Stripped oil cap
12-23-2016, 01:12 PM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Upland CA
Posts: 7,353
Stripped oil cap
The oil filler cap on my 05 Maxima stripped out the other day when I was going to top off the oil for a long trip. The oil cap seems to have a ratcheting mechanism much like a gas filler cap. It would be to prevent over-tightening. Anyhow my car was about a quart low but I figured I could take the trip and I'd be ok and I really didn't have a choice anyway.
I called the Nissan dealer and ask for an oil filler cap and I was told that it is now superseded by a new part number. I suspect that there have been no oil cap failures of the ratcheting mechanism and now they have a new design. When I brought the new cap home I was trying to figure out how I was going to get the old cap off. Knowing that the engine was heated, I thought maybe the heat would expand the ratcheting mechanism and allow me to remove the oil cap without having to chisel It off. And that is exactly what happened. The heat of the motor tightened up the ratchet notches and the oil cap came right off. The new cap is solid without any ratcheting mechanism and it will never happen again. Below are pictures showing a comparison of the oil caps and also the part number. It was only $8 from the dealer so I would suggest everyone change out there oil caps because you may find yourself not able to get the cap off if that ratcheting mechanism fails.
New one on right:
I called the Nissan dealer and ask for an oil filler cap and I was told that it is now superseded by a new part number. I suspect that there have been no oil cap failures of the ratcheting mechanism and now they have a new design. When I brought the new cap home I was trying to figure out how I was going to get the old cap off. Knowing that the engine was heated, I thought maybe the heat would expand the ratcheting mechanism and allow me to remove the oil cap without having to chisel It off. And that is exactly what happened. The heat of the motor tightened up the ratchet notches and the oil cap came right off. The new cap is solid without any ratcheting mechanism and it will never happen again. Below are pictures showing a comparison of the oil caps and also the part number. It was only $8 from the dealer so I would suggest everyone change out there oil caps because you may find yourself not able to get the cap off if that ratcheting mechanism fails.
New one on right:
12-25-2016, 07:38 AM
#2
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 7
any two-piece ratcheting style cap can be halved easily with a flathead screwdriver FYI. Get at the seam with the flathead and pop the two pieces apart, then use the flathead to push the remaining half counterclockwise and off.