'06 6i ATX Leaking at drain plug

[TNM6i]

I changed my oil the other day and at the same time did a drain and refill of the ATX fluid. I had done this about 20k miles ago with no issues. I drained the fluid, wiped the surfaces clean and reinstalled the plug. I didn't torque it, but just got it decently snug. I took the car for a spin around the block to check for leaks. When I got back home, I noticed a tiny drop of fluid on the drain plug. I wiped it clean and left it sitting in the driveway for a while, then backed into the street a few times, shifting through the gears. I saw no more drips, so I put the engine cover back on and left it at that. Tonight, I checked under the car and noticed the front crossmember was slightly damp with fluid. I had driven about 120 miles since the drain/refill. I checked the level and it seemed to be right where it was after the refill.

I did notice that when I tightened the drain plug after finding the drip that I saw what looks like a crush washer. I think I might have misaligned the crush washer or maybe even stripped the pan! Can anyone confirm whether the '06 6i 5spd ATX drain plug has a crush washer? I guess I'll call the dealer in the morning. I really hope I didn't strip the threads on the pan.

If I indeed did screw up the threads on the pan itself, what is involved in replacing it? I know there is a part of the subframe that kinda covers the bolts on the driver's side and it looks like a socket, even with a u-joint might be a tight fit. The engine doesn't have to me pulled to get to the pan, does it? I surely hope this is not the case! Hopefully, the price of my stupidity isn't too high.

EDIT: I think it's probably something screwy with the crush washer. I called my local dealer and asked about the washers, but he said he had never had a call for them and they did not keep them in stock. The closest stock he could find was in Atlanta! Apparently, they parts department only stocks parts the service tech use and he told me they usually drop the pan when they do any work on the transmission.

Where other than the dealer can I get a crush washer locally??

[kcfan]

6i atx do not have crush washers

and if it did come with one the size is 24mm crush washer.

[TNM6i]

I should have mentioned it's on a '06 6i, which has the 5spd ATX. And I'm 76% sure I saw a crush washer when I reinstalled the plug. I've ordered five of them from the deale rand should ahve them on Wednesday. I think I'll be fine with the small amount of seepage until then.

[blue06mazda6]

Your correct the 5 speed ATX does use the crush washer on the drain pan.

[TNM6i]

Thanks for that confirmation. So I've driven probably 200 miles over the past couple days. It's still leaking ever so slightly, just enough to show up on the subframe. I've checked the lever several times and it hasn't dropped by any perceivable amount. I think it should be good until Wednesday, when the dealer is supposed to have the crush washers in.

The other thing that has me somewhat puzzled is the smell of the fluid. About 25k miles ago, I drained all that I could out and replaced it with Mobil1 Synthetic (Mercon-v, Mazda M-V spec). This time when I went to buy the Mobil1 fluid, I noticed they had changed the label. Now all it says is Synthetic ATF and states on the back it is certified for use in Mazda's M-V spec. Straight from the bottle, they both smell very similar, but now when I remove the dipstick, the smell is much more pungent. I noticed this just a few miles after draining and refilling about 3.5qts with the "new" Mobil1. This may be absolutely nothing, but it has me a bit concerned. It's not a burnt smell at all, and the fluid has not changed color at all since. Just a little confused.

[TNM6i]

The leak is fixed, but not without a struggle. The washer that the parts guy ordered was way too big and made of copper. The stock one is made of aluminum. Even he was a bit puzzled with the copper. We both double-checked the part number on the drawing against the number on the package; they both matched. I guess Mazda's drawing is just plain wrong! I took my drain plug and stock crush washer with me. Luckily, he had a brainstorm and grabbed an oil drain plug from the 6s. Sure enough, it was the exact same size! I took all that he had (3) and rushed home. The leak is fixed and now when I need more, I'll know to order drain plug crush washer (gasket, as Mazda calls it) from the 6s.

So if any of you '06-'08 6i ATX guys need crush washers, just ask for oil drain plug washers for the V6.