Dealer over tightened oil drain plug

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Corollaman

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I decided to change the oil on my chevy silverado, the last oil change at the dealer put the drain plug on extremely tight, I literally thought they used an impact wrench. Thankfully the oil filter wasn't as hard but I had to use an oil filter wrench, usually if the filter is put on correctly I can get it off by hand. Is this for liability reasons or amateur techs?
 
what tech do you think does your oil change.. I'll give you a hint its usually not a master tech.
 
When I briefly worked at a Chevy dealership i witnessed what goes on in the lube bay. No way I'd take my car to the dealer for an oil change. Poor schmuk sitting in the waiting room thinking his Vette is getting the best care and the tech is not draining all the oil because he doesn't know it's got two drain plugs and then he overfills it with bulk ,5w30. Then I have the most senior tech there all confused about dexos. They think dexos is 0w20. He gets all worked up because the oil cap says dexos and we give him 5w30.
 
When I worked as a lube tech at a Toyota dealer, most everything had crush washers. The way you set the torque on those is by pulling on the 14mm wrench with two fingers. Why would that matter you say? Because Snap-on combination wrenches a real thin and when the proper torque value is reached, the pain in your fingers will notify your brain when it's time to quit.
grin2.gif
 
High turnover, low training?

I bet the guy putting it on had it up on a lift and it was real easy to tighten. As opposed to you, on your back on the hard cold ground.
 
Originally Posted by Rand
what tech do you think does your oil change.. I'll give you a hint its usually not a master tech.


I never changed oil at the dealer lever unless I needed to drain it for some reason to perform a repair. The guys that did that and other small jobs were not highly skilled mechanics but to their credit did a good job.
 
The idjit Ford dealer techs had the company Transit 250 (tipping the scales at almost 7K) up on TWO PADS of a four post lift & draining oil into an old bucket last time they did it-I was honestly too scared to watch them do it. And they busted the plastic hood prop rod holder when they did it, and refuse to admit liability or try to get Ford to warranty it. All part of the Ford stealership experience!
 
The last time I took my FXT in for an oil change, they mangled the plug so badly that it was leaking. I got the car back on a Friday and immediately went up to our condo with a blacktop parking lot...didn't notice the leak until I had the car in my garage Sunday night into Monday morning and found the mess went I went to leave for work. The "service advisor" had the gall to give me an accusing look when he told me the plug had "somehow" gotten damaged, like I crawled under there and messed with it after paying them to do a horrible job on my car.
I have been putting my own plug back on with a torque wrench since then and am glad they got me to stop being lazy and do my own oil...
 
Was that a cast aluminum pan? My '07 Chevy 4.3 had a plug with integrated rubber gasket that didnt require much tightening.

Sometimes I have to take a "hammer" to a box wrench to get the plug loose on metal washered plugs.

And many times you will need a filter wrench as the gasket "glues" itself to the engine.
 
Originally Posted by das_peikko
When I worked as a lube tech at a Toyota dealer, most everything had crush washers. The way you set the torque on those is by pulling on the 14mm wrench with two fingers. Why would that matter you say? Because Snap-on combination wrenches a real thin and when the proper torque value is reached, the pain in your fingers will notify your brain when it's time to quit.
grin2.gif



Heh heh little tricks like this keep me from buying a torque wrench.
grin2.gif
 
Honestly, has anyone ever seen someone use an impact to put on a drain plug ?
 
Originally Posted by E150GT
Vette is getting the best care and the tech is not draining all the oil because he doesn't know it's got two drain plugs and then he overfills it with bulk ,5w30.
The vette has 2 drain plugs???!!! Didn't know that. Never heard of any engine that did that. Can't blame someone for not knowing that oddity.
Originally Posted by E150GT
They think dexos is 0w20. He gets all worked up because the oil cap says dexos and we give him 5w30.
When dexos first came out, in 2010, this would be excusable.

Good stories. Makes me think I should change my own oil instead of getting the free one I have left at the Chevy dealership..... AND, I'm checking for a 2nd oil drain plug on my '18 Equinox !!
43.gif
 
Originally Posted by Corollaman
I decided to change the oil on my chevy silverado, the last oil change at the dealer put the drain plug on extremely tight, I literally thought they used an impact wrench. Thankfully the oil filter wasn't as hard but I had to use an oil filter wrench, usually if the filter is put on correctly I can get it off by hand. Is this for liability reasons or amateur techs?

As long as I am physically able do so, I will change my own oil so that I don't have to deal with stupidy.
 
Originally Posted by Lubener

As long as I am physically able do so, I will change my own oil so that I don't have to deal with stupidy.


That's how I roll too. Sometimes I really don't want to DIY, but I keep at it. I cut the filters up, drain and toss them and I bring the used oil to work or drop it off at the local Napa when I get 6-8 full gallon jugs sitting around.
 
Originally Posted by E150GT
When I briefly worked at a Chevy dealership i witnessed what goes on in the lube bay. No way I'd take my car to the dealer for an oil change. Poor schmuk sitting in the waiting room thinking his Vette is getting the best care and the tech is not draining all the oil because he doesn't know it's got two drain plugs and then he overfills it with bulk ,5w30. Then I have the most senior tech there all confused about dexos. They think dexos is 0w20. He gets all worked up because the oil cap says dexos and we give him 5w30.




Do you know peeko? (Merk)
 
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Never heard of any engine that did that. Can't blame someone for not knowing that oddity.
Not exactly a similar situation but I saw an oil-change video on a supercar (thinking Lamborghini) that had multiple drain plugs. Something like 6+. This was a dry sump system vs a typical wet sump and is why it was this way.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Never heard of any engine that did that. Can't blame someone for not knowing that oddity.
Not exactly a similar situation but I saw an oil-change video on a supercar (thinking Lamborghini) that had multiple drain plugs. Something like 6+. This was a dry sump system vs a typical wet sump and is why it was this way.

Porsche 996/997.1 Turbo has 4. Sump, oil tank, and both turbos.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Never heard of any engine that did that. Can't blame someone for not knowing that oddity.
Not exactly a similar situation but I saw an oil-change video on a supercar (thinking Lamborghini) that had multiple drain plugs. Something like 6+. This was a dry sump system vs a typical wet sump and is why it was this way.


Look at a late 80's Mustang GT and some other Fords with a 5.0, front and rear oil drain plugs.
 
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