3 Causes of oil drain plug leak
It's very unpleasant to see engine oil dripping on the garage floor even though the car recently ran out of service. In addition to making your car's garage floor dirty, of course, this engine oil drop indicates that there is an oil leak in your car.
Although it can be done by yourself, changing the engine oil should be done by a professional and competent person. Apart from not making yourself dirty because of used oil, this will also make your vehicle safer from unknown mistakes.
Yes, changing engine oil looks easy, but a small mistake can be fatal. One example is the leaky oil drain plug. Sometimes we don't realize the engine oil leak in the engine oil drain plug. After several times, we have the car broke down due to running out of oil.
That is not what we want. Therefore, in the following article, we will inform you about three things that cause the engine oil drain plug to leak.
1. Using too much Teflon tape on the oil drain plug threads.
The first thing that often causes the oil drain plug to leak and damage is Teflon tape on the drain plug threads. Teflon tape is strongly discouraged to prevent engine oil leakage on the oil drain plug, even though it is quite useful in use.
The reason is, using Teflon tape on the thread of the drain plug can cause the pitch (thread width) to become wider and bigger so that it is not tight when tightened. That often causes the oil drain plug to leak and even break because the plug thread is damaged.
The best step that needs to be done when changing engine oil against the engine oil drain plug is to replace the O-ring gasket of the engine oil drain plug. Yes, besides not damaging the plug threads, this gasket will also prevent engine oil leakage.
2.Too tight (Overtorque)
The next common thing that can cause the oil drain plug to leak and being damaged is that it is too tight during installation. Tightening the engine oil drain bolt that is too tight can also make the plug threads become damaged and cause oil leaks.
The engine oil drain plug tightening value may vary depending on the car manufacturer's specifications, and this is generally only known to authorized dealers by the service manual book.
Also read:3. Incorrect position of the drain plug during installation.
The last thing that can cause the oil drain plug to leak and be damaged, causing oil to leak, is the plug installation's tilt and incorrect position. Installation of engine oil drain plug must be straight with the plug holes. If they are not fit alignment during installation, it can damage the drain plug hole and bolt.
Therefore, make sure the oil drain plug's position and alignment plug against the plug hole, feel the bolt rotation. A good position is a spin that is unobstructed and choked up. Then turn to the right (clockwise) to tighten the engine oil drain plug.