1999 Honda Accord, 276K+ miles.
I am not at my home location where I have my tools, so I took it in to the dealer for an oil change.
They couldn’t get the oil plug off. It is totally stuck. It could have been the previous job threaded it in wrong. Or just dumb circumstance that it is stuck. Or maybe they didn’t even try hard enough.
Regardless, I am looking for options to solve this problem in a cost effective manner.
The only thing I can think of, assuming that it is TOTALLY stuck, is to change the entire oil pan. This would require disassembling the catalytic converter and a few things to gain access.
The dealer was also proposing the same thing, at $800. I was like, NFW. I’d rather wait until I have access to my garage and tools. Who knows, they could have been trying to scam me that I needed to change the whole pan, and the drain plug could be removed with a little creativity. It was a Honda dealer I have never been to before, so who knows?
I am open to other suggestions!
Also, I won’t be able to have access to my tools for a few months. I was wondering if that oil change through the dipstick would be worth doing in the interim, with a vacuum pump. I wouldn’t be able to drain the oil fully. And I wouldn’t be able to change the filter. Or should I just save my money, wait it out, and change the entire pan?
If the plug went in with tools, then tools can take it out. Simple as that (Unless it's rounded off.)
Oil plugs do not get rusty.
Is your pan aluminum or steel?
And I wouldn’t be able to change the filter.
I don't understand. Why can't you change the filter?
Thanks for the suggestion with the tools.
I don’t have my jacks, jack stands, tools, or anything with me at the moment. So I can’t easily change the filter.
Once you get access to the oil pan with the car up on jacks, I guarantee that you'll find a way to get the drain plug out. Tell the "dealer" to pound sand. The red Stillson wrench shown above by MountainManJoe when used with a breaker piece of 3/4 inch pipe could unscrew the drain plug for the world, if it had one.
I’m hoping you are right!!!
Or else you could get a oil suction pump and go through the dipstick. They have them on Amazon for $16.
GTK. Thank you!
DASBET 12V 60W Oil Change Pump... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YQGLRFJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Nice. This may be a good idea in the interim.
I plan on trying these! Thank you!