Random oil leak ?!

[90210]

Original owner
2012 auto touring
48 k miles

2 drips of motor oil per night on garage floor



I have done EVERY single oil change myself
Fully synthetic mobil 1 and oem filter

Any ideas how/where this can happen from?

I will get under the car this weekend but this is really worrying me for it to happen randomly like this at such mileage

 

[90210]

well got under the car and found this

can't tell if there is oil coming from ABOVE the filter, or the OEM filter seal went bad?

 

[FiftySix]

well got under the car and found this

can't tell if there is oil coming from ABOVE the filter, or the OEM filter seal went bad?

Here's hoping the filter gasket o-ring went bad.

I work on hydraulic machinery on occasion and most of them have screw on oil filters sized like an old Ford FL1A. Which is basically an oversize Mazda 5 filter.

Once in a while, I get a leaky filter gasket whether from the factory or put on only a few months prior. Sometimes all I have to do is tighten the filter a bit more. Other times, I have to replace the filter if the leak is really bad. One time, the mating surface the filter mounted to got a burr in it and would put a small cut in the gasket as it was installed. Within weeks, that sucker would be dripping real bad.

 

[90210]

Thanks

I have used oem filters from day one

Thinking it was a bad one

Last done on 7/14/15

Decided to change the oil and filter now

Will keep an eye on it

It was dripping 1-2 drops a night

Enough drip on my garage floor that I actually considered selling the car this morning

Hope the oil change took care of it

First time this happened in ownership of 43 cars and 7 bikes

Here's hoping the filter gasket o-ring went bad.

I work on hydraulic machinery on occasion and most of them have screw on oil filters sized like an old Ford FL1A. Which is basically an oversize Mazda 5 filter.

Once in a while, I get a leaky filter gasket whether from the factory or put on only a few months prior. Sometimes all I have to do is tighten the filter a bit more. Other times, I have to replace the filter if the leak is really bad. One time, the mating surface the filter mounted to got a burr in it and would put a small cut in the gasket as it was installed. Within weeks, that sucker would be dripping real bad.

 

[Secondtyme]

^^Man have you been lucky! I mean skilled, skilled is what I meant LOL Those filters are cranked out by the hundreds of thousands it was only a question of time before a bad one turned up in your hands.

 

[90210]

^^Man have you been lucky! I mean skilled, skilled is what I meant LOL Those filters are cranked out by the hundreds of thousands it was only a question of time before a bad one turned up in your hands.

No skill here

 

[Secondtyme]

Oh c'mon, all those oil changes and you haven't stripped the crap out of a fill plug, or over-tightened a filter? I'm ashamed to admit that the reason my Mazda drips oil is because I gorilla-ed the little drain plug on the filter housing pretty early on in my ownership of it. They are delicate little suckers those mild steel drain screws... Luckily for me I have a gravel driveway so no one is the wiser (perhaps I shouldn't have admitted that? LOL)

 

[Silentnoise713]

That looks like a bad seal (defect, over/under tighten). it is also possible that when you took off your last filter (are you an over tighten stuff offender?), the seal came off the filter body and remained stuck on the housing. This + the new filter with an additional seal = 2 seals which won’t seal so well and will seap like this. Happened to me once.

 

[90210]

It didn't double seal because the seal is on the filter

I checked both times

As far as over or under tighten I don't know

I tighten it by hand. Give it an extra squeeze

So that when I take off it doesn't just easily unscrew in my hand just needs a bit more twist with hand

Will see if leak starts again when I get home tonight

That looks like a bad seal (defect, over/under tighten). it is also possible that when you took off your last filter (are you an over tighten stuff offender?), the seal came off the filter body and remained stuck on the housing. This + the new filter with an additional seal = 2 seals which won’t seal so well and will seap like this. Happened to me once.

 

[90210]

I have two British cars in the fleet
They leak no oil
Yeah hard to believe I know
One is over 45 years old

My house rules, if you leak oil, time to go bye bye

Oh c'mon, all those oil changes and you haven't stripped the crap out of a fill plug, or over-tightened a filter? I'm ashamed to admit that the reason my Mazda drips oil is because I gorilla-ed the little drain plug on the filter housing pretty early on in my ownership of it. They are delicate little suckers those mild steel drain screws... Luckily for me I have a gravel driveway so no one is the wiser (perhaps I shouldn't have admitted that? LOL)

 

[Secondtyme]

I thought the rule on British cars and oil leaks was that the only time they didn't leak oil was when they were empty? I kid. I grew up with an E type Jag and a TR6 in the driveway and oil leaks were the least of either cars issues. That you have two that do not leak is a testament to your discipline as an owner, I salute you...

 

[90210]

I thought the rule on British cars and oil leaks was that the only time they didn't leak oil was when they were empty? I kid. I grew up with an E type Jag and a TR6 in the driveway and oil leaks were the least of either cars issues. That you have two that do not leak is a testament to your discipline as an owner, I salute you...

It took a lot to get them to oil leak free

 

[90210]

Leak is fixed

 

[FiftySix]

So, what was the culprit?

 

[90210]

So, what was the culprit?

Oem filter

 

[FiftySix]

Glad you got it fixed.

 

[90210]

Glad you got it fixed.

Me too !