I just bought a used 1998 Prizm with about 73,000 miles on it, I haven't changed the oil on it, does it require new drain plug gaskets when you change the oil? The other cars I have don't. Any information tips on this vehicle would be help, I know it's mechanically a toyota corolla.
1998 Chevy Prizm - (oil change question)
- Thread starter Buick92
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They're showing 3 different part numbers for some strange reason:
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
Available at NAPA stores. This part can only be purchased from your local NAPA AUTO PARTS Store.
12mm Synthetic BK
7041956
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
FPG
70822
$0.69
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
ATM
PB2401
$1.19
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
Available at NAPA stores. This part can only be purchased from your local NAPA AUTO PARTS Store.
12mm Synthetic BK
7041956
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
FPG
70822
$0.69
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
ATM
PB2401
$1.19
The factory gasket is a super duper heavy duty nylon type that IMO does not need to be replaced. If it still has that one, just use it. If not, I'd try and find one like that.
Nicest thing to do for any newly bought - used car, is to do an AutoRx treatment on it first thing. Help reset the cleanliness of the rings and erase some of the unknown OCI history of the engine from previous owners.
Drain plug (crush) washers are cheap, if in doubt change them, Or if not dripping oil now, re-use and change later if oil drops appear on the drain plug at next change.
Go ahead and replace the PCV valve, also cheap.
check condition of belts, hoses, and CV boots and replace as needed.
After just buying, now is a good time to change all fluids you can in every system as time allows and start with a new basepoint on all your fluids.
Drain plug (crush) washers are cheap, if in doubt change them, Or if not dripping oil now, re-use and change later if oil drops appear on the drain plug at next change.
Go ahead and replace the PCV valve, also cheap.
check condition of belts, hoses, and CV boots and replace as needed.
After just buying, now is a good time to change all fluids you can in every system as time allows and start with a new basepoint on all your fluids.
Sweet little problem free car. Don't know anything about " nylon type" as these s/b metal washers. Change out each time or it MAY leak. If you are cheap you can re-use several times, but do not flip over as this will definetly cause a leak. Oil filter of choice is WIX 51394 or the slightly longer 51396 as there is plenty of room there. I used 5w30 in winter and 10w30 in summer. Do change out transmission fluid, DEXRON 3, annually and it takes 4 QTS and its simple as there is a drain plug on pan and uses the same gasket as oil. Bullet-proof 1.8L chain driven engine, 37 MPG, that can go to over 300,000 miles w/o extreme maintenance. I see many of these on the side of the road with a hanging off muffler (happened to me twice! )so double- nut that REAR HANGER as it is a problem. At 73,000 you're barely broken in! GOOD LUCK!
Thanks H2GURU, I was looking for the kind of info you provided, I'm planning on keeping this car for a while, I like the fact that it's a timming chain and not a belt, I'm still on my first tank of gas it has the 3 speed auto so I'd be happy with 30 MPG highway.
I had a Toyota Corolla (same drivetrain as the Prizm) that was a flaming pile of [censored] by 100k. Pinged pretty much always (multiple doses of Seafoam and Redline did nothing), burned oil since about 60k (my mom was the original owner of the car, so I'm sure it had a spotty-at-best maintenance history, but still, I expected more from Toyota), and started knocking terribly around 80-90k. Gave it back to my mom and somehow it still runs, though.
That being said, those big, flat neoprene washers from Home Depot make great drain plug gaskets. I bought a bunch of them and replace them every time I do an oil change on the gf's Cavalier. So far, it has cured the weeping drain plug problem.
That being said, those big, flat neoprene washers from Home Depot make great drain plug gaskets. I bought a bunch of them and replace them every time I do an oil change on the gf's Cavalier. So far, it has cured the weeping drain plug problem.
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