garageman402
$100 Site Donor 2024
I have to agree with @cptbarkey that when you cut the can off of the base you removed the tension holding the bracket that pushes the filter element against the base. I refer to it as a bracket, because it is not a "leaf spring", you can tell by the design. The OP says that even with pressure applied, the light didn't go away. How much pressure? When you release the can from the base, everything moved. You say it didn't, but it did. You have no way of knowing how much pressure is applied when the manufacturer crimps the can onto the base, it could be hundreds of pounds. You can reassemble the filter & see how much space is left, but there is still no way you can tell how much pressure you relieved when you cut it open. We're talking about sheet metal that flexes when pressure is removed.
Some here have said this test doesn't apply to filters with no bypass, but non-bypass filters have the exact same bracket, just without the coil spring activated "poppet" valve. Look inside a Fram 3980 filter, you'll see the exact bracket at the end with the valve missing.
The only way you can accurately test this is (as another poster suggested) to somehow cut holes at the end of the filter so you can see where the bracket meets the element without removing the can, then shine your flashlight through the mounting hole in the base.
Some here have said this test doesn't apply to filters with no bypass, but non-bypass filters have the exact same bracket, just without the coil spring activated "poppet" valve. Look inside a Fram 3980 filter, you'll see the exact bracket at the end with the valve missing.
The only way you can accurately test this is (as another poster suggested) to somehow cut holes at the end of the filter so you can see where the bracket meets the element without removing the can, then shine your flashlight through the mounting hole in the base.