Well just my EM EFFING luck!!! I went out to my garage to do a simple oil change. I got the car up on the ramps, and got everything ready to go. I get under the car and get my socket and breaker bar on the drain. I give it 1 good push nothing happens, give it another with a little more force, and snap the damn drain plug bolt head snapped clean off the threaded shaft of the plug. Usually one or two good trys and the plug comes right out. I don't why this time it snapped. I would try and drill it and use an easy out my self but it seems like to much a PITA to do it while the car is on ramps and limited space. It's not leaking oil too bad from the drain plug, maybe 10 to 15 drops every 5 to 10 mins, but I don't really want to chance driving it to the shop, and end up losing all my oil and going BOOM!!! I have a tow truck on the way to bring it to the dealer. They said they would try to get the plug out, but if they can't drill it and pull it out the oil pan would need to be replaced. Lets hope for the best!!!

Has this happened to anyone else? Did you end up getting the threaded part out or no? If so how did you about it? if not what did it cost you to change the oil pan?

 

Why are you using a breaker bar for your oil plug? Its only 18ftlbs torque spec

 

Yeah that is over torq'd a **** load. the head snapped but theres a lip on it. Can you get pliers to get it? or will you need to tap it out?

 

wait... it's losing a few drops every couple minutes and you are getting it TOWED? to a DEALER??

1st, yeah you must of had it on way to tight to need a breaker bar. you mostly want to snug the plug and add just a little extra bit of a turn

second, you should just drive it to a mom and pop shop to have them do it for you for much cheaper than a dealer, my god.

not to sound demeaning... but yeah just drive it to a shop. forget dealers; they would probly charge you 450 bucks to thread it out or something

 

This thread is fail

 

^yore a feil

 

You will be able to tell us the answer to this soon.

 

If you always do your oil you need to learn to not tighten every bolt as much as you can.

 

I didn't change the oil last firestone did it for me free when I put new tire on the car at the beginning of fall. So maybe they ended up over torqued it. I was using a small 3/8th drive breaker bar it wasn't like it was a giant breaker bar. As far as there being a lip on it, you are wrong in this situation. The head broke off meaning the lip too the shift of the plug is recessed in side the hole. Also I didn't drive it because I can get towed for free. USAA my insurance company handled that for me. So I am now sitting at the dealer, and they are going to try to drill and ez-out the remaining part of the plug. I was told around 80 bucks including the oil change. Also as far as the mom and pop shops around here I was told by 4 of them that I called there would be nothing they can do until monday. The dealer said they could do it today, and if the oil pan ends up needing to be changed it won be done tomorrow.

 

Yes it was losing a few drops per min with the engine off. And the closest place that could get me in today was the dealer but they are about 20 mins away, with out traffic and the roads not being half covered with snow. It was just easier for me to have towed for free...

 

It just sucks because I have changed my oil my self 11 or 12 time out of the 14 or 16 oil changes that have been done. I've never had any problems... any way it just plain sucks that it happened today, because I'm supposed to go look at a SS/TO sedan tomorrow that's about 3 hours away, and if I can't make because I need a new oil pan I'll be a bit disappointed.....

 

^sorry i guess i was too quick to judge. glad you are getting it fixed quick and cheap!

 

Well good news, the drain plug is out. They said it does seem like it was over torqued. He said it should be right around 80 as estimated. I'll post the final total when I get the paperwork.

 

used a breaker bar for oil drain plug ?!!?? noooo lol

oil plug gets tigter as you drive, all you need is a nice snug like spark plugs

 

05g5 it was taking it out not putting in.... it shouldn't really matter what you take it out with.... if it was over torqued last time it was put in it the it was going to snap no matter what was used to get it. It really didn't take much to snap it off I was laying on my back gave it a push nothing gave it a little more and snap... if it was a ratchet it would have done the same thing. My 3/8ths breaker bar is the same length as a 3/8ths ratchet... I don't see why people are up in a frenzy about the breaker bar.

 

Take your invoice from the dealer back to the firestone and demand that they pay you for it, they will give you all the money back. I see techs at work all the time overtighten drain plugs, i've had to remove/repair/replace a couple of them for these other tards that strip threads or destroy plugs on customers cars.

 

I'll take it to them, but I don't know if it'll work. We'll see.

The total for them to do the oil change and replace the plug was $54.67

 

It sucks, but not too bad

 

$54 to extract a bolt? You couldn't extract it yourself?

 

$54 total for everything oil change new plug and for them to pull out the old plug. If I the car was on a lift at the auto hobby shop on ny naval base I would have tried it my self, but I was not. The car was on ramps, and I was in an unheated garage. Also I would have had to go buy a new drill, and extractor, that alone would have costed me more then $54.

 

Eh I guess. Only $10 of that should have been them changing the oil.

 

2 oil plugs have snapped one me on the cobalt already. Once after my first oil change with it after I bought it used back in 2010 (dealer overtightened) and just about a week ago when I had work do it for me.

 

Dealers are going to charge more than $10 labor on an oil change.

 

they charged me
$12.20 to do the oil change with my own oil and filter.
$3.37 for the the plug
$33 for .3 hrs of labor
$1 to dispose of the used oil
$4.62 Misc charges... who knows what that is.
$0.48 sales tax.

Over all it was $30 cheaper then they originally told me.

 

What a fine representation of the Pennsylvania public school system.

You were bothered enough to write an emasculating post, but lack the attention to thoroughly comprehend the subject.

You sir, are a disgrace.

OP congrats on getting out cheap, do your own oil changes!