Common Causes of Car Oil Filter Leaks & How to Fix Them

Even with frequent oil changes, debris and contaminants can find their way into the lubrication system over time and cause havoc. This is where the oil filter enters the picture. Filters protect your engine from serious harm and give an easy point of maintenance that, if properly maintained, can extend the life of your vehicle by years. These benefits may be jeopardized by an oil filter leak, but if you know what causes a leak and how to avoid it, you may take steps to keep your engine in top shape for longer.

In this article, the answers to the following questions will be discussed:

• What is the importance of clean motor oil?
• How does the toil filter work?
• How to choose the right oil filter?
• What is my oil filter leaking?

What is the importance of clean motor oil?

It’s crucial to have clean motor oil because if you don’t filter it, it can become saturated with microscopic, hard particles that can wear down your engine’s surfaces. This unclean oil can wear down the machined components of the oil pump and damage the engine’s bearing surfaces.

How does an oil filter work?

The filter has a metal can on the outside with a sealing gasket that allows it to be tightly held against the engine’s mating surface. The gasket is held in place by the can’s base plate, which is perforated with holes just inside the gasket. The oil filter component on the engine block is threaded into a central hole. The filter material, which is usually synthetic fiber, is found inside the container. The oil pump in the engine transports the oil directly to the filter, where it enters through holes in the base plate’s perimeter. The unclean oil is pushed (under pressure) through the filter media and returned to the engine through the central hole.

How to choose the right oil filter?

The importance of selecting the correct oil filter for your vehicle cannot be overstated. Although most oil filters appear to be relatively similar, little changes in threads or gasket size can decide whether or not a filter will fit your car.

The simplest approach to figure out which oil filter you need is to look through your owner’s manual or a parts catalog. When you use the wrong filter, oil can leak out of the engine, or an ill-fitting filter can simply come off. Either of these scenarios has the potential to cause catastrophic engine damage.

What are the reasons why my oil filter is leaking?

An oil leak under your engine can produce a few droplets or a large puddle. Ignoring a leaking oil filter might result in costly engine damage. An oil filter can leak for a variety of reasons. Knowing what might be causing the issue can help you figure out what steps to take to fix it. The followings are the reasons why your oil filter is leaking:

• Double gasket
• Oil filter gasket
• Over or under-tightening
• Filter housing (oil filter mounting adapter)
• Damaged threads
• Wrong filter
• Damaged oil filter housing

 

Double gasket

The most typical blunder is the feared “double gasket” on the oil filter. When an oil filter is replaced, this occurs. The old filter gasket is stuck to the engine, so the new oil filter and gasket are layered on top of it. Check that the previous filter’s gasket is still attached to the filter after removing it. If you double-gasket an oil filter by accident, it will blow out (causing a horrific mess) as soon as the engine starts, rather than while you’re going down the road.

Oil filter gasket

Make that the rubber mounting gasket isn’t cut, nicked, twisted, or otherwise damaged, and that it’s correctly installed and snug in the filter base plate. If the gasket is damaged, replace the filter immediately.

Remove any old gasket material that may stick to the mounting surface and clean the region where the gasket touches the engine of dirt and grime. Before installing a new filter, clean the gasket-contact area with a degreaser and spread a thin coat of new oil on the gasket with your finger.

Over or under-tightening

Overtightening can compress the filter gasket, causing it to leak, in addition to making it difficult to remove when replacing the oil filter. Any vehicle part designed to seal against a leak will loosen from normal engine or driving vibrations and create leaks if not properly tightened. Oil filters should be hand tightened before being given a quarter turn to secure them without being too tight. An oil filter wrench should only be used to remove an oil filter, not to tighten it.

Filter housing (oil filter mounting adapter)

Instead of mounting an oil filter directly to the engine, some manufacturers employ a filter adapter or housing that bolts to the engine. Not only the oil filter gasket but also the gasket between the adapter and the engine can be damaged by overtightening the filter.

Check that the filter threads are snug against the nipple inside the adapter. Threaded on both sides, the nipples can loosen while removing the old oil filter. If the threads are slack, the filter gasket may not fully seat and leak.

Damaged threads

The baseplate threads on an oil filter are softer than the threads on the mounting nipple, and they can cross-thread if the oil filter is put incorrectly. If the threads are destroyed, you’ll need to replace the filter. Even if you have no difficulty installing the replacement filter and there are no visible oil leaks, it’s still a good idea to have your mechanic inspect the filter mounting nipple threads for damage.

Wrong filter

For the correct filter number for your engine, consult your owner’s handbook. When a filter is placed, it may seem snug, but the threads may not be identical to the mounting nipple. As a result, the filter will loosen and leak over time. In addition, the improper filter could have the wrong by-pass valve. If the filter becomes blocked, the by-pass valve opens to protect the engine from oil starvation. Leave it to your mechanic if you’re not sure you’re installing the right filter.

Damaged oil filter housing

The oil filter outer housing shell might be punctured by a rock, stone, or road debris. Turn down your engine and ask for a tow to your repair shop if oil is leaking from the filter.

In summary

In-car engines, oil filter also plays a vital role in the circulation and filtration of the oil. So, the common reasons why they leak can be due to a couple of reasons which have been explained in this article. That is all for this article, where the answers to the following questions are being discussed:

• What is the importance of clean motor oil?
• How does an oil filter work?
• How to choose the right oil filter?
• What is my oil filter leaking?

I hope you learn a lot from the reading, if so, kindly share with others. Thanks for reading, see you around!