Hi all, my M1-105 oil filter came loose today after Vtec'n. I was just two houses away from my house and I noticed a little white smoke in my rear view mirror. I rolled the car in the garage and popped the hood and there was oil leaking around the oil filter area. It was totally loose. I tightened the filter with a glove on my hand when I installed it. This was my first time using this filter in my first 19,000 miles. I put only about 200 miles on the filter so far and it came loose. I had doubts about using it with the O ring design on it after I opened the box. I've been using the Purolator Pure One filter before with no problems at all. I'm going to replace it with the Purolator filter tonight after I drain the oil then add some fuel treatment to clean things out.

 

Thanks for the warning, definately a good idea to check any filter periodically. Another suggestion is to mark the top of the filter with a permanent marker, so you can easily see if it is backing off any time the hood is open without having to burn your hand.

I've been using the Mobil1 M1-105 filter for about a year now, and have never had one come loose. In fact I usually have difficulty getting the d@mn thing off when I change the oil. RT's Kung Fu Grip™ comes in handy.

Ted

 

Thanks Ted, for the suggestion. I will mark the top of the filter for now on. I remember when I tightened the filter up I backed off of it a little because I thought I over tightened it. I think that was the problem. When I changed the filter tonight the O ring was half off the filter. I've seen post on the internet about this. The inner side of the O ring looked clamped but the outside didn't. I couldn't find a Purolator Pure One tonight so I picked up a K&N. The K&N had an O ring too but was double clamped and smaller than the Mobil1.

 

Wow, that would have been scary if you were on the road.

 

Never back off a filter after it's on. I don't think you can overtighten an oil filter by hand unless you are a gorilla. Do you normally oil the O-ring before installation?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper
[B]Never back off a filter after it's on.

 

At the track last Friday, after my second track session, I popped my hood for cool-down and I had smoke coming off the exhaust headers and a fine film of oil in various locations around the oil filter/V-TEC solenoid. I'm like WTF. I looked around and couldn't see anything obvious. I thought maybe the V-TEC solenoid had come loose so I checked the torque on the mounting bolts and they were tight. I checked the MI-105 filter and discovered it loose so I tightened it down using leather gloves and got it gutntight. Problem discovered and solved. Yeah right.

I then drove a hundred yards or so down to the race-gas trailer, stopped the car, and noticed a pool of oil developing under the oil filter. I started the car with the hood open and saw a steady stream of oil leaking from beneath the oil filter. I gassed up and then pushed the car out of the way of the race-gas trailer. I borrowed a car from the event organizers to go to the local Car-Quest and get a new filter. The consensus was that a rock had punched a hole in the filter.

After I got the new filter, I removed the MI-105 and discovered that the "O" ring had "rolled" out of the seating area on the filter causing the leak. I replaced the MI-105 with the trusty Car-Quest filter made by Wix, topped up the oil and continued my track day without incident.

Guess I'm done with the Mobil 1 MI-105 and maybe the MI-104 too. I think it's ridicuoulous that a filter that cost 3 times as much as a standard oil filter had a problem like this, track time or no track time.

Note that at no time did my dipstick level indicate less than a coupla xx's from the H mark. I estimate I lost 1/2 quart of oil due to the leak, plus whatever it takes to fill a new filter.

I would suggest that in addition to popping the hood after each track session for engine cooldown, that you check your oil filters for tightness, and check your lug nut torque at least after the first session.

 

I thought RT had Carly change the oil.

 

I hate to say this guys but i had the same problem with my old prelude. About 2500 miles after an oil change copious amounts of white smoke would come billowing out from underneath the front of the car. The filter for the prelude was on the back side of the engine directly above where the four exhaust tubes meet as one as it travels back to the exhaust... im glad it was placed this way or i might not have ever noticed the leak! After several bouts of this problem i never used another mobil one filter

 

nah, she does the brakes ...... LOL, Kari's actually the one with the Kung Fu Grip ™ since she's one of those nutty rock climber types. She comes in handy for the filter removal and front caliper piston retraction exercises

BTW, I've also had one of the M-105's back off but caught it prior to any oil leaking by way of the trusty old 12 o'clock marking trick