My Bad… Or, why you need a new oil plug gasket…
I have been changing the oil in my cars myself for years. In fact, I don’t think I have ever had a dealer or repair shop change my oil. Why do I do this?
1) I like to use full synthetic oil (Mobil 1) and a quality oil filter (K&N or Mobil 1)
2) I don’t trust a shop to use the oil and filter I provide
3) Gives me a chance to do a look over the whole vehicle (other fluid levels, brake pad left, etc)
4) I know the job will be done right!
So, a couple weeks ago, I change the oil in my Lotus as usual. All appeared fine for several days, but this past weekend I noticed a small puddle of oil under the Lotus in the garage. After pulling the under-tray, it was clear that I was getting a steady drop from the drain plug. Apparantly the oil plug gasket had a slight leak. I normally do not replace these washers on a regular basis, but I will be from now on. Although this is the first time I have ever had one leak, it certainly seems like cheap insurance. Think about it….