My situation: I changed my oil yesterday, when I loosen the drain plug it didn't have a washer at all (but never leaked). So oil change was done. Tighten everything filter and drain plug (with out washer).

Haven't drove the car today. The garage floor had about 10 drops or so oil... leaking from the drain plug.

What should/can I do?

- Re-torque the drain plug?
- Drain the oil, save it and put a washer on?

Yes it was my mistake for not putting a washer knowing that it didn't have a washer, but somehow I said to myself, it never leaked before.... so what the hell.

Thank you guys in advance.

 

Get a washer, loosen the plug spin it off fast, plug the hole with finger, put the drain plug back on, top off oil. little messy, you won't lose that much oil.

 

Sounds crazy, but I think that'll work also.

 

But do it when the engine is cold

 

Definitely remove plug and replace it using the correct crush washer. Tightening the plug beyond recommended torque could cause you greater problems down the road (e.g. stuck plug/stripped head when you try to remove it next time).

I'm personally a bit dubious about the "finger in the hole" trick being all that effective. Rather, catch the oil in a perfectly clean oil pan and reuse it.

 

Thanks for the input, but I was able to stop the "slow drop" by torquing it to spec. 37ft lb. I didn't have a torque wrench so I borrow my friends. So as for now, no washer still but the leak stopped. So my next oil change I will remember to get a crush washer...

 

are you sure it wasnt just leftover oil that dripped down?

 

No, I know when it leaks. I wiped it then came back ...

 

Heat probaly ..... Was the engine warm when you tightened the plug? , just retorqe it , happened to me once , I tightened the pug when it was warm , then when when it cooled off it leaked a bit

 

get that washer back on...you can always top up the oil

 

not sure saving a couple bucks is a good idea when it comes to oil. I'd add the crush washer.

 

So the best thing to do is to catch the oil with clean oil pan, install a new crush washer, then put the oil back in.