Not sure if it is me or the prius, but it seems has no oil drain plug washer? There seems to be a washer stuck to the oil pan, but it is hard and has no way to come off, so I think it is just part of the oil pan. Car runs fine, no leak. Any comments? Thanks.
That thing stuck to the pan is the washer. It will come off if you give it a push. Personally I reuse them a few times without issue.
Put a flat blade screwdriver on the edge of the washer. Tap the screwdriver handle end with a hammer and the washer will fly off the pan. Try not to scratch the pan.
Thanks, I put the plug back on, without touching the gasket. If it is a "compression gasket", it may have been compressed too far by using it multiple times!
Depends if it is the original metal one or been replaced with a fiber one which should not be re used.
Here we go again! I am still using the original fiber washer Pearl came with. Fifth oil change so far. No leaks whatsoever. The washers work fine until they break, and they break when you remove or reinstall the plug, or try to unstick it from the pan, so you'll see it happen if you are observant. There is -no reason- to replace the gasket every time you remove the plug. DO keep a spare for when it does break. I suspect mine will last the life of the car, based on experience with previous Japanese cars. I do have several "free" replacements. I like my local parts department. I keep a couple in the glove box, the rest are by the filters on the shelf in the garage.
Thanks David. 20 years working as a mechanic and I reused sump plug gaskets 95% of the time with no issues ever. Replace the gasket when it looks in poor condition. The most common cause of oil leak after servicing was the dislodgement of the oil filter O ring seal from the oil filter on installation, and that was very rare but immediately obvious. Break out the degreaser and mop!
I personally use a gasket scraper, less chance of gouging the mating surface Rarely had a problem with my Prius. For some reason, on my FJ the damn gasket is always stuck to the oil pan Common problem up here if you make the mistake of storing your oil filters in a shed and not in a properly heated place. Once the temps are -20 C, especially -40, put on that cold oil filter. I will guarantee the o-ring will break, and you have an eruption of motor oil when you start the motor. You tend to only make that mistake once Yes, I keep my oil filters in the house
I just remembered, the way I removed the gaskets when they looked like they had had enough. Put a small flat bladed screwdriver in the hole, put the tip under the inside edge of the gasket and pry it away using the other side of the gasket as a fulcrum. The gasket pops right off and no risk of harm to the sealing surfaces. Wipe the surface with a cloth to ensure there are no bits of gasket left behind. If there are bits stuck to the sump scrape them off with a sharp gasket scraper.
Correct, they hadn't certified the o-rings used for that low of a temp. A tragedy resulted I've done that with heavy equipment. It works, but it also takes skill. The proper gasket scraper works best, like this one PKNC200, Scraper, Striking, 2" With the proper scraper, it easily catches the gasket and pops it off. No need to hammer away at it