Hello,

I have an honda Accord 1994 with the basic 16 valve motor (no VTEC).

My oil filter seams to leak, maybe because of a slight deformation of the filter seat. I tried about 3 different oil filters, a Wix, a FRAM and a Honda Genuine, the problem was still not solved. I then carefully sanded the seat with a gentle sand paper for metal, and reinstalled the FRAM, the one that was leaking the less. I tightened it to the torque recommended by Honda. It leaks less, but it still leaks. I could live with it, but it smells bad when the oil fall on the exaust pipe and burns. Those are very bad emanations for the health.

So, I had a few questions:

1) is my presumption plausible, is it possible that the seat becomes deformed on old motors?
2) did I make a mistake to reinstall a filter that was used about 1 week only (the FRAM), elpecially considering that it leaked?
3) there is a hole-like form just on top of the oil filter seat, on the surface parallel to the filter cylinder. It might seem strange, but could they be some bolt or something hidden there? I would be surprised, but when I pass my finger, this small "hole" is always full of oil, and there is no way to see how it looks like. It does not seems to be documented in the shop manual.

Until then, I'll give it another shot with a new FRAM filter and a bit of sand paper work.

Thanks to all.

 

The only way the oil filter seat would be damaged would be if it had been knicked by some ham-fisted attempt to get an old filter off.
I suspect some component higher than the filter (assuming you're convinced there's no damage to the filter seat). A very common culprit is the valve cover.
reasoning?
Oil only flows downhill, and the chances of three filters leaking; you've better odds with the lottery

P

 

That's what I think too. But my car seems to think otherwise

It's a fact that it seams to leak from the top of the filter. To test that possibility, I cleaned the whole filter surrounding, I started the motor to make the oil leak slighty, I stopped it and then I passed my hand everywhere I could aroud the filter and near motor block. I repeated that many times with different delays of leaks and different filters over a few weeks. I found no oil leaks except directly around the filter. When I reinstalled the FRAM filter (after a sand), I tought that the problem was solved, but a small leak started again after half an hour or so.

I changed the valve cover seal last year (summer of 2004), and had no leakage since latelly. I have to say that the filter that I used before I had those problems was always the top quality FRAM filter (the black one), that is not available anymore in my area. Maybe it's seal was more efficient. Maybe also Castrol have change it's oil in the last months, can it's 10W30 be thinner? I'm getting overflood with maybes...

When the leak is at the very beginning, I always find a small oil line on the top side of the filter gasket, in the slit between the filter and the motor block. There is also a color change on the seat in this area, like small rust. The cleaning didn't move it off.

I'll take a closer look to the valve cover in case, I took for granted everything was fine since I had no problems for a whole year.

On the last resort, I'll have to bring my car back to reason

Bye

 

B4 you get to the point of putting a match to it, give any local Inde Honda repair shop a call and ask if they have a blacklight leak detector.
The drill is: they put a florecent dye in the oil, clean off the suspected area, and fire up the engine. After about 10 minutes, they shut it off and start scanning with the light. Any leak, it stands out like the proverbial sore thumb.
It's a really cut and dry process.

P

 

I didn't know they can do that. That's bright in every way of the meaning! I'll see to that.

I just hope that, since my car is rather old, it won't transorm it in a luminous URO (Unidentified Rolling Object) when I pass in front of a night club!

 

I also doubt your oil filter and/or filter seat are leaking - valve cover sounds like a likely culprit, I'd check the bolts on the valve cover for tightness.

You don't have an aftermarket oil pressure or oil temp gauge do you? The stock oil pressure sender is right above the filter and if there's a T off of the block there to run a gauge there's a good chance that could be leaking.

my $0.02

 

No, but I'll manage to get one, that's no problem. I think that you have an interesting path there, it really sounds like it. I'll have to look into my manual to explore those parts.

I'll post the results to this thread.

I really like a lot this web site!

SR

 

well if you don't have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge or anything T'd off the stock sending unit my money's on the valve cover gasket, the stock oil pressure sending unit usually won't leak.

One quick item that will cause your valve cover to leak is the PCV valve - if it's clogged it will cause pressure buildup in your crankcase which will usually end up in a leaky valve cover.

this site has lots of good info, and lots of asshats as well, don't take it or them personally and acquaint yourself w/ the search button, there's a tremendous amount of data here that has already been covered many times.

-B

 

I looked carefully at the cover gasket yesterday, and I found no leak anywhere. I suspected it, the mechanic did a too good job for that!

I'll looked at that stock oil pressure gauge as soon as I can. At the moment, it's my #1 suspect.

A+

 

it's very unlikely to have a bad seat

just like B said, the old pressure sensing unit is just directly above the filter, 99percent of the time is the unit that is leaking, esp. for turbo'ed(which use the spot for oil supply) or if the unit been take off before

 

oil the rubber ring around your oil filter before installing it

 

I finally changed the oil pressure switch and put a bit of teflon around the threads, and it looks like there is no more leaks anymore. We won't have to bread burned oil anymore!

It's a very hard problem to find, but the fix is simple. Like was said, the switch is located right above the oil filter, behind a bar that's partially hinding it. I wouldn't have find it alone, thanks to you all!

It's also not easy to fix, since there is not much space to work. The socket needs to be long enough, because the top of the switch is to high for regular tools. Otherwise, the switch is blocking the ratchet's connector.

It appeared to be leaking not from the threading, but from its inner components, through the connector (I'm not 100% sure about this). That makes the leak even harder to locate since the surrounding of the switch is rather clean.

Thanks for everybody's precious help.

P.S. here's an interesting reference that I found after reading your notes, it describes exacly what I lived:

http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/OilPressSwitch.htm

Beware that the torque indicate in this link is not for a Honda car. Mine has to be tightened at a lower torque.