How does one screw up an oil change?
 

By doing it in a rush in the dark at 1:00 in the morning.

Almost 3000 miles ago I changed my oil. It was late, it was dark, and I was trying to get it done quickly.

I walked out to my car after work the other day and noticed a HUGE puddle of oil under the car. Filter was loose, and it pissed all the oil out. I tightened the filter back up, went to Target, picked up a few quarts of Mobil1 and topped her off.

After a day or two, I finally have a chance to get under the car and see what's going on.

I drained the oil all out, and popped off the filter.

Wut?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...x/IMG_2330.jpg

Wait a minute.........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...x/IMG_2331.jpg

Crap. The gasket came off of the old filter, and stuck to the block. I screwed the new filter right over it. It took almost 3,000 miles for it to finally start leaking, and when it did, it dumped roughly 3 quarts of oil all over the ground and underside of my car.



Moral of the story?

Don't be a dumbass. Make sure your old filter has the gasket on it when you pull it off.

LOL double stack. I've heard of this happening but never happened to me. I usually oil the new gasket by rubbing it against the old gasket on the old filter so I can quickly tell if the old gasket is missing.

I have my oil changes down to a science but I never rush. I'd rather go a little over than rush. Glad to see nothing catastrophic happened.

No matter what i double check the filter, then visually inspect to make sure the gasket isnt on there.

It never would have occurred to me that this could happen. Nonetheless I wipe dirt from the surface on the engine so I would have seen the gasket stuck there. I'm always so paranoid when I do oil changes. You mess that up and plop, bye bye engine. Same with coolant. I hate fluids in general.

bad bad bad bad.....

I usually look at the filter when I take it off if the seal is there. Then I cleaned the surface before I put on the new filter. On the BMW, the seal is in the lid for the canister, so I have to poke it out to replace it.

I know someone who left the drain plug out while filling it :rofl:

This is why I don't wear 2 condoms. I don't want a leak...or worst yet, a spill.


















*disclaimer* It was a joke. I don't use condoms. That's what coat hangers at the bottom of staircases are for.

yeah, double seal happens often, gotten keep an eye out for that! glad you didnt destroy your engine. Usually that double stack can take the pressure.

why bad?

Well at least you found it before something bad happened.

I did this once about 2 years ago when I first started working at saturn. Made a damn mess.

Wow, very lucky you are!

Def seen it happen before. More so on some of the lower quality oil filters or filters that are way over due for a change and seal hardens.

Glad it didn't harm anything... I've also heard of the double stack on the drain plug, so just keep an eye out for both during changes.

I always swap the little crush ring on the drain plug, so that's never an issue.

I told you so.:mrgreen:

Did you re-join Rob?

Chris, I've seen that happen a thousand times at work, I've never had it happen to me but I'm sure one day it will.

Troll fixed my username. That (^) was my first post.

LOL....how do you screw up an oil change? Let me count the ways!....double washer, forgot the drain plug or my favorite one...cross threaded the filter on!

disclaimer sigged


i rushed and forgot to put the drain plug back in and i ended up putting the old filter back on. :o
never will rush again.