Today I noticed some fresh oil on garage floor under our 2015 Toyota Highlander. A quick inspection showed oil on the underside of the pan just down from the drain plug. It has been over a month since the last oil change (Jiffy Lube), and the oil level according to dip stick was at full. I jacked the car up, got underneath to inspect closer, and notice the drain plug area had some bright red, hard, brittle material on it, as well as some green/yellow markings.
It is strange to me that some of the red stuff is on both the plug and the pan. The plug was not loose, but on the loose end of snug. I was able to tighten the plug about 1/4 turn. I am worried that at last oil change there was an issue and they are trying to cover something up? Can anyone tell me what the red material might be?
Edit: Thanks to Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 for the comment; that got me thinking. I did a little more research and I now believe the red gunk is something that oil change places put on the drain plug as a "tamper proof seal" so they know if a customer has opened the drain plug after the service. I think my leak issue may have been caused by a bit of the red gunk getting between the plug and the pan, thus preventing a solid seal. After tightening it better, I've had no leaks and the pan is clean.
