fireloard

So my RDX has 15,000 miles on it. I've gone to the dealer for all oil changes. I decided I would try to do this next one myself since it was part of the B16 service. I used a regular 17mm wrench and it didn't budge. I put the wrench on and hammered it a bit and it started to round. Finally I put a 17mm socket on a breaker bar and it still didn't go and probably rounded a bit more. It's not totally round but I think my last option is to use a tight pair of vice grips. I'm not sure if I'll get it off or have a shot of breaking the bolt off at this point.

I also changed the rear differential fluid. Both of those bolts (which should be 35ft/lb) came off with a few tugs of a breaker bar. The dealer never touched those so I figure that it must be the correct torque from the factory. So I'm pretty certain this drain plug isn't torqued to 29ft/lbs but instead way beyond that.

I'm wonder if I should attack this with some vice grips and get it off to put it back on the proper way or should I take it to the dealer and ask them what kind of crazy impact gun are they using to put the drain plug on? I'm afraid they will see I started to round it and say I put it on too tightly. Either that or I'll have them do the oil change and one day they break the oil pan but try to blame it on me. I tried to google search for such a situation but it seems a lot of people have problems with dealers using impact wrenches or air ratchets on their drain plug then trying to charge them $600 for a new oil pan when they mess it up. So now I'm kind of afraid of the dealer.

thisaznboi88

iTrader: (7)

if you have warranty. take it to the dealer and let them handle it.

fireloard

Shouldn't I mention something about the drain plug being way too tight?

They wanted $340 for the B16 service. That's tire rotation, oil change, and differential fluid change. I did the rotation and tire rotation myself for about $25. They only want $40 for the oil change which seems reasonable but at the same time I'm afraid of taking to them if they aren't even doing it properly and could potentially damage my oil pan.

fireloard

err rotation and differential fluid change.

thisaznboi88

iTrader: (7)

just have them change the oil only and don't say anything.... If you can't get it out they probably will have a hard time also.

thoiboi

More like they'll just use an impact gun and pretend nothing is wrong

thisaznboi88

iTrader: (7)

just tell them to hang tighten it?

markAZ

Man, I hate that. Seems like there's always some gorilla who thinks that if tight's good, tighter is better. What might have happened is that they didn't put a new crush washer on it and it leaked so the just tightened it until it stopped leaking. Some idiot did that to my daughter's car a while back with the same results as you have. I got a 'damaged bolt/nut remover set' from Sears and managed to get the drain plug out. Really aggravating.

I agree, I'd take it to the dealer for an oil change and not say anything. If they accuse you of damaging it, just tell them you've never changed the oil yourself, it's always been done at the dealer. That's the truth, right?

fireloard

Haha it would be the truth though. Only 3 oil changes in I think and all have been done at he same dealer I bought it from.

fireloard

I'm thinking at this point if I tell them I tried to get it off they will probably accuse me of turning it the wrong direction and tightening it or something. I'll go with what others here say and take it in for a routine oil change.

I don't get why a dealer would allow this happen. I mean out of all the cars they do if they were using impacts or tightening it as tight as possible wouldn't they eventually snap off a head the drain plug and then get their ass handed to them by their boss when the dealer has to eat the cost of repairing the pan?

I imagine even one pan repair job would wipe out the savings of hundreds of reused crush washers or the few minutes they saved over a hundred cars going with this "tight as possible" method over a torque wrench.

Aargh-ura

Agree with markAZ, be confident in your response

markAZ

I can't imagine a mechanic using an impact tool to tighten a drain plug. That's just plain stupid. Then again, they're often paid flat-rate and so are under pressure to get jobs done as fast as possible. If it was leaking because he didn't replace the crush washer he'd have to remove the drain plug to replace it and lose the new oil, basically doing the oil change twice but only being paid for one. So tightening it till it stopped leaking is a lot quicker and then it's the next guy's problem. I doubt they used an impact tool...remember, they have it up on a lift and it's a lot easier to access the drain plug. He probably just leaned on the wrench. Anyway, hope it works out for you.

fireloard

I took it to the dealer and they changed it pretty easily. I couldn't see well since the car was at the bay furthest away but he did have trouble getting it off. He didn't use an impact gun but instead kept using different wrenches. I couldn't tell if he used a breaker bar or a long wrench at the end but I could hear he was hammering at whatever he attached to the bolt and it came off. The service advisers didn't say anything and gave me the car back squeaky clean. Glad to have this B16 service over with.

thisaznboi88

iTrader: (7)

Just do all the oil change at the dealership. If you have any issue come up in the future just tell them you have always had the car serviced at the dealer. You might get a free fix out of good faith.

fireloard

I plan on it from now on. I saved about $273 on doing the differential fluid and rotation myself.

However with the oil changes I think doing it myself would cost $31 or $32. While the dealer charges $40 with a coupon. Definitely not worth the trouble of changing the oil myself.

I didn't sit down and look at the numbers beforehand. I just saw the B16 was $340 and it would be cheaper to do it all myself. I figured an oil change was easy but in the end I still saved a bunch by just doing the oil change at the dealer.