5BMWE60

Hi, I got a low oil warning light this morning and when I opened the hood I notice there was a oil around the filter area. I did some research and the result I got was that my oil filter housing gasket is leaking. I want to double check to see if anyone else had the same problem and if it is the housing gasket.

Thank you.

NoQuarter

That is exactly what it is.

But it is not why you have low oil light unless you see a quarts worth of oil mess all over the front.

edit: it can also just be the oil filter cap o-ring.

oleh007

I actually had the same leak in that spot when I first got my car. Turned out when I did my first oil change the oil filter was cheap and it was crushed and the filter cap was probably not tightened enough. Once I got the right filter in and re tightened it, it did not leak anymore.

NoQuarter

Just an FYI for this

No amount of tightening the oil cap will stop an oil cap leaking (unless the thing is literally not screwed on all the way).

The oil cap is sealed via the o-ring. Once the o-ring is in place it does not matter how tight the cap is.

I have a few cases where the o-ring has flattened out/hardened a bit too much and it starts leaking. The only remedy is to replace the o-ring - not over tightening the cap.

oleh007

Good to know NoQuarter, thanks! Could it be caused by the crushed filter which was causing pressure to be too high and oil to leak from the oil filter housing gasket?

NoQuarter

Now that is a good theory I had not considered. Something I will be on the lookout for now.

But, I have to think if the oil was backup up with that much pressure there would be some bigger (scary) symptoms.

oleh007

Well if the oil filter gasket is on its way out, even a small pressure increase might increase oil leak I would assume, especially since it is right next to the crushed filter, but you are fully right, better be careful with high oil pressure!