Sometimes I wonder about dealerships.

[PulMax]

Today I stopped by the local Mitsu dealership because I needed a new crush washer for the van, and as I'm standing at their counter, I notice....

...a whole wall of bright yellow Pennzoil filters :\ I mean...c'mon...at least Honda tries to hide their cheap Frams by painting them blue and putting an H on them. This just screams "CRAPPY and PROUD!"

I wonder what the stealership charges for those yellow turds

They got me for 2 bucks for a $.65 washer (parts store was out) so I'm sure people are paying plenty for what they think is a great filter.

 

[Mr Nice]

The 'average' consumer that buys a Fram/Pennzoil oil filters does not know how bad they are. Ten years ago I only bought Fram....cause I thought they were good quality.

 

[Whimsey]

quote:

---

Originally posted by LT4 Vette:
The 'average' consumer that buys a Fram/Pennzoil oil filters does not know how bad they are. Ten years ago I only bought Fram....cause I thought they were good quality.

---

Ditto! But now we've seen the light so there is no more excuses

.

Whimsey

 

[2004 F150 4x4]

As Hank Hill would say...Yep.
The average consumer looks at that yellow wall and they are impressed because Pennzoil makes great oil right, so the filter must be good to.

 

[baomo]

wow $2 for a copper crush washer.

take the measuments and next time go to home depot or hardware store get them for 10 cents each.

 

[Big_E]

When I went to my Acura dealership for a crush washer the guy at the counter handed me a hand full of them and said "we'll get ya the next time you come in." Free.

 

[PulMax]

quote:

---

Originally posted by baomo:
wow $2 for a copper crush washer.

take the measuments and next time go to home depot or hardware store get them for 10 cents each.

---

Its not a regular copper washer. I've never seen one like it before, but it seems to do the job pretty well. It almost looks as though 2 pieces on it crush together.

Still not worth $2

Oh, and I've noticed that everyone with a Honda tells me that "oh, those washers are free!" Well, the Toyota and Dodge/Mitsu dealers certainly don't give them away :| At least I get free ones with the oil filters I get on ebay for my Nissans.

 

[n8wvi]

Our two local Subaru dealers SWEAR that "It'll leak if you don't use a new crush washer". Well folks, if you USE A TORQUE WRENCH (properly, I might add) and torque the plug to the correct setting, it WON'T LEAK. I haven't replace a crush washer yet on my '97 that we bought new, it's got 130,000 miles on it.

Dave

 

[Hootbro]

quote:

---

Originally posted by n8wvi:
Our two local Subaru dealers SWEAR that "It'll leak if you don't use a new crush washer". Well folks, if you USE A TORQUE WRENCH (properly, I might add) and torque the plug to the correct setting, it WON'T LEAK. I haven't replace a crush washer yet on my '97 that we bought new, it's got 130,000 miles on it.

Dave

---

At 170K on my wife Toyota Corolla was the first time I had to replace the nylon washer on the drain plug. I agree about the Torque wrench.

Hootbro

[ February 21, 2005, 03:14 AM: Message edited by: Hootbro ]

 

[vvk]

Very smart. Risk a $5000 engine by saving $1 on a drain plug washer.

 

[T-Keith]

What are you risking? Is it going to leak that much so quickly? You should be able to spot a leak long before it becomes a problem.

90% of oil change problems are from overtightening the plug and filter.

-T

 

[paulo57509]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Big_E:
When I went to my Acura dealership for a crush washer the guy at the counter handed me a hand full of them and said "we'll get ya the next time you come in." Free.

---

What dealership did that for you? The ones around in my neck of the woods would charge me to breathe their air if they could get away with it.

 

[Spector]

quote:

---

Originally posted by T-Keith:
90% of oil change problems are from overtightening the plug and filter.-T

---

The other 10% are blown engines from the filter coming loose due to not tightening it enough and no oil causing catastrophic engine failure? For the plug, use a drain valve not a plug.

 

[edwardh1]

local honda dealer wouldalso give you a washer.
i did re use one for many years tho

 

[JMG]

My Honda dealer its 35 cents for a washer and 7 dollars for a Fram OEM filter. I get them online both washers and a Filter Filter for like 5 something shipped.

 

[CMT]

Say what? Some of you replace the drain plug washer every time you change oil? I have never, ever, ever heard of that. Maybe a foreign car thing? Of course, I have never heard of anyone using a torque wrench on the drain plug either. Very rarely do I use a torque wrench on anything but critical parts of engine assembly, and even then I could get away with doing it by feel I reckon. I'm not trying to be a smart aleck, but we're not assembling the space shuttle here. Seems to me that's taking things a little extreme. But then again, I guess just reading a website devoted to oil and filters makes all of us a bit extreme anyway, eh? Whatever makes you feel good...

 

[baomo]

i don't replace them every time, maybe every 3 or 4 oil changes or if it looks especially bad.
in my case they only cost 10c so why the not.

 

[brianl703]

There do exist drain plugs with a built-in rubber gasket. I got some at Advance Auto (Motormite brand) for my 1988 Mustang 5.0 because I was sick of changing the washer..my other car has a drain plug with a built-in rubber gasket that it came stock with.

 

[Whimsey]

quote:

---

Originally posted by brianl703:
There do exist drain plugs with a built-in rubber gasket. I got some at Advance Auto (Motormite brand) for my 1988 Mustang 5.0 because I was sick of changing the washer..my other car has a drain plug with a built-in rubber gasket that it came stock with.

---

My 1996 Ford Contour with the 2.0L 4 cyl Zetec engine has a "hardish" white nylon gasket as part of the drain plug. Even though it never leaked a drop from the plug I figured what the heck I should get a new nylon gasket. Ford lists the nylon gasket for $3, but you can't buy one for "love nor money". But you can buy a new drain plug with the nylon gasket on it for $6. And it's readily available

. What the heck, $6 bucks every 9 years for piece of mind

.

Whimsey

 

[99]

Are you guys seriously arguing over the drain plug gasket/washer?

[ February 28, 2005, 02:51 AM: Message edited by: 59 Vetteman ]