Overnight parking of car results in 3-4 tiny drops of oil on garage floor. Curious, I crawled underneath and noticed some oil leaking from drain plug. Cleaned it, and about an hour later noticed oil around the drain plug. No sign of leaks from anywhere else on the oil pan.
Needed some advise from helpful folks here about what I suspect it is. Is this a case of replacing drain plug due to thread damage? Photos attached. 
-
Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair!– Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦Sep 1, 2020 at 12:14
-
Is the plug tight enough?– MoabSep 1, 2020 at 13:09
-
@Moab somehow the plug was loose, I could turn it with no effort. Tightened it with a wrench and cleaned the area will inspect tomorrow morning– aJ-47Sep 1, 2020 at 15:25
-
1There is also ,very likely , a copper washer which can/should be replaced occasionally.– blacksmith37Sep 1, 2020 at 16:03
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
Don't over-tighten the plug, you can strip the threads in the sump. That'd increase the drip, make a larger mess, and result in a more complicated repair.
If you do drain the oil to remove and inspect the plug, and if there's a gasket under the plug head, replace the gasket.
answered Sep 1, 2020 at 15:05
I also had the same problem because I change the oil myself but the solution is quite simple. I use a layer of Teflon in drain plug before tightening it in its place. The Teflon serves great to stop leakage. Of course, this is true if we suppose your drain plug and your oil pan threads don't have any problems. So, Teflon Tape was the right solution for me. I used to tighten drain plug without using any Teflon or copper washer. This can also prevent leakage but tightening the plug without Teflon or washer can damage threads.
