Oil coming from oil filter

Hi I wanted to ask how does the oil get around an oil filter which had clearly been pouring out of. I have noticed a large amount of oil on the bottom of my car under my Bonet and all over parts around where the oil filter is. I have lost all the oil and didn't realised this until my car give and stopped working and saw under the bonnet that the oil filter wasn't screwedon correctly as I was able to screw it back tightly. The oil was still leaking from the car as it was all over the bottom. I had a service back in February this year and I haven't touched the filter. Has this been c
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
If the filter is not tightened properly the vibrations of engine can work the filter loose over time. If you tightened the filter and it was still leaking that means that there was a problem with the seal on the filter. If you would like, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office to definitively diagnose the oil leak and make necessary repairs.

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If the oil filter is installed too loosely, it can vibrate loose and allow oil to leak out. If it`s installed too tightly, the gasket could be damaged, leading to a leak. Leaks can also occur during an oil change if the gasket from the old filter sticks to the housing.
After an oil change, there may be a small oil drip because some engines have the oil filter placed in a way that oil will spill out as the filter is being changed. There shouldn`t be any sign of a leak after a few hours, though.
A loose oil filter or broken gasket seal will allow the oil to leak. The leakage could be quite severe depending on how loose the filter is. So, it`s advised to take action as soon as you notice it.
Common signs include the Engine Oil Light coming on, oil dripping from the filter, and lower than normal oil pressure.
Look For These Loose Oil Filter Symptoms

The most visible sign of an engine oil leak is oil on the ground beneath your car. It may be just a few drops of oil or a sizable puddle. Either way, your oil filter could be to blame.

Using the wrong oil filter may prevent the filter from sealing properly, leading to problems with oil pressure or leaks. We`ve even seen instances of incorrect oil filters literally falling off. An oil leak won`t just make an ugly mess on your driveway, if your engine runs out of oil, the damage can be catastrophic.
Over- or Under-tightening

Besides making it difficult to remove when replacing the oil filter, over-tightening can crush the filter gasket, causing it to leak. When not properly tightened, any vehicle part designed to seal against a leak will loosen from normal engine or driving vibrations and cause leaks.

Simply put, it can lead to severe engine damage or even failure. Yes, you read that correctly, and no, I`m not exaggerating; it can, in fact, lead to engine failure and you`ll see from the photos an engine that met its demise. Again, I want to reiterate that this is from what started as an oil filter housing leak.
Leaking Pool Filter – this might happen when the filter is under pressure or turned off. Decrease in Filter Pressure – check your filter pressure gauge; any gaps in the filter seal will cause the system to lose pressure. Reduced Water Level in Pool – especially for above ground pools.
A malfunctioning oil separator may cause the engine to run rough. You may also hear a whistling noise from the oil separator. A higher-than-normal crankcase vacuum may also cause the crankshaft oil seals to leak outside air into the crankcase.
Common signs include smoke coming from the engine, oil puddles under the car, and lower than normal oil levels.
All oil filters feature a gasket at the open end of the filter, which acts like a seal and a lock-washer after installation.
If the oil filter is not changed periodically, the filter can become severely clogged, reducing the volume of oil passing through the filter and into your engine. Without this oil, your engine can suffer severe damage.
Disposable oil filters are not designed to last for more than one oil change. Almost all disposable oil filters will get clogged before they make it to the second change. They`re meant to be used only once. Reusing a disposable oil filter from the previous oil change may cause a lot of damage.
Q: Can I still drive with an oil leak? A: It`s always advisable not to drive if your vehicle has an oil leak, but short distance drives, less than 10 miles, are not as risky when it comes to lowering your oil levels to a dangerous point.
Leaking Oil Filter

The filter is one of the most common causes of an oil leak. Ideally, the oil filter should be replaced with every oil change. If you change your oil at home, you may forget this important step or the new filter may not be installed properly.

Turn the filter until you feel the filter base just make contact with its mounting plate. Then use the wrench to tighten a half-turn more. If you haven`t bought engine oil in a while, you may be confused by the choices.
A clogged filter can`t directly cause water leaks in a furnace, but it can contribute to leaking air conditioner problems if they share the same ductwork. Many central air conditioning systems are installed with the evaporator coil sitting on top of the furnace inside the main supply duct.
A dirty air filter can sometimes be the culprit of a leaking AC. Luckily, it`s one of the easiest causes to fix. When a filter becomes too clogged, air cannot pass through over the evaporator coils.
The most effective way to determine if your water filter is working properly is to test your water before and after it passes through your filter. Such analysis is called performance testing because it tests the effectiveness of your filter in reducing or removing potentially harmful contaminants that pass through.
Finding the Source of Your Oil Leak

Use a flashlight to check underneath your car and around your engine – telltale drips might lead you right to the problem. There are several common locations for oil leaks in your car, including: At your oil pan gasket. At your oil filter or drain plug.

Technically, a car can run without an oil filter, however it will not last too long as there will be some engine damage which takes place due to the lack of filtration. If a car has no oil filter, the engine oil will collect small and large pollutants and will stop protecting and lubricating the engine well.
Typical service intervals are between three and six months depending on the type of separator, the volume of water being processed and the amount of oil and sludge being removed.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

2006 BMW oil filter gasket keeps breaking and oil leaks from oil filter. Oil leaks only after starting car in morning. PCV valve?
ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may need to replace the oil cap o-ring. If you haven’t done this before there are two O-rings to replace; a small green one on the base of the filter cap stem and the large black one that seals the filter cap (which seems to be the one you are having issues with). The large O-ring sits in a small square-shaped groove that is at the base of the oil filter cap. It is very easy to not properly seat the large O-ring because the threads for the oil cap are quite large and will accept the O-ring if you are not careful. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle.

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Oil still leaking after I changed oil filter
ANSWER : Unless there is an imperfection (e.g., serious pitting or irregularities) on the engine mounting base for the filter gasket, the leak is probably not at the filter. There are other adjacent potential leak spots such as the oil pan gasket, oil pressure sending unit and so forth. If the leak is significant at all, merely thoroughly cleaning the suspect area and running the engine while looking for the leak should be sufficient. If you still can’t find the leak origin, a UV visible dye can be added to the engine oil which will then make the leak point visible using a detection light. If you want these steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request an oil leak diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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Oil coming from oil filter
ANSWER : If the filter is not tightened properly the vibrations of engine can work the filter loose over time. If you tightened the filter and it was still leaking that means that there was a problem with the seal on the filter. If you would like, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office to definitively diagnose the oil leak and make necessary repairs.

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lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.

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Low oil pressure light comes on when idle. Check engine light is on as well. Both came on after getting an oil change 3 days ago.
ANSWER : It is possible that they put in the wrong viscosity oil. In rare instances, a defective filter will also cause low pressure. If there is too much oil, it will aerate and cause low pressure. Be sure the oil level is really not above "max". The P2187 code will appear if the oil fill cap is not tight but it will also appear due to a myriad of causes because that code only "generally" identifies a lean running condition. Consequently, numerous parts would have to be tested including the O2 sensor, gas cap seal, manifold air leaks, any vacuum leak anywhere including PCV and EVAP systems, exhaust leaks, and fuel system faults such as failing fuel pump, clogged filter and more. Since the car has relatively low mileage, you would not expect a failed oil pump, although the pressure sensor (or switch) could be bad. However, the occurrence of the oil pressure warning light is quite coincidental to the oil change, thus I would suggest bringing the car back and asking them to redo with a new filter and double check the viscosity of the new oil that they use. If the problem persists after that, you will have to test actual operating oil pressure (at idle for instance) as well as the oil pressure switch. Finally, if the oil pressure warning light comes on continuously, unless the warning circuit itself is malfunctioning, that means the oil pressure is too low to operate the engine without damaging it. Anytime the light comes on for more than literally an instant, you should shut down the car and thus an issue like this obviously has to be repaired.

If you’d like, a YourMechanic certified mechanic can come to your home or place of business to inspect the vehicle and perform an oil pressure light is on inspection to diagnose the vehicle and suggest potential repairs.

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Had a hole in the oil pan so replaced it. Ever since then the oil filter will spray out oil.
ANSWER : Try checking all of the fittings near and around the oil filter housing as well as the oil pump. Check to be sure the correct O-ring is sealing correctly when the oil filter is screwed on as this is a common problem many experience when the O-ring gets smashed or does not seal correctly. If there the O-ring is non-existent as you mention, then this could likely be the source of this issue. If you need to have this taken care of, a qualified professional from YourMechanic can diagnose the oil leak and replace the O-ring for you if needed.

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Oil was leaking, put in over 4 qts of oil and oil leak stopper. White smoke coming tailpipe,engine shakes, car dies. Oil leaking.
ANSWER : Oil additives are not recommended by any vehicle manufacturer for any reason. Additives that purport to resolve oil leaks are useless, a waste of your money, and may result in engine damage. Every vehicle manufacturer strongly recommends against use of these materials. There is only one recommended and approved repair strategy when it comes to oil leaks: fix the leak.

You can only add the manufacturer specified amount of oil to an engine. If you add too much oil, or too little oil, that will cause engine damage. You should check the engine oil dipstick to determine if there is presently too much oil in the engine. If there is too much, the excess will have to be removed to prevent engine damage.

The leak that you are referring to can be repaired if you request an oil leak diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns as you decide what to do, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you get the best possible results.

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I Cannot Screw On Oil Filter.
ANSWER : You are using the correct filter. I looked at the photos that you sent but the photos do not show the entirety of the threads. Even if such are shown "clearly", when it comes to threaded parts, it only takes a fairly minor defect in threads to make assembly difficult. If you cannot visually detect any gross amount of damage to the threads, the thing to do is manipulate the oil filter as you attempt to thread it on. That usually works. Given your description, in your case, it would appear that there is some very minor defect, perhaps a metal splinter or the like, that is preventing the engagement of the first thread in the filter. That is not exceptional (it happens) and thus to get it to engage you will just have to inspect and try again. Don’t force it though. With reasonable measures, if you truly cannot get the filter to engage, the external threads will have to be restored. If you have enough access, you can gently use a thread file or use the appropriate die. If you want these steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request an oil filter base repair/installation and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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