Engine oil drain plug gasket stuck on oil pan, help!!!

This will happen from time to time. What I do is to use a flat-blade screwdriver and a small hammer. Place the blade of the screwdriver on an edge of the gasket. Lightly tap the handle end of the screwdriver with the hammer, and the gasket will pop off.

It is good that you noticed the gasket was stuck. A less careful person would leave the old gasket on and then replace the drain plug along with a new gasket. This would probably result in a leak.

 

putty knife may have a thinner tip

 

Straight edge razor blade is my tool of choice for this.

 

i got a sweet kershaw that does the trick ...

where are you ... maybe another member can swing by and lend a hand?

+1 on Patrick Wong's post

many may not have noticed, resulting in a hassle

 

it's ok to wait until the next morning

i like to run it right away, let it warm up

check for leaks, pressure, etc.

then let it settle back in and check the levels

better to do it now ... than find out you have problem in the morning :thumb:

 

Agree, you can wait if you want. But don't forget to check one more time after it runs for a little while.

 

It really is better to run the motor straight after an oil change. The reason is that it usually takes a just a little bit longer for the oil to start to circulate the very first time you run it after the change (and even more so if the filter was also changed). So it's best to start it up straight away while it's still a little warm and while there's more chance of having some old oil still clinging to surfaces. There's just less friction and better lubrication if you do it straight away.

When I change oil (on a regular car) I like to :

1. Run the motor for a about 5 minutes to circulate the oil and warm the motor (but not so the oil is hot enough to burn you, I let it cool for about 10min if motor was at full operating temperature).

2. Change the oil.

3. Immediately start the motor and idle for about 1/2 to 1 minute.

4. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then recheck the oil level and add if necessary.

I haven't changed to oil on the Prius yet but I think I'd still follow the same procedure, except that I'd need to drive it to get the ICE running rather than just idling.

 

Nah, don't need to drive it to get the engine running. Just turn car on, and press down on the accelerator with the car in park. The engine will fire up and run for as long as you hold down the pedal. At least that's how it works on my 06!

 

Ok that's handy to know sambojo, I'll have to try that some time.

 

Its hard to imagine that the gasket would stick to the plug - but if it did, then place the tip of the screwdriver blade between the plug and the gasket, and lightly tap the end of the screwdriver to force the gasket off.

The only reason to run the engine right away, is to make sure that you did the job right and didn't leave the drain plug or oil filter loose. You might forget to do those checks if some time elapses.

Look for oil leaks after running the engine for a few minutes. Make sure that the fill cap is on tight and the dipstick is fully inserted; you don't want engine vacuum to leak from those openings.

All DIYers should know how to invoke inspection mode, which forces the engine to idle while the shift selector is in P. This can be used for a variety of purposes. See for example my post #3 here:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...gushing-fluid-sound-after-coolant-change.html

Do not drive the car while inspection mode is on. If wheelslip should occur this may result in damage to MG1.

An alternative approach is to depress the accelerator pedal while the car is in P to get the engine to run, then shift into N (however, this is not for Classic owners). This is quite easy, but a disadvantage of the latter process is that the traction battery does not have the opportunity to be charged by MG1 while the gasoline engine is running. This would be a problem if you leave the car like this for a prolonged period.

 

great post Patrick :thumb: and thanks again for the link to "inspection mode"

2009Prius ... be careful not to overanalyze this

if you are going to DIY the oil change, start the car and let it idle long enough to warm up, that is more than 1/2 to 1 minute

this will allow you to inspect the filter, and be sure you're not losing oil around the gasket seal, be sure you're not losing oil at the drain plug (torqued to 28 lbs), or not suffering from any other oil system failures

then in the morning, you can start your car and head off to work without worry

other questions about the car sitting overnight with the old versus the new oil are largely irrelevant



plenty of people who store vehicles - cars, boats, motorcycles, etc - over long periods first remove the fluids, but this is a topic for another thread

this is a simple oil change, so keep it simple :thumb:

 

There is a difference. After the oil and filter are changed it really can take quite a few extra seconds for the oil to circulate as compared to a normal cold start. I makes sense to do this while the engine is still warm and there's maximum residual lubrication. Plus when the engine is cold the clearances are less and the friction is more. Why would you want to have maximum friction and minimum lubrication at the same time when you can just get the filter primed and the oil circulating while the engine is still partially warm.

Forget about the tiny impact on your lifetime MPG, do what's best for your engine not your bragging rights.

 

With my '04, I would just floor and release the gas pedal. The gas motor instantly starts, and runs long enough to allow you to give a quick visual for leaks, etc

If you have ever worked on the old Ford 289/302 (Five litre) V8's, or ESPECIALLY the Ford 300 inline 6, they had a nasty habit of getting an airlocked oil pump if you left the oil pan dry too long

You then had to pull the oil filter off, use a squirter can full of motor oil to prime the oil pump, and try again. This could take quite a few tries before you actually got oil pressure again

Sometimes you had to pull the distributor and use a priming tool hooked up to an electric drill to prime the oil pump

 

That never happened to my Prius, but it happens all the time with my FJ. A gasket scraper is a good tool to keep around, its very easy to pop the old gasket off with no damage to the pan itself

 

Thanks for backing up what I had to say jayman. I don't know if this can be a problem or not on the Prius (and I said in my post that this was from experience with other cars) but I've certainly seen delays of up to five seconds in oil circulation after oil and filter replacements.

 

ok fellas, i think you're making this overly complex for our friend here

i've worked on plenty of old Fords and Chevy motors as well

in fact, most of my old and not so old Ford trucks all suffered from rear main seal leaks at high mileage, no matter how well the vehicle was maintained

so should we be advising 2009Prius to check for a rear main seal leak on the 2009 Prius ... i don't think so


2009Prius has all the relevant and necessary information for a DIY oil change

... drain the oil and remove the old filter, lube new filter gasket and install, insert drain plug and torque to 28lbs, refill with new 5w30 or 0w30 oil, reinstall oil cap

run car for five to ten minutes, check oil filter base for leaks while car is running

turn car off

allow ten minutes for drain back

check oil level at dipstick, check drain plug and oil filter for leaks

go back to normal life

drive the car ... be happy ... all is well