There is radiator coolant dripping from my car’s oil filter area: what problem does this indicate and what must I do to fix it?
Um…what kind of car, what model, what year, what engine, how many miles, how’s the maintenance been, and what other symptoms are you experiencing. Oh, and are there any condition sassociated with it, such as when the car is hot.
Offhand, I’d suspect the coolant is coming from some other source such as a hose and your oil filter just happens to be in the drip path, but without a lot more info it’s just a wild guess.
First, you’re sure it’s coolant (thin, non oily, maybe greenish)? There shouldn’t be any way for it to leak from the oil filter itself, but maybe the actual leak is nearby. It could be a cracked block or head (replacement engine time), a rusted out freeze plug, a leaky head gasket, a leaky gasket on the thermostat housing, a bad (rotted out) radiator hose, or just a loose hose clamp. Try to figure out exactly where it’s coming from, tighten up any bolts or clamps in the vicinity, and if that doesn’t do the trick, visit a mechanic.
One other thing: is your oil filter near the air conditioner’s evaporator unit (the part that cools the air inside the car)? In humid weather, AC use pulls water out of the air and dumps it via a drain hose onto the ground. Make sure it’s nothing more than that!
Well, on the 1923 Hupmobile you should try . . . what? You say you don’t own a Hupmobile?
Seriously, what make and model car are we talking about here? This could be a cracked heater hose or a cracked engine block or any number of other things in between. We’ll need a few more details to figure it out.
A lot of cars have an oil cooler between the oil filter and the block. Also there will be freeze plugs in the general vicinity on the side of the block.
Desperate for more information. As others have indicated, offering the make, model, year, engine size, mileage, etal. really helps narrow down the possibilities.