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Pro tip: check your oil drain plug with a magnet before you put it back in

I was under my truck in the driveway last month, just finished an oil change. I went to tighten the plug and it felt fine, but I had a cheap magnet on a stick from Harbor Freight sitting there. Ran it over the plug hole and pulled out three tiny metal shavings. They were from the last time the plug got cross-threaded, probably by a quick-lube place. If I hadn't caught that, those bits would have been swimming in my new oil. Who else has found junk in their pan after a simple drain?
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2 Comments
kelly338
kelly3381mo ago
Those tiny shavings are probably not a big deal. Most engines have a filter that catches stuff way smaller than that. I've seen way worse in old motors that still ran fine for years. Unless it's a chunk of bearing or something, it's likely just normal wear. How much metal are we really talking about here?
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mason.mary
mason.mary1mo ago
My old Jetta's filter was full of glitter after the dealer did the last change.
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