Everytime I pull out of my garage , there's couple of drops of oil on the ground . I checked the valve cover (fine ) , everything viewed from top of the motor (fine), oil pan (fine) , as soon as I threw my hand under the oil filter it was wet oil ! I went ahead and got an oil change , the same thing happened next day . This time I told the guy to really tighten the filter and he did (still leak ) . It's coming from right where the filter connects , right underneath . Can anyone help me with this ?

 

If it is reddish oil than it could be one of your bushings. In my 01 S I had it happen and Honda changed both of them.

 

Maybe the filter is too tight already. I have read that some filter's sealer rings can deform if over tightened. What type filter do you have? You may also have "gunk" on the oil filter's mating surface that needs to be cleaned or scraped off.

 

Do you have a Fumoto oil drain valve? I have noticed a few fresh oil spots in my garage since I installed mine.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gernby
[B]Maybe the filter is too tight already.

 

the oil filter should be on hand tight, have been doing this on my hondas for the past 2-3 years and never had a problem.

 

What does "hand tight" mean? I ask because a loose oil filter can be hazardous, there are several threads on oil filters leaking at the base causing engine fires when the hot oil was ignited by the exhaust header. Also, overtightened filters can leak. So what's the correct amount? My understanding is to screw the filter on until it just seats on the oil cooler, then tighten it 1/2 to 3/4 of a revolution more. That's a simple, repeatable procedure that leaves no question about correct tightness. As suggested above, clean the seating surface on the oil cooler making sure the sealing gasket from an old filter is not stuck to it.

Also, some filters leak no matter what you do because of manufacturing defects. I've read about OEM and Mobil 1 filters leaking at the base, so even good quality units sometimes have problems.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CoralDoc
[B]What does "hand tight" mean?

 

As I recall the manual calls for 7/8 turn after contact (there is also a torque specification) which is extremely tight. I would think that the excessive vibration and high oil pressure of this engine make this more critical than on other engines.

 

hand tight for me means tightening it as much as you can only with your hand. it works perfectly for me.