Did my first oil change yesterday....yellow, blue, white lines on drain plug?

Changed out my FF at 4588 miles yesterday Pretty simple to change the oil on this car. One thing I noticed was there are 3 lines one the oil pan and drain plug that apparently line up (well they did before I changed the oil)

After the change there is no way in hell that when tightening the drain plug that those marks are gonna line up. I used a new drain plug washer that I got from the dealer and it stops short of lining up the colored lines. My usual MO is to tighten as tight as it will go and then snug it a bit. Been changing oil for 20 years this way and never an issue.


All that to say for this of you that change your own oil, has your experience echoed mine?

2tango2 said:

Changed out my FF at 4588 miles yesterday Pretty simple to change the oil on this car. One thing I noticed was there are 3 lines one the oil pan and drain plug that apparently line up (well they did before I changed the oil)

After the change there is no way in hell that when tightening the drain plug that those marks are gonna line up. I used a new drain plug washer that I got from the dealer and it stops short of lining up the colored lines. My usual MO is to tighten as tight as it will go and then snug it a bit. Been changing oil for 20 years this way and never an issue.


All that to say for this of you that change your own oil, has your experience echoed mine?

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Torque wrench would be the answer to your question. Although, before I purchased one, I had no issues aligning the lines on both oil pan plug and transmission drain/fill plug.

I dunno if a torque wrench would make a difference. I’m sure the amount of pressure I was using way more than what it calls for. Perplexing to say the least unless I was given an incorrect washer. Doesn’t appear to be leaking

Looking at that looks like there is no washer there but it must be the angle

The OE washer was thinner than the one you got from the dealer.

Or, they torqued it very aggressively at the factory and made the washer thinner.

It's not unusual for stuff to be extremely tight (over-torqued) from the factory.

First time you change oil in your life ?

Just torque the right pound by inches , lines are useless.

2tango2 said:

My usual MO is to tighten as tight as it will go and then snug it a bit. Been changing oil for 20 years this way and never an issue.

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Bad idea. You might have gotten away with it when oil sumps were steel, but with aluminum pans, that is a good way to strip the threads.

TimberWolf said:

Bad idea. You might have gotten away with it when oil sumps were steel, but with aluminum pans, that is a good way to strip the threads.

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I agree.
2 tango2 where do you see this very bad way to work ?

2tango2 said:

I dunno if a torque wrench would make a difference. I’m sure the amount of pressure I was using way more than what it calls for. Perplexing to say the least unless I was given an incorrect washer. Doesn’t appear to be leaking

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Those are lines from the dealer or Honda to determine if you have dropped the oil.

Basically, if you bring your car in for an oil change, they mark the plug to prevent warranty fraud. If you drop the oil, the lines will have marks in them or won't be lined up and they can prove you dropped it. Shady people drop their oil and claim the dealer didn't fill it properly or some other BS lie to get an new motor. This has been going on since I was an oil change monkey in the 90's.

Don't worry about it.

typemismatch said:

Those are lines from the dealer or Honda to determine if you have dropped the oil.


Shady people drop their oil and claim the dealer didn't fill it properly or some other BS lie to get an new motor.


.

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How can do that with no dealer bill for a oil change ?

2tango2 said:

Changed out my FF at 4588 miles yesterday Pretty simple to change the oil on this car. One thing I noticed was there are 3 lines one the oil pan and drain plug that apparently line up (well they did before I changed the oil)

After the change there is no way in hell that when tightening the drain plug that those marks are gonna line up. I used a new drain plug washer that I got from the dealer and it stops short of lining up the colored lines. My usual MO is to tighten as tight as it will go and then snug it a bit. Been changing oil for 20 years this way and never an issue.


All that to say for this of you that change your own oil, has your experience echoed mine?

Click to expand...

Why did you change the washer on the first oil change? Did you save the old one?

calonzo said:

Why did you change the washer on the first oil change? Did you save the old one?

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You are supposed to replace the washer. You might get away with re-using the old washer, but they are cheap, so no excuse to half-ass the job and risk a leak.

2tango2 said:

Changed out my FF at 4588 miles yesterday Pretty simple to change the oil on this car. One thing I noticed was there are 3 lines one the oil pan and drain plug that apparently line up (well they did before I changed the oil)

After the change there is no way in hell that when tightening the drain plug that those marks are gonna line up. I used a new drain plug washer that I got from the dealer and it stops short of lining up the colored lines. My usual MO is to tighten as tight as it will go and then snug it a bit. Been changing oil for 20 years this way and never an issue.


All that to say for this of you that change your own oil, has your experience echoed mine?

Click to expand...

Yes. It echoed it quite closely. I just changed the oil for the first time (in this car) at 4812 miles. The MM showed 30% probably because one year passes in October since the manufacture date. I bet a couple weeks later it would show 15% or less. (I haven't used this car for daily commuting, hence low mileage)

The painted lines did not align. I used a torque wrench to 30 lbft. Then I used another torque wrench and it didn't move it. Then I set 35 lbft and it moved it a minute amount still not aligning by far. So my job was done.

I have been changing engine oil in my garage for a long time on all my cars and never before cared to use a torque wrench on plug bolts or oil filters. Never had any issues, and whether it was a plastic-metal gasket or aluminum like civicx/CR-V, I knew I'm torquing OK by the look of the gaskets. They need to be compressed, but just a little. It seems like commercial oil changers (I won't say "professional") torque more then I do and I understand why. (same with lug nuts probably)

I only started replacing the gaskets every time with the CR-V. I'm 100% sure they can be used multiple times, but I just saved the old seals and now I have a large collection. (They are now for sale at 5 cents each plus shipping and handling fees. ) I will not hesitate for a moment to use them if I run out of new ones.

I never felt like there is a realistic danger of destroying the thread unless one has completely no mechanical skills and huge muscles or uses some unreasonably long wrenches, pipes, hammers, etc to tighten. It is aluminum, but the thread is quite long. I have rather seen often vandalized plug bolt heads. I would rather worry about deforming the whole aluminum oil pan, although in the civicx it looks small and strong.

latole said:

How can do that with no dealer bill for a oil change ?

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So ... If I understand the question

You want to know how people will claim warranty if they don't get their oil changed at the dealer. That's not how it works.

Shady people will go to the dealer or an oil change place and pay for an oil change. Then they will drop their oil and run the engine until it knocks or locks up. Once the engine is toast, they'll bring it back and claim a faulty repair to attempt to get a new engine for the cost of an oil change.

To prevent that, dealers and oil change places put a dab of paint on the drain plug/oil filter to detect tampering.

That's what those lines are on the drain plug.

If this is the first oil change, then it came from Honda that way. They probably don't use a torque spec at the factory, a machine probably turns the bolt a certain number of turns, then they mark it to prevent tampering.

typemismatch said:

So ... If I understand the question

You want to know how people will claim warranty if they don't get their oil changed at the dealer. That's not how it works.

Shady people will go to the dealer or an oil change place and pay for an oil change. Then they will drop their oil and run the engine until it knocks or locks up. Once the engine is toast, they'll bring it back and claim a faulty repair to attempt to get a new engine for the cost of an oil change.

To prevent that, dealers and oil change places put a dab of paint on the drain plug/oil filter to detect tampering.

That's what those lines are on the drain plug.

If this is the first oil change, then it came from Honda that way. They probably don't use a torque spec at the factory, a machine probably turns the bolt a certain number of turns, then they mark it to prevent tampering.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the answer