# Opinions on Magnetic Drain Plug



## najel (Apr 10, 2008)

I am just looking to get some opinions on magnetic drain plugs.
My major concerns are:
- Do they really make a difference? It seems that many of the metals in the engine are not magnetic anyway. 
- I usually get UOA done at every oil change, but I wonder how valid that is with the magnet in there? They have not found any signs of wear so far, but this could be because stuff was held by the magnet or because there really wasn't anything (I only ever saw very very small amounts of things stuck to the magnet, if anything; how much do you guys have typically stuck on yours?)

Appreciate any opinions. :beer:


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## Turbin75 (Sep 2, 2009)

*Aircraft Tech*

I don't know much about them on cars, but we use them on aircraft. The main use for them on jet aircraft is to have early detection on bearing failure. I am not to sure how great they would be when they are located at the bottom of an oil pan.


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## najel (Apr 10, 2008)

On the cars they advertise them mostly for keeping metal shavings out of the oil and therefore out of the engine. As far as early detection of problems goes, that's what I am hoping for with the used oil analysis. So I am thinking I might just ditch the magnetic plug and get hopefully more accurate readings on all metals in the UOA.
Thanks for your input!


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## vwbeaner (Jun 4, 2007)

I have one on my wrx and one on my ladie's passat. When I pull them out and clean them off they are quite black. I guess it does something. I don't know how great they really are but they seem to work at least a little bit. I have never found anything really alarming. 

I have a 2001 tahoe and that has a magnetic plug for the front differential fluid. that sucker looks like a piece of chew gum fell into a tub of silver glitter.


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## najel (Apr 10, 2008)

Yeah I believe the diff grinds up quite a bit of stuff. Don't know about the engine oil pan, though. Mine just always seems pretty clean, there is only very limited stuff stuck on there. I might just try to leave it out and see if the oil analysis shows higher levels of some metals.


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## Rico1 (Feb 8, 2001)

We have owned several vehicles that had magnetic drain plugs.....all in transmissions, though. I would never find very much on them when I'd change the oil (we drive manual transmission cars exclusively). The fact that magnetic drain plugs don't seem to be fitted on oil pans as OEM equipment would seem to indicate that if you're changing your oil at the specified intervals, there's nothing to worry about. 

OTOH, some problems won't necessarily show up on a magnetic drain plug. I saw a SAAB B235 engine that was totally sludged, engine completely ruined (oil wasn't changed for ages, wrong oil), and although the engine completely plugged up, there was nothing visible by way of metal shavings.


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## MarkusWolf (Dec 10, 2001)

Wouldn't the oil filter filter out all the metal anyways, especially if you are using OEM, Mann, Mahale filters?


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