming from a loose hose clamp - don't recall which one because I threw in the towel and took it to a shop.

Just a copper washer. I don't know how bad the leak is - I changed the oil and didn't notice any leaking, although I didn't drive the truck for a week. Drove it on a 1000 mile trip, to the airport the next day, and then two days later I took it home. Three days later I moved it and saw two quarter sized spots - imagine it had leaked immediately after the oil change or I wouldn't have had the first spot.

Since I tightened it up I found a drop hanging off the drain plug shortly afterwards. I wiped it off, drove it 40 miles, and let it sit overnight. It hasn't "leaked", but there MIGHT be a hint of oil right by the plug when I rub my finger on it, but it could also be in my head.

 

You can change the plug without losing a drop of oil.

 

How do you do that?

 

You can slip your finger over the hole as you're taking the plug out. But then you only have one hand to work with. Unless you have a back up plug.

 

Fumoto is the only way to go. No more worries if you or the oil changer tightened up the plug.

 

New plug with a new gasket should seal the leak. You could probably put RTV on it also since the plug never really needs to come out again once it's in. If that doesn't stop the leak you need either a new pan, or a new bung welded in.

 

had this problem with my local service garage with my fleet of cars. when they did their routine practice of re-using the existing washer or using no washer, it would seep. when they used the new washer which I brought in, it would not seep.

 

Remove your oil fill cap and put a shop-vac over the fill tube. Turn the vacuum on and then remove the drain plug. You will hear all kinds of gurgling noises but the oil will not drain out. You also won't suck any oil into the vacuum cleaner.

Works like a champ!

Nope, you will still spill a little bit that way.