Quote:
Originally Posted by RockCrusher
Interesting to learn BMW calls for replacing the plugs.
I recall with my Porsche cars the engine oil drain plug required a sealing ring, not a crush washer. And this was not to be reused.
The reason was the sealing ring -- made of IIRC a silicon bronze alloy and very hard and very flat and very smooth -- was the sacrificial item in the drain plug/engine oil pan (or in the case of my Turbo oil tank) partnership. Upon removing the drain plug the sealing ring would have a slight but noticeable depression from the drain plug on the side the drain plug was tightened against. Re use of this ring would have that marred the drain plug surface or the sealing surface of the oil pan/oil tank.
This over time would cause the very smooth/flat surface of the drain plug and oil pan/tank to become damaged. Techs told me the result was after a while the plug/oil sump sealing -- even if the old ring was replaced with a new sealing ring -- was compromised and there was a bit of oil wetness around that area. I always replaced the sealing ring. My Boxster's oil sump/drain plug area was dry even at 317K miles and with oil changes every 5K miles after approx. 63 oil changes. The Turbo had 161K miles and thus had 32 oil changes. Its oil drain plug and where it plugged the tank was dry too.
Not only did the oil sump not leak the oil drain plug was oil tight too. In spite of being aluminum I only had to buy one oil drain plug the whole time I owned the car. I took the car to a oil change place -- the dealer was booked -- and supplied the oil, filter, filter o-ring, and oil drain plug sealing ring. But what happened was the 8mm Allen tool bit hole in the drain plug was so precisely sized it took a bit extra attention to ensure the tool bit was fully inserted into the hole. The oil change tech didn't do this and while he was able to remove the drain plug and tighten it again (probably using the 50 ft lbs of torque he said his employer required rather than the approx. 37 ft lbs Porsche called for and which I requested he use) when I had the car in to a dealer for its next oil change -- just a week later after putting 5K miles on the car on a road trip -- the tech found the tool bit hole buggered. He managed to get the bit to hold and was able to loosen/remove the damaged drain plug. He had a spare which he used. When he told me what he had found I ordered two new drain plugs at the parts counter. A few days later when they arrived I gave one to tech to replace the one he used in my car and put the spare in the glove box to have just in case. When I sold the car that new drain plug was still in the glove box.
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I believe Audi requires replacing the plug (and o ring) when servicing their transmissions.