What Happens to My Car if My Oil Filter is Loose?

A puddle of oil underneath your car is a tell-tale sign of a leakage from the engine. The underlying problem can be minor to something potentially catastrophic.

One of the most common reasons for a leak is a loose or faulty oil filter. An oil filter leaking can damage your engine and impact your car’s performance. Ignore this issue for too long and it has the potential to become a serious threat to your vehicle and therefore your safety.

The best course of action is to immediately investigate and put a stop to the leak.

This article will help you understand the possible causes of an oil leak, the symptoms of a loose oil filter, and the most effective solutions to fix the problem.

What Is An Oil Filter?

An engine has many different moving metal parts that must be properly lubricated with oil. This helps reduce excessive heat and friction while the engine is running. It also keeps rust and corrosion away.

Ideally, automotive engine oil should be clean and free of impurities to ensure optimal health and performance of your car’s engine. This is where an oil filter comes in; it traps contaminants and debris and keeps them from coming in contact with engine parts.

Your engine oil filter should never be clogged or loose. With time, unfiltered oil can damage critical components of the engine and cause irreparable damage to the vehicle.

Can A Loose Oil Filter Cause A Leak?

Yes, a loose oil filter is often the main source of a leak.

All the oil that is pumped throughout the engine has to go through the filter. A loose oil filter or broken gasket seal will allow the oil to leak. The leakage could be quite severe depending on how loose the filter is. So, it’s advised to take action as soon as you notice it.

What Happens If Your Oil Filter Is Loose?

A loose filter doesn’t only cause oil leaks, it can also cause several other consequences for your vehicle. Here are some of the problems you may face:

Reduced Engine Efficiency

A loose oil filter can drastically impact your engine’s efficiency.

As oil leaks from the engine, there is insufficient lubrication, oil pressure, and thus excess friction in the engine. Subsequently, the engine has to work harder to generate power— consuming much more fuel than usual.

In addition, the oil won’t be as clean as it should be. This will ultimately wear down the most important engine parts.

Poor Fuel Economy; More Oil Changes

A loose or incorrectly fitted filter has a huge impact on fuel economy.

As the flow of fuel to your engine gets disrupted by worn and unlubricated parts, the engine does not work optimally. The overall health and longevity of the engine is affected. This also means you’ll have to get more frequent oil changes in shorter intervals.

Engine Damage

You are likely to face a host of engine problems if you keep driving a car with a loose oil filter.

Debris particles with rough surfaces can get into the oil and essentially clog up the engine. When your engine loses too much oil, this can result in excess metal-to-metal contact and friction.

This usually leads to higher-than-optimal operating temperatures, further engine damage, and has even led to fatal accidents when the engine experiences a catastrophic failure during driving.

Symptoms Of A Loose Oil Filter

If you have an obvious oil leak from your vehicle, you need to find out what’s causing it. When should you suspect a loose oil filter?

Look out for these common signs:

Fresh Drops or a Puddle of Oil

If you notice a few fresh drops of oil or, worse, a large puddle forming beneath your car, a loose filter could be to blame. This usually indicates a problem with the oil filter. It could be too loose, too tight, displaced, or damaged. Your first indication will be those drops or the puddle gathering directly below where the oil filter sits in your engine bay.

Having to Top Off Oil Frequently

Do you have to top off oil more often than before? Depending on the type of vehicle you own, topping off oil more than twice a week is often a sign of a leak. Some engines are notorious for oil consumption, while others shouldn’t require top offs at all.

An excessive loss of oil may be the result of a loose oil filter. If you suspect your vehicle is losing more oil than usual, it’s a good idea to get your oil filter checked.

Low Oil Pressure

The oil filter is also a vital component for regulating the oil pressure of your vehicle. A loose oil filter can affect the engine oil pressure and cause it to drop.

Low oil pressure could also result from a problem with the oil pressure sensor, the oil pump, or worst case scenario: enough oil has leaked from your engine so that the oil pressure is too low to facilitate normal operating conditions.

Note: If your engine oil pressure warning sign illuminates or starts blinking (depending on your vehicle—check your owner’s manual for warning light information), stop driving immediately.

Why Does The Oil Filter Become Loose?

It can be difficult to determine why your oil filter became loose, especially if you recently got it tightened or replaced.

There can be several reasons why your oil filter isn’t tight enough:

Under or Over-Tightening

Making sure to adequately tighten the oil filter is very important. In fact, under tightening is a surprisingly common mistake that many people make when they choose to service their vehicle themselves.

In most cases and for many vehicles, the oil filter can be installed securely by hand. In some cases, vibrations from the engine may be enough to loosen a hand-tightened filter.

On the flip side, you don’t want the oil filter to be over-tightened. An overly tight filter can crush or bend the filter gasket and cause a leak. This can explain why it’s not recommended to fasten the filter with tools on some vehicles.

Damaged Oil Filter Gasket

Sometimes the oil filter may be in perfect condition but the seal gasket is damaged. As a result, the filter won’t attach to the engine oil filter mating surface properly.

Take a look at the oil filter gasket and look out for signs of wear and tear, cracks, cuts, stubborn bends, or other imperfections. Note that the gasket should always sit flat inside the housing.

Double Gasket

An oil filter leaking can also result from a double gasket. This common mistake happens during a replacement when the old gasket remains stuck to the mating surface and a new filter is installed on top.

if your vehicle has a separate gasket that must be installed with a new filter, make sure to remove the old gasket when you’re installing a new one. Other vehicles use filters that include the gasket.

A double gasket can turn into a messy situation and even result in an accident on the road if the a complete blowout occurs and all oil leaves the engine.

Damaged Filter Threads

The threads on an oil filter’s baseplate are quite delicate and should be installed correctly. A cross-threaded filter may not seal properly which can also cause a leak.

Even if there’s no leaking, it’s a good idea to get the filter mounting threads checked when you’re servicing your vehicle or getting service done by a professional.

Wrong Filter

This issue usually happens when you’re changing your oil yourself. Before assuming that a loose filter is the culprit, make sure to check if you’ve installed the correct one.

The wrong size or type of filter will not fit properly to the engine mount. The threads may not align with the mounting point, making the filter too loose.

Check your car’s owner’s manual and find out the appropriate type and size of oil filter you need to install.

Can A Small Oil Leak Be Dangerous?

Most people shrug off a few drops of oil and don’t pay much attention to them. However, even a small leak can turn into a serious problem if left untreated.

Once your engine has started leaking, it’s time to send your vehicle for maintenance. Also, make sure to check your filter regularly and send it for a replacement whenever needed.

How Often Should I Get My Oil Filter Changed?

Virtually every car manufacturer recommends getting a new oil filter each time you change your oil.

Can a Loose Oil Filter Cause A Misfire?

In most cases, a loose filter will not cause a misfire. However, it may happen under certain conditions, especially if you leave the oil filter leaking for an extended period.

If the filter isn’t functioning properly, there will be less oil flowing around the engine, which can cause incorrect engine timing, which can result in a misfire.

What To Do When Your Oil Filter Is Loose

We know how frustrating it can be to deal with a recurring loose oil filter. Instead of trying to tighten it yourself, it’s best to get it replaced by an expert technician.

If you’re in Texas and need to get your vehicle checked for an oil leak, turn to the experts at Caliber Auto Care, who will diagnose the problem and fix it the right way.