Oil filter clean after 5-6k miles???

mnkyboy

Member
I went to change my oil today and to my surprise the oil filter didnt have any oil leak from it when removing it. Normally oil drips down the engine. I then looked inside of the filter, and it looks pretty clean.

Any ideas what may be causing this? Doesnt sound right.

See pics below.

IMG_0623.jpg


IMG_0625.jpg


IMG_0626.jpg
 
Are you asking what cause the oil leak, or what caused a clean oil filter? If it's the leak, check your oil pan gasket, as well as your camshaft and crankshaft seals, and your valve cover gasket. If you're asking about the filter, consider yourself lucky that it has stayed clean. This means that your engine internals are probably in pretty good condition.
 
I think he means he was worried that there was no drip when he took it off the block. Mine always drips a few table spoons when I remove it.
 
Im worried that the filter didnt do its job and/or something is blocking it from doing its job. Ive had this car for 7 years and did every oil change. Ive always had a couple of tablespoons full of oil drip down the engine and the filter always looked "used".
 
It's probably leaking down through the filter center and through the crank main bearings and connecting rod bearings. The small outer holes are the input from the oil supply and it has a anti-drainback valve that is supposed to prevent drainback. there is no valve to prevent oil from draining through the bearings. I hove noticed mine doing the same the last two oil changes.

Another possibility is the filter check valve could be stuck in the open position causing the oil to bypass the the filter element. Is that a using a Mazda filter? The Mazda filters I buy from the local dealer are made in Europe.

Clifton
 
Last edited:
It's probably leaking down through the filter center and through the crank main bearings and connecting rod bearings. The small outer holes are the input from the oil supply and it has a anti-drainback valve that is supposed to prevent drainback. there is no valve to prevent oil from draining through the bearings. I hove noticed mine doing the same the last two oil changes.

Another possibility is the filter check valve could be stuck in the open position causing the oil to bypass the the filter element. Is that a using a Mazda filter? The Mazda filters I buy from the local dealer are made in Europe.

Clifton

This was a Bosch filter that I bought at Autozone. I normally use Puralotor Pro filters, but the Bosch filter came with 5 quarts of Mobil1 oil for $20 (deal at the time). So what exactly happen with the filter? It was heavier than the new one, so oil was absorbed. Do you think this harmed my engine? Should I contact Bosh for a complaint?
 
I went to change my oil today and to my surprise the oil filter didnt have any oil leak from it when removing it. Normally oil drips down the engine. I then looked inside of the filter, and it looks pretty clean.

I'm assuming when you say "leak", you mean "leftover oil" when unscrewing the filter.

When I changed my oil when it had the OEM Mazda filter, there wasn't any oil when unscrewing it. When I used a Wix, there was a bit of oil left in the filter that came out.

This leads me to believe the anti-drain back valve wasn't doing its job (as flash75 mentioned) in the filter that didn't have any "leftover" oil. And as far as I'm aware, this isn't extremely bad, it only means dirty oil will be going back into the oil pan when you turn your car off.
 
Probably no harm was done if you haven't noticed any new engine knocks or rattles. I wouldn't use a Bosch filter in my cars. I cut one open a few years ago and it had a very small filter element and the check valve was poorly constructed. The check valve would probably leak and may not open when needed, the anti-drain-back valve was also of poor quality. The filter I cut was not for a Mazda. Not sure if they are all the same.

I did cut a NAPA Gold filter for a Mazda Protege, it's the same as a Wix. I wasn't too impressed with the small size of the filter element, however, the anti-drain-back and check valves were all good quality.

Clifton
 
I'm sure there are better than a wix, but the anti drain back is worth it. My friends speak highly of K&Ns oil filter line.
 
Indeed. Pretty much anything not made by fram, is a hella lot better.

On a side note, I noticed that the Wix air filter for the Protege is much better than the OEM Mazda one. It also cost me $3 more.
 
I had the same problem today when I replaced my oil. The oil I drained was really dirty. I usually run a quarter quart of oil through the engine while the drain plug is still off. Today I ran a whole quart and the oil was still coming out black :/ I'm worried about it and hope it does not happen again. I used the same Bosch oil filter. I've heard that Bosch is second best to K&N
 
Uhm, no oil was in the filter? It was bypassing. Was the oil really cruddy?

After the new filter is in. Run it until engine is warm. Carefully feel it - it should be pretty warm. If it is cool to the touch - it is bypassing. BadBadBad...
 
Uhm, no oil was in the filter? It was bypassing. Was the oil really cruddy?

After the new filter is in. Run it until engine is warm. Carefully feel it - it should be pretty warm. If it is cool to the touch - it is bypassing. BadBadBad...

Havent tested the new filter. Is it possible to change the filter without losing most of the oil? I can remove the filter and see if the filter is working correctly.

If it is bypassing, is it a faulty oil filter? That was the first time I used a Bosch filter since it was free with the oil I bought. I usually buy Puralotor.
 
I thought this happened to me last time with an OEM filter. I did a double take just as I put oily rubbish on it, so couldn't be sure. The rag I put under the filter mount to prevent mess came away clean. Wondered if it had anything to do with being a cold oil change instead of the usual hot.
 
Has anyone found a solution to this problem? I am convinced now that the 2.0 engine has serious issues with the oil filter bypass.

The last 3 changes have been exactly the same.

Napa-empty
Mobil 1 EP-empty
STP-emtpy

The car only has 78k on it.
 
What i mean is - after the engine is warm - jack and feel the outside of the filter - it should be quite warm. If it is not - the filter is bypassing.
 
?? Correct me if I am wrong, but even if the filter is bypassing, it will be warm. The bypass valve is inside the filter, and just means the oil will be bypassing the filtration media under high demand/load, but will still be circulating through the filter.

I took a firestone filter off, first change, and oil dripped down the engine. I just took the pure 1 filter off a couple days ago, the 626 longer filter, and oil dripped out. I don't see how it's possible for it not to drip, irrespective of any issues with the bypass valve. As I said, there's still oil flowing through even if the bypass is fully stuck.

As for color of the oil, it means nothing. Different oils behave differently in different engines. There are additives which 'discolor' upon contact with contaminants, heat, and wear metals. To some degree, it means the oil is doing it's job.
 
It's definitely bypassing, its as clean as a whistle.

I'm wondering if its because i put in too much oil. I always put in the all 4 quarts even though the manual says 3.7. Does everyone follow that to a tee?

If there is too much oil maybe it is increasing the pressure and bypassing the filter? I'm at a loss. I'll pull some oil out and keep you informed.
 
Back