OK I’ve changed the oil on this car for 5 years. Never had a problem till now. The last 2 times I’ve changed it, the oil starts leaking out of the oil filter can after about 2000 miles. New filter and gasket each time. Wiped clean, new gasket lightly oiled, same torque when can is reinstalled. But I did notice the can was slightly loose this time. By loose, I mean 1/4" inch turn to retighten. Any idea why this would start leaking?
HELP!!
herbug
Any chance this could be an oil filter adapter gasket leaking instead?
Are you using a VW filter, or aftermarket… Maybe if its an aftermarket unit they switched suppliers and the threads are not 100%
Good ideas above. I don’t think it is actually leaking from the oil filter. Probably it is leaking frm the mating surface where the oil filter meets up with the engine block. Visually check to make sure there isn’t part of an old gasket stuck to the mating surface. Sometimes that surface will get scratched too, which will cause a leak. Look carefully with a good light for scratches.
One more thing. If the oil filter got cross threaded, that could cause a leak. And it might cause the same problem once the threads got crossed enough on the threads on the engine part, even if you removed the cross threaded on and put on a new filter. A mechanic or a machine shop could probably fix it for you without much expense if this is the problem.
Just to clarify, the filter on this car is a cartridge type, not a spin on.
Yes it is a cartrage type. Has 1 gasket that is replacable.
I would make sure you lube the gasket completely. That is, all surfaces, inside and out. Whenever I do a cartridge filter I also lightly lube the inner surface of the metal housing (engine side) so the gasket doesn’t grab and kink as you screw in the canister. It’s not like a spin on filter where the gasket rides around one surface of the filter adapter so you don’t need very much lubrication. With a cartridge as you are turning it in, the gasket (with some applications at least) rides into the housing and so the lubrication you put on the gasket can get wiped off and the gasket can kink or roll. So I lube the inside of the housing with a thin layer of oil so that is less likely to happen.
Most of the time you probably don’t have to do what I do but since you are having trouble with it, try this and see it it helps.