OIL DRAIN PLUG WASHER ---NECESSARY OR NOT???

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Messages
286
Location
nyc
My car has 33,000 miles on it now. I bought it new.

I check the oil level about every 500 miles or so and I notice that it is slowly losing some oil. Not too much, but enough to definitely notice.

Could the engine be burning oil? or is there a leak somewhere?

When changing the oil, I've never used a washer, I just screw the drain plug in and it never SEEMED to need a washer. In fact, when I first did the oil change, there was NO WASHER at all. Maybe that's just the design--washerless!!!

what do u think? do all cars need drain plug washers? ??

it's a 2007 Corolla by the way.
 
Maybe the washer is stuck to the drain pan or bolt. Sometimes it's hard to spot if you're not looking for it. Did you check that?
 
Go to the dealer and buy one. Then you will know what type it is such as a nylon washer or a crush washer or whatever. Most cars have some type of washer. You do not want to over tighten the drain plug to stop a leak when the real solution is a washer.

I like washers from Oil Tite, they are metal and rubber in the center. You may need to bring the drain plug to the parts store to get the right size.
 
Maybe the factory forgot to put one on. Never had a car that had no sealing washer. I always had a bolt with an integral seal or a separate washer. As said before maybe stuck to the pan?
 
Yes, there is a washer on my friend's 2006 Corolla. It's a small nylon/felt one IIRC.

I have (and the shop has) reused it four times without any problems.
 
Our 97 RAV4 had a washer captured onto the drain bolt. There was a soft covering on it. Never leaked.

Never replaced it and we ran the truck up to 174,000 miles...oil got changed 3 - 4 times a year.
 
Yes, the engine could be burning oil, but this is normal (a small amount), even for a precision unit like the Corolla's.

But you would also spot even a small amount of seep at the drain plug if you cleaned around it and checked at the next oil change. Still best to do what Toyota intended, and I think it would be strange not to have some kind of washer.
 
Some vehicles have a washer seated in the drain plug. My truck has a rubber seal on the drain plug that doesn't need to be replaced.

If the car was originally supposed to use a replaceable crush washer, it probably needs one.

My roommate's Civic was leaking from the drain plug. Looking online I found that it used a metal washer. I took the plug out, which was not even hand tight, and there was a paper washer on it from a quick lube. I put a metal washer on, and that took care of that leak...though the car still leaks from everything else. I'm not sure if the plug was so loose and leaking because of the paper washer, or if the quick lube forgot to tighten it, but I'd say in this case having the correct washer was necessary.
 
I didn't realize my Mazda had a crush washer until the 4th or 5th oil change. I had been re-using the same one the whole time. It never leaked. I finally took it off and haven't used one since. Maybe 3 or 4 oil changes and so far, no leaks. I don't overly tighten the drain plug either. Just good and snug.
 
I've maintained a Kia before that was previously taken to Wal-mart and it was brought to me without a washer, so I assumed it didn't need one. It never leaked, but I later found out that it was supposed to have one. It conveniently took the same washer my Acura uses, so I had some to use on it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top