Engine Oil Won't Drain

Engine oil is very important for your car engine to run very well. The engine oil lubricates the
engine parts which are in constant friction, thus reducing the frictionwhich tends to increase
wear and tear of engine parts.

However, if there comes a situation where the engine oil will not drain, that can be a problem
that needs to be tackled. Have you checked the last time you changed your engine oil? It could
be sledged up probably due to lack of change of oil for a long time.

You have to note that the oil filter removes many of the particles and sledge, but the old filter
can become clogged if used for extremely long periods.

• What Can I Do If My Engine Oil Does Not Drain?

If you find yourself in a situation where your vehicle's engine oil does not drain, you have to
realise that either the oil is probably old and just sludged up and/or baked a little. First, you
need to pull the oil drain plug and see if it will drain. And if it doesn't, stick a screwdriver in the
drain hole to pierce the clog. If the engine can run, you have to hit it up.

You just need to drain the the pan (moot point), Remove the structural collar, the lateral
bending brace, the lower torque strut, the flywheel/driveplate inspection cover, the mounting
bolts and lower the pan.

This can happen if the vehicle has been sitting for a while and/or it's been a long time since the
last oil change. You also need to increase the frequency of your oil changes.

But if the problem still persists, you need to reach out to mechanic for help.

• What Do You Do When Your Oil Drain Plug Won't Come Out Of The Engine?

The engine oil stays in the pans and the oil pans use drain plugs to keep the oil in them. In order
for you to change the engine oil, you have to remove this oil pan drain plug. But while trying to
do so, you discover that this drain plug is stuck. The oil drain plug can possibly gets stuck due to
sludge.

Moreover, it could be stuck because you have stayed for long before changing the oil. It could
also be that you over-tightened it during the previous time you changed the oil. But what would
you do to remove the drain plug?

One of the best ways to remove the drain plug is by warming the car. Letting your car warm up
is one of the simplest ways of removing a stuck oil drain plug. This can be done by leaving your
car in an idle state for a while or taking the car on a short cruise. Then you park the car on a
stable surface and use any hydraulic jack to high up the car. When this is done, you then locate
the oil drain plug and try to move it clockwise or counterclockwise until it loosens.

Another good way to remove the drain plug is by using a socket wrench. As a fact, this is the
best tool to use to loosen the oil drain plug. All you just have to do is to get the proper socket
that matches the oil drain plug size to remove the stuck oil drain plug. Preferably, use the one
with a longer handle since it provides you an extra torque making your mission easier.

Incase the socket wrench solution doesn't work out, use a hammer. Try to tap on the oil drain
plug in the right direction and in a proper way that will loosen the plug. But you have to be
careful not to damage the oil drain plug or its teeth. After this is done, you can then try once
again to remove the oil drain plug by using a socket wrench.

Another solution is to use a gator grip which is known as a universal wrench socket. The gator
grip works with any kind of plugs, sockets, and bolts with its teeth. It can use the teeth to help
take off the drain plug from the oil pan.

However, the use of rust remover/lubricants works well in such situations because they have a
magical effect on a stuck item. Rust remover is very effective and works well like a solvent
substance for sludge and rust.

• How Long Does It Take For Oil To Drain Out Of The Engine?

There are times most people might be wondering how long it is to let the oil drain from the
engine before putting the drain plug back in and proceeding with the process.

You have to let the oil drain for at least five minutes after when you have removed the oil pan
drain plug or until the oil flow becomes a light trickle. But you can wait until oil is no longer
dripping from the oil pan to proceed with the process.

The industry standard for allowing the drain of engine oil is five minutes or until the oil is barely
dripping from the oil pan. However, depending on the engine size and also the amount of oil in
the engine, the flow of oil might become a light trickle or even stop before five minutes. But the
general standard for allowing engine oil to drain is five minutes.

It is preferable for you to wait until the flow of oil completely stops to proceed with the
process.

• What Can I Use to Drain Engine Oil?

To drain the engine oil, you are going to need a socket wrench to help and allow you to remove
the bolt on your vehicle's oil pan. You will also need a filter wrench and a recycling container
ready to catch the long jet of oil that comes out when the plug is removed. Also, you can as well
have some rubber gloves, rags and old newspapers.

Therefore you have to situate your oil receptacle. These includes five-gallon bucket, oil drain
pan, oil reservoir, or any other sizable liquid-holding container. It can be done in such a way
that the oil will drain into it without spilling and staining the ground.

• Should the Engine Be Hot or Cold When Checking Oil?

It is essential for you to properly check your engine oil and to know how to check the oil well. It
is critical to know when to check engine your engine oil while it is hot or cold because it
matters.

The best time to perform an oil check on your vehicle is while the engine is cold. However, this
can also be done when the engine is warm, but it will be only after 15 minutes of turning it off.
The reason is that the oil pours back into the oil pan slowly.

Moreover, it is preferable taking a cold oil level reading for safety reasons.

• Should the Car Be Running When Adding Oil?

It is not advisable to run your car when adding oil. You should turn your vehicle off and wait for
the engine to cool. Opening the oil fill cap while the engine is running could cause oil splashing
out.

You should also check the dipstick when you add oil to ensure there is enough oil but not too
much oil in the engine. Running your car when adding oil can make you not get an accurate
read off on the dipstick. Therefore, to add oil, it is advisable to turn your vehicle off and wait for
the engine to cool.

• How Do You Know If Your Engine Oil Is Bad?

One way to know your engine is bad is the repetitious knocking or tapping sound. This sound
which arises from a lack of lubrication, may well be an indication that you're low on engine oil.

Another way of detecting the signs of your engine going bad is loss of power. You will know the
red flag if you notice a more sudden loss of power.

Also, excessive amount of exhaust smoke is another way of knowing that your engine is bad. If
you notice the smoke is black, take note that the engine is burning too much gasoline. If the
smoke has a blue tint, it means that you have an oil leak. while white smoke is a sign of a
coolant leak indicating that it could result in overheating.

Another sign is vibrations coming from your engine which means that you are low on oil. This
probably could be a result of metal-on-metal contact. Also, decrease in gas mileage which could
be a sign that there is a problem with your engine's compression stroke.

Engine oil is an essential component for the performance and lifetime of your vehicle.
Therefore you should ensure you to check it regularly and change oil when necessary. If you live
in a very cold place, make sure you warm your engine before checking the oil.