At first, you should be very careful. Welcome to Motor Verso. A new plug is ~$3. The steps below will teach you how to remove stuck oil drain plug: To remove a stuck oil drain plug, cool down your car engine by parking it in a cool place for a long time. Clean the threads up and install new plug. Disconnect the power at the circuit breaker. Overfilling it can cause problems. Nevertheless, its an option if you dont want to spend money. The longer the breaker bar, the more torque (force) you will exert on it and the better chance you have at loosening the plug. As long as you have a complete set of hand tools at home, or at least, have access to one, you neednt worry about taking the plug out. One item that you should have on hand is the new drain plug. A socket of this nature can be tamped lightly onto the head of such a drain plug, with the use of a dead blow hammer. I still don't trust the hex hole won't get buggered sometime. All that is required is a few tools and 10 minutes of spare time. You can also rotate the socket by using a car jack to exert more force. With the right tools, it isnt difficult to get the oil drain plug out and repair the oil pan hole. Next time, use a washer and tighten the plug to the specified torque and you will have no problems loosening it later. If not removed, these particles can damage your drain plug. Where is the Cheapest Place to Buy Motor Oil? We should note that a lot can go wrong in this process. My Goldwing used a thick head bolt. Oil will come out as soon as you have the bolt out, and have the pan ready to catch the oil. The first thing youll need to do is loosen the oil drain plug with a wrench. This difficulty can also lead to the stripping of the plug, hence its damage. . Read the installation instructions in the owner's manual to identify the disposal parts and wiring colors. The first of these conditions involves damage to the threads of an oil pans drain hole. Leave if for a few minutes to let the oil work perfectly. After re-tapping your oil pans drain hole, it is always a good idea to flush a quart of oil through your vehicles engine, prior to installing a new drain plug. An oil drain plug also serves as a sealant to keep engine oil from leaking out of your oil pan. If youre curious, you can watch the video above from Castrol to learn how engine oil works. Be sure to use the right gasket for your cars make and model, as they can vary in size. Performance Drain Plug Removal Tool - W54298. However, the basic steps are similar: resurface the thread, and rethread it. and I don't have any service records yet, but still working on getting them. You can use something like Highking Tool Oil Pan Thread Repair Kit. Make sure that youre rotating the bolt counter-clockwise. How to Change the Oil in Your Car (5 Easy Steps), How to Clean a Catalytic Converter Without Removing It, 4 Signs Of A Bad ABS Wheel Speed Sensor and Replacement Cost, 4 Symptoms Of A Leaking Oil Pan Gasket And Replacement Cost. Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime delivery. 2. { Heres how to do it: The video above shows the process of how to rethread a stripped aluminum oil pan. Apply the lubricant at the rusted places to dissolve the sludge. Stripped plugs and threads often occur because of over-tightening. But then, each change presents a fresh opportunity for your drain plug to get damaged especially when you or your mechanic isn't an expert. While they occur in different locations, the concept remains the same. Ordered a replacement for $20 off Amazon. Meanwhile, if the bolt is spinning in place and wont come out, heres what you can do: Meanwhile, if you have a stripped bolt head or rounded-off head as its more commonly referred to, youll need a flathead screwdriver and a round-jaw vice grip plier: The video above shows how to use both pliers and a bolt extractor socket to remove the bolt. I even asked him about welding a nut onto the plug, but the problem is is the oil drain plug is aluminum. You don't need to remove them and they make oil changes much easier and cleaner. Now there are two possible scenarios here: either the bolt wont rotate and break loose, or its rotating in place and wont come out. The company operates in more than 140 countries and is headquartered in London, England. Click here to find a A failure to correct such issues can result in engine damage, at the hands of excessive oil loss. Aside from the tools required to remove and reinsert the drain plug, you'll need an oil pan to collect old oil. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. If you must use a wrench, then combine its box end with a bolt extractor. This is actually quite a common issue for a lot of people. Next, weld a washer or nut onto the drain plug. Turn the pliers counterclockwise and use a hammer if you need more force. If its really stripped, you may not be able to get it loose with a wrench. Find a wrench of the appropriate size to remove the drain plug in your car. If the head is mutilated, a vise grip pliers may also be used. Otherwise, youre going to spend the rest of the day cleaning oil from your driveway or garage. First off, it might be difficult to remove, so avoid using vice grips, as those may strip the head. Required fields are marked *. All Rights Reserved. I recommend using the round-jaw variety. "text": "There are four common oil drain plug sizes: 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, and 3/4 inch. Its important that you inspect your repair for any sign of leaks. Your email address will not be published. "@type": "Question", BMW reference part #'s: How Much Oil Does My Car Need: What Oil Type Is Right For You? Cross-threading occurs when your drain plug is not screwed into the pan in an upright manner. If the first solution does not work, there is a possible rust buildup or the sludge on the bolt. The vacuum oil pump usually costs no more than $90, and you can extract the oil through the dipstick tube. Part #: W54298 Line: PFM. Just make sure to check with your service manual so you get the right plug size. But this article explains how to get out rounded off oil drain plug for that oil change your car has been waiting for. But nevertheless, it's an option if you don't want to spend money." First, place the oil pan under the drain plug and make sure its positioned to catch all the oil that will draining out. This condition often results in continual oil leakage and should be repaired at the first available opportunity. Otherwise, youre just making it worse. Most hand tool sets will have all of these sizes included. Stripping makes it hard to safely unscrew a drain plug whenever you need to change your car's engine oil. With a little patience, you will get it turning. Good luck! With prolonged use, engine oil starts to accumulate dirt and compounds that can lodge between the threads of your drain plug. A stripped bolt head is often referred to as a rounded bolt head.. Really don't know any chance to use pentacle on the Mercedes. If you opt for the flat-jaw type, you might have trouble locking around the bolt. If this is the case, youll need to repair it before you can install the new drain plug. You want to repeat this process several times. How To Reset Oil Light: How To Turn Off The Oil Change Indicator? When attempting to remove the final drive oil drain plug in my '18 RT, it wouldn't budge and the head of the plug stripped. Step 2 Secure a pair of round-jaw vice grip pliers around the stripped drain plug. Prepare everything you need before starting. The most common oil drain plug sizes are 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, and 3/4 inch. 2. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Once its loose enough, remove the old oil plug and replace it with a new one before tightening it back down again using the wrench. However, if there are no threads visible or only one or two showing, then the plug is too tight and needs to be loosened. Using a socket wrench with a longer handle is a better idea as it offers an extra torque for easy removal. But with the Stripped Oil Drain Plug Removal Tool from AutoZone, you can quickly and easily remove those pesky stripped plugs without damaging your engine. In a nutshell, removing a stripped oil drain plug isn't as difficult as it sounds. Finally, reinstall the oil drain plug and tighten it by hand until its snug. Since you need to change it from time to time, a drainage hole needs to be at the sump so that you can remove the old oil before refilling it with a new one. The following activities can damage your oil drain plug. (Common Causes and How To Fix), P0345 Code (Symptoms, Causes, and How to Fix), How To Do Donuts In a Car (RWD and FWD Methods), How to Remove a Stripped (or Rounded) Oil Drain Plug, How to Repair a Stripped Oil Pan Drain Hole, Lug Nuts Wont Come Off? Sometimes, rust and particle buildup could be the reason your oil drain plug has refused to budge. Press and hold the Select/Reset button on the instrument panel for about 10 seconds until you see Select maintenance item appear in the display window. The animation also shows how the oil travels from the sump and circulates through the engine. If your oil drain plug is stripped, youll need to remove it before you can change the oil in your car. 7 Causes Of High Oil Pressure and How to Fix It, 4 Symptoms Of Low Oil Pressure and Common Causes, What Color Should Your Engine Oil Be? "name": "How To Loosen Oil Drain Plug", I just don't feel the torque wrench is a universal solution. Stripped oil drain plug Solution Well to start with I don't have a welder :- ( But in the process of changing drill bits--different sizes to get the "Easy Out" started, more hammer pounding, all with failure. If your lawnmower doesnt have a drain plug, you have two options: either use a vacuum oil plug or tip it over. If there are leaks, dont drive the car. When a stripped drain plug is not changed immediately, the metal particles from the stripping can find their way into the oil. And you only have one chance at rethreading it. Easy to use weather radar at your fingertips! An oil drain plug is a bolt located on the side or bottom of an oil pan. Take your car to a mechanic and let them handle it. Luckily, changing a vehicles oil is typically a straightforward affair that generally takes no longer than 30-minutes to complete. GearWrench 13mm To 19mm Ratchet Set 3/8 Inch Drive, GearWrench 17mm Magnetic Drain Plug Socket 3/8 Inch Drive 6 Point, GearWrench 14mm Magnetic Drain Plug Socket 3/8 Inch Drive 6 Point, GearWrench 15mm Magnetic Drain Plug Socket 3/8 Inch Drive 6 Point, GearWrench 16mm Magnetic Drain Plug Socket 3/8 Inch Drive 6 Point, GearWrench 19mm Magnetic Drain Plug Socket 3/8 Inch Drive 6 Point. Reusing the gasket can cause leaks. "name": "How To Change Oil In Lawn Mower Without Drain Plug", store If anything feels awkward, its best to take another look at it before you shove the drain plug inside. Strip the head is mutilated, a vise grip pliers may also be used pliers may also used... 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