Is it ok to drive without the cooper washer on the drain plug for the engine oil?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Patrick
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Patrick

Came back from the dealer yesterday after an oil change for my 97 960.
I looked under the car and noticed there was no (copper) gasket around
the drain plug.

Don't all Volvo have one??? If so, can I drive the car without one?
There is no leak right now.

Thanks.
 
I think I'd worry most about just how hard the drain plug was screwed in
to prevent any leakage. It's likely possible to torque that plug in to
a point where leakage is not happening - but will the plug ever come out
again?

If you're sure that there's no gasket in place, I'd get back to the
Dealer and ask just what his Service folks are playing at. Having been
in the business in a previous life, it's for sure that the fellows you
hire to change oil are at the entry point into an entry level job, and a
sadly large number make it no further and may even cause some serious
problems while they're still out there in the shop.

bob noble
Reno, NV, USA
 
Perhaps you can relax, Patrick. The 960 oil drain plug does not have a
copper gasket. It's an aluminum gasket, and may be difficult to see when
the plug is installed. Look closely using a bright light.

Good luck.
Andy I. P.s. The 4-cylinder engine has a copper gasket for the oil drain
plug, but then the plug screws into a steel oil pan.
 
The main thing to be concerned with on a 960 is overtightening. We took our
960 to an oil change centre once (not even an infamous jiffy/mr/quick etc
lube), it looked good. Underfloor access to the car, well lit, very clean,
they used a Volvo oil filter etc... Except they caused 550 dollars in damage
when they stripped the aluminum threads on the oil pan.
 
Brackenburn, glad to know it's aluminium, but it ain't there! I went
under the car and after unscrewing the drain plug a bit, I can confirm
there is none. The plug wasn't easy to unscrew, but I managed.

In your expert opinion, could I leave it like that as long as there is
no leakage, or would it be best to add the missing aluminium gasket?

TIA
 
Thanks Bob. Unfortunately, going back to the dealer was not an
option. Did that many moons ago and it just ended up making things
worse. I had much worst done to the car by certified Volvo
technicians... The worst is you have to pay $80+/hour to get your car
damaged by professionals.

Like I said in my other post, I went under and, no, there is no
gasket. Since you are familiar with this business, can I wait until
spring to get that corrected if there is no leakage?

Thanks for your opinion.
 
Patrick said:
Brackenburn, glad to know it's aluminium, but it ain't there! I went
under the car and after unscrewing the drain plug a bit, I can confirm
there is none. The plug wasn't easy to unscrew, but I managed.

In your expert opinion, could I leave it like that as long as there is
no leakage, or would it be best to add the missing aluminium gasket?
Click to expand...

If it's not leaking leave it alone, but make sure you install one the next
time the oil is changed.
 
As to waiting until "Spring" for your next oil change . . .

Seems to me that you're talking about a wait of 4+ months before you do
something about that missing gasket, Patrick. Would you normally push
the mileage on the oil that far - particularly in winter (if your locale
makes winter a consideration, that is)? If you drive relatively little,
*and* your winter gets cold, a change generally ought not go beyond 90
days. Top quality oils currently in use are pretty forgiving, but even
they need to be brought up to operating temp regularly to get rid of the
volatiles that collect in the crankcase. Your call.

bob noble
Reno, NV, USA
 
Hi Patrick,

I'm no expert! but I wouldn't on any account risk wrecking that beautiful
straight-six engine by driving it with no gasket on the oil drain plug, even
tho' it didn't leak the first time. (As has already been pointed out,
overtightening the washerless plug to try to prevent leaks can destroy the
threads of the soft aluminum oil pan.) I'd contact that incompetent
dealership and demand that they deliver to you the necessary aluminum
gasket..........post haste!

Good Luck.
Andy I. P.s. Don't use a copper gasket.......... not good to mix with
aluminum (a risk of "galvanic action").
 
brackenburn said:
Hi Patrick,

I'm no expert! but I wouldn't on any account risk wrecking that beautiful
straight-six engine by driving it with no gasket on the oil drain plug, even
tho' it didn't leak the first time. (As has already been pointed out,
overtightening the washerless plug to try to prevent leaks can destroy the
threads of the soft aluminum oil pan.) I'd contact that incompetent
dealership and demand that they deliver to you the necessary aluminum
gasket..........post haste!
Click to expand...

I would demand that they supply *and fit* the missing washer - and replenish
the oil which they will inevitably spill when they remove the plug.

If it is designed to have a compressible washer - but you don't have one -
the chances are that the plug will eventually unscrew itself and fall out.
You will then lose all the oil and wreck the engine.

Roger
 
chances are that the plug will eventually unscrew itself and fall out.

i don't believe that.
 
wah said:
i don't believe that.
Click to expand...
Feel free to believe it or not!

However, something very similar *has* happened to me - so I know that it
*can* happen.

In my case, I replaced the copper washer on a plug in the bottom of my
carburettor with a fibre washer. The plug fell out, the petrol ran out, and
the car stopped.

Inconvenient - but at least it didn't wreck my engine. Losing all the oil
*would*.

Roger
 
If not there, take it back immediately. Otherwise, when you do have
trouble down the line you'll have no way to prove the dealer screwed
it up. Demonstrate now they left off the required gasket, and
therefore probably overtightened it (even if appears to be OK now) to
preserve your claim for later. If you tell them you loosened it to
check, be careful not to overtighten at all (even if it leaks a bit)
or they'll claim you screwed it up.
 
I'm using Mobil 1 synthetic. Supposed to be good gor 6 months or
6,000 miles. Before when I was using dino oil, I used to switch every
3 months or 3,000 miles.

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that
with synthetic you can double the time/mileage compared with dino oil?

It makes a year that I switched over and I'm please.

Off-topic: I know it sounds crazy, but switching fuel from regular to
super has reduced the problems with my 240. I was getting some
non-sense "check engine" about temp sensor or AMM. After spending
money on new parts and multiple visits, I went back to using super and
my babby runs fine.
 
From a point at sea, to the circles of your mind, this is Patrick:
I'm using Mobil 1 synthetic. Supposed to be good gor 6 months or
6,000 miles. Before when I was using dino oil, I used to switch every
3 months or 3,000 miles.

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that
with synthetic you can double the time/mileage compared with dino oil?

It makes a year that I switched over and I'm please.
Click to expand...

I was listening to a rep from Castrol Oils a while ago. He was saying
that the oil change interval should not be assumed to be any longer,
but that synthetic oil will not have degraded so much at the change.

Of course it was his job to sell as much of it as he could.




--

Stewart Hargrave

A lot faster than public transport


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
I was under the impression that some car manufacturers were suggesting
that you could wait 12 months or 7,000 miles before changing your
synthetic oil.

What is the recommended interval on a new Volvo (S40, S60, S80) as
per the owner's manual?
 
I'm using Mobil 1 synthetic. Supposed to be good gor 6 months or
6,000 miles. Before when I was using dino oil, I used to switch every
3 months or 3,000 miles.

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that
with synthetic you can double the time/mileage compared with dino oil?
Click to expand...
Provided the oil does not become contaminated, then your changing at 6 k
miles is fine. If you are doing short trips, not getting up to temp, stop
start driving, then drain and replace as you would with "dino" oil.

Despite the magic properties of these synthetic oils, they cant prevent
degradation of the oil, especially if they are exacerbated by contamination.

Hammo
 
Feel free to believe it or not!

However, something very similar *has* happened to me - so I know that it
*can* happen.

In my case, I replaced the copper washer on a plug in the bottom of my
carburettor with a fibre washer. The plug fell out, the petrol ran out, and
the car stopped.

Inconvenient - but at least it didn't wreck my engine. Losing all the oil
*would*.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised it didn't start a fire! I'd rather have the oil drain out and
wreck the engine than the gas drain out and burn up the whole car.
 
Check your bill, I can almost guarantee there is an entry for about $1.50
for a gasket - it is supposed to be changed every time the drain plug is
removed...

Jack
 
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