Have you ever had a leak after an oil change?

[ZX11Rebel]

Years ago I was changing the oil on my 1988 Kawasaki ZX-10 and the phone rang inside the house. I came back into the garage, got on the bike and pushed it off the center stand. Tried rolling the bike backwards and the next thing I knew the "EXXON VALDEZ" oil spill was forming around my feet. I had forgotten to remove the pan with the drained oil from under the bike. What a mess!

 

[Passport1]

Once last year ago on my Ford. Did the oc properly and two weeks later the Motorcraft 500S began leaking, bad gasket. Don't use them anymore. After laying on my back to remove the expansive under belly plastic pan, filter and drain plug I sometimes leak.

Maybe should drink beer after the job not before.

 

[Number_35]

After laying on my back to remove the expansive under belly plastic pan, filter and drain plug I sometimes leak.

Maybe should drink beer after the job not before.

The thread title inspired similar thoughts, but will a great show of restraint I let it go.

 

[I<3oil]

Not until the next day. The Baldwin filter loosened itself or the gasket was off in the first place. Haven't used another one since.

 

[The Critic]

Yes. I do about 5 oil changes a day. Seems like every time I torque a drain bolt to spec it leaks. Now I just do them by feel and much fewer leak.

I think you need to get your torque wrench re-calibrated.

 

[Chris142]

I think you need to get your torque wrench re-calibrated.

I did. Still leaked.

 

[KrisZ]

It’s always a good practice to double check your work. When things become too routine or the confidence gets too high, that’s when most mistakes are made.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

For whatever reason, on my wife's 2016 Mazda CX-5 the oil filter gasket always sticks to the block when you take the filter off. Every time. No matter how much I clean the block surface, smear fresh oil on the filter gasket, etc.

Once I was in a rush and thought the gasket came off with the filter but it didn't. Installed the new filter, double gaskets.... big mess.

For these reasons I've always started up the car, let it run for a few seconds and take a look underneath to make sure no whoopsies.

 

[brages]

I got a new garage floor and driveway poured. Newage Pro cabinets and lots of lighting. My garage was looking great.

My son came over and changed the oil in his 2nd gen Prius. I let him do all the work. He had a hard time getting the filter on, but in the end he got it.

Or not - it was the wrong size and he must have had it barely crossthreaded on. The filter popped off as he backed out of the garage and dumped 4.5 quarts in the middle of my pristine new floor. Then we had to do an emergency late night walmart run for a new filter as the oil soaked in!

 

[wlk]

The instructions on the oil filter box say “run engine for three minutes, check for leaks.” Have you ever found one? I’ve been changing my oil for 45 years now and have never had a leak from the drain plug or filter. Checking for leaks feels mostly like a formality to me, but I still do it anyway.

Drain plugs occasionally leak, esp copper washers- quit using them but not oil filters. I always check as well after the service is over but do feel it is a formality.

 

[wlk]

I leaked 4 quarts of Pennzoil 10w-40 back in the late 80's once after an oil 'change'. Guess what I forgot!

I did that with 6qts of oil but thankfully the drain pan was still under the vehicle. Looked at the work bench to grab the bag I keep the funnel in and was like oh no. I always double check the bench now before adding oil.

 

[Bailey28]

Got a leaker... 2020 Kia Sorento 3.3 V6... gotta replace the oil filter housing double O ring. $16 on Amazon, three bolts to solve this leak. I thought it was the drain plug gasket the whole time. Eric O on the South Main Auto channel replaces this O ring in one of his vids.

Yes..... I know it is warranty.. but the Kia dealership here will have the car for a week before they look at it and probably tell me nothing is wrong with it. It's just easier for me to do it.

 

[Hootbro]

My 1988 Dodge Dakota with the V6. Filter was a pisser to get to on a good day and left the old oil filter gasket on the block and double gasket it with the new filter. Took a shower in oil when checking for leaks on that one.

 

[SaberOne]

Been there done that’.

 

[HowAboutThis]

The instructions on the oil filter box say “run engine for three minutes, check for leaks.” Have you ever found one? I’ve been changing my oil for 45 years now and have never had a leak from the drain plug or filter. Checking for leaks feels mostly like a formality to me, but I still do it anyway.

Yes, but only when temps dropped into the -20 or colder range.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Its good advice. Everyone makes mistakes and oil filter gaskets sometimes double up...

My Accord started leaking from the valve cover, down to the oil pan, after going to Valvoline 0w20 from its usual 5 or 10w30. Took 6000 miles though

 

[ls1mike]

Knock on wood I have never had that happen. However...I had changed the oil in the Trans Am moved it out of the garage and ran inside to use the bathroom. While I was in there the wife drove our CTS right into the full oil change pan. What a mess! Had to do the front brakes on the Cadillac too as the driver's side was soaked in oil.

 

[D60]

I almost got screwed on a fuel filter change on an LMM Dmax today. I've never before had this happen but the o-ring stayed behind on the filter housing

If your vision is slowly suffering like mine it's not that easy to see if the black o-ring came off with the black filter (new one in place here)

 

[tcp71]

Years ago I was changing the oil on my 1988 Kawasaki ZX-10 and the phone rang inside the house. I came back into the garage, got on the bike and pushed it off the center stand. Tried rolling the bike backwards and the next thing I knew the "EXXON VALDEZ" oil spill was forming around my feet. I had forgotten to remove the pan with the drained oil from under the bike. What a mess!

I still miss mine.

 

[4wheeldog]

The instructions on the oil filter box say “run engine for three minutes, check for leaks.” Have you ever found one? I’ve been changing my oil for 45 years now and have never had a leak from the drain plug or filter. Checking for leaks feels mostly like a formality to me, but I still do it anyway.

In the late 80s I had a leak from a Wix filter with a cracked base plate. Fortunately I did the leak check and actually spotted it immediately. At first I thought might have screwed up and doubled gasketed, but when I pulled the filter off I could see the cracked base plate. Pretty rare, I would think. The parts store traded me a new one. Fortunately I had a few on the shelf.