When changing our Lancer oil, do we need to replace the drain plug gasket when changing the oil or not? I have changed plenty of oil in my life, but never on my Lancer, this is its first oil change.

 

If you want to be 100% sure your oil is not leaking out of the drain use the gasket.

 

Ack, I always pay someone else to change my oil.

 

If a good shop will change your oil they will usually use some type of grease or a gasket maker to provide a better seal. Wal-mart does this kind of stuff. One time I went there to change the oil and after 3k miles I did it myself and noticed green stuff all around the drain plug. It felt like a rubber or silicon.

 

wal-mart SUCKS at changing oil. on my old car they unplugged my oil-pressure sender and it made all sorts of CELs. doing youself you can save money and put exactly what you what in it. with practice, it only takes me about 5 to 10 minutes, if my car is cool, to change oil and filter.

to answer your previous question, if you plan to make it a routine to change your oil, go to a hardware store and buy a pack of rubber washers. MAKE SURE TO GET HIGH QUALITY, HIGH TEMP. slip one on and you are good-to-go.

 

Bingo. You always want to change gaskets any time you can. This doesn't just go for oil changes, but head, trans pan, etc. It is always better to be safe than sorry. And to the person who said Wal-Mart is great...um...you shouldn't need silicon sealant if you tighten the drain plug right. NEVER over tighten it, there is no reason to crank it over with a breaker bar or ratchet.

 

it's just a copper crush washer.. and yes it should be changed every time. It does prevent oil leaks.