First attempt at oil change on prius... stuck.

In fairness to some replies, it can get confusing to someone that hasn't changed oil lying on your back upside down. Righty tighty, lefty loosey can get complicated (or confusing).

 

Agree with this 1000%. I never, ever use sockets on drain plugs or any plug. Closed end wrench every time. No messing around with ratchet direction switches if you need to tighten a plug back up real quick. Jut a "best practice" that's followed me through life. A ratchet will screw you at the worst possible time....

 

Drain bolts are also usually of a soft metal. I can't tell you how many replacement drain plugs I have bought over the years. I finally got a pair of these HUGE pliers that whenever I have the room, these pliers help me loosen a stuck bolt. Worse comes to worse I usually get one of the stuck bolt kits. Those kits are really sick! Drives righ into the stuck bolt, then you just unscrew the whole thing out.

 

Strangely, all this time I was thinking he was stuck on the oil filter! #@%#$@#$

Need to learn to read twice, and post once I guess!!!

 

They often say ‘a bad workman blames his tools’. I’ve never actually heard someone blame their tools for a lack of skill though??

In reality, I learnt when I was young that working on cars is basically extremely difficult without the tools and extremely easy with the right tools!

Im glad the original poster got the oil change sorted - I will agree oil drain plugs are some of the most annoying bolts, the oil change shop often uses power tools to tighten them, and they round off really easily.

If you are still around, slowly build up a selection of good quality tools and please do come back and ask more questions; for what it is worth, when it comes to oil filters, they are impossible unless you have a special tool at which point they become easy.

Also, usually drain plugs are replaced each time but no-one actually does that - but it shows why they are quite cheap / soft metal etc, and why, once a socket etc has slipped off once or twice, they become rounded. I have been known to use ‘mole wrench’ to remove oil drain plugs on some cars as they ended up being almost completely round!

 

Geez, I don't think I've ever needed to do that. Then again, worst case is when you're inexperienced, and a "pro" put it on with an impact wrench last time. And maybe you've got a short-handle ratchet wrench, and cheap 12 point socket, and haven't raised the car quite enough.

 

On my son's prior used car (Saturn Ion........yes, don't hate me) the drain plug was completed worn out and round!! And just for fun, the last "quick in and out lube and rip you off" place tightened it so tight, I finally had to get one of those bit removal kits.

 

I’ll replace the oil pan bolt about every 10th change it’s sacrificial but as
Long as you don’t routinely slam it back it in it should be ok.
The oil change places really really sock the filter and pan bolt on.
Hate that.

If you need a torque wrench to put a oil pan bolt on you shouldn’t be putting an oil pan bolt on.

 

I use a torque wrench every time....

 

That's why I have extra washers. Plus, If you are really creative, hot water rubber washers work because they flatten and seal and you don't run the risk of over tightening.

 

If you know the torque spec, have the torque wrench, I'd say why not.