Oil Pan Drain Plug

[bkelley112]

I recently had my truck in for an oil change. I got the truck back and happened to look underneath about a week later and noticed a drip had formed on the oil pan. I wiped up all the oil and noticed it was leaking from the drain plug. I took it back to the dealership and they replaced the drain plug. The new one is does not appear to be exactly the same as the old drain plug. The original plug was black with I am guessing a brass washer. The new plug looks like its all brass, its goldish in color instead of being black. A guy at work said its probably a self tapping plug and that the dealership had probably cross threaded the original plug when they put it back on. I called the dealership and they said no that it was an OEM plug. I was wondering what you guys thought? Sorry this is so long winded.

[DmaxMaverick]

The original plug was painted, mine was too. Rarely will you find replacement hardware, even OEM, that is painted. The goldish color is corrosion resistant plating. If you want it black, paint it.

Ditch the plug and install a Fumoto valve anyway. Never worry about it again.

[bkelley112]

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't concerned about the color so much. I just wanted to make sure that it was a regular plug not self tapping plug. I have thought about buying a fumoto valve.

[DmaxMaverick]

Because it is a warranty repair, make them repair it. If they replaced it with an OEM plug, and probably did, they did good.

If by chance they replaced it with a "self tapping repair plug", they did not complete the repair. If they did the service, and damaged the pan by cross threading the drain plug, they owe you a new pan, not a repair plug.

At your next service, compare the new plug with the original. It may differ a little, but should still be a true drain plug. I don't think the dealers are even allowed by GM to stock or install a "repair plug".

If you are considering a Fumoto valve, get one before your next service. The one you want has the nipple. Greg (DP advertiser, Lubespecialist) sells them, and I think some of the others do as well. The part # is 106N with the nipple. # 106 is without the nipple.

[Jorday]

My oil drain plug leaked, too, but it quit leaking before I had a chance to take it in and have it fixed.

[Kennedy]

The Dmax pan has a slot it the internal nut unlike many other pans that make the oil travel through the threads. This makes the washer the only thing that seals the pan, and also accounts for the huge mess of weeping oil when you loosen the plug.

I put Fumotos (I caught on to the neatness with my John Deere 455 diesel. It has a valve with a hose on it standard equipment) on most all of my stuff. A drain valve slows the oil change down, but sure saves on the mess. I also added a small hole corresponding to the slot in the pan nut to allow the oil to drain a bit deeper with the threads still full.

I also lift my front end high like a set of car ramps (actually higher) to get an extra pint or so out of the pan...