Excessive Oil Filter Pressure??

[Sm[]key]

As well as the problem with a smokey exhaust detailed in another thread, my A4 1.9 tdi ('98) keeps leaking oil from the oil filter?

It happened first a month ago, a couple of weeks after an oil service.

Oil ended up squirting from the oil filter . Upon inspection the rubber seal on the filter had been forced out of its locating groove, I assumed the filter had been put on too tight by the fitter, so I fitted a new one again myself.

Just under a month has passed and the same problem thing has happened again on the way to work. I havnt taken off the filter again to check the seal (I've just got back from the break down), but I guess the same problem is occuring.

Any ideas?

 

[Rev-head]

Get the filter off and check for cracks in the housing that might be open when the oil heats up.check the surface of the housing were the seal sits just to make sure it is clean ..........give it a good spray with carb cleaner to clean to bare metal so you can see everything

Cheers

 

[Sm[]key]

I checked the housing which is the oil cooler, surfaces were clean and couldnt see any cracks?

So I replaced the filter with a genuine one, tightend it to around 20-30Nm by hand, filled up with oil and then started the engine.......oil started ******* out of the meeting faces between the oil cooler and the oil filter/seal.

I tightened up the filter very tight and the oil leak stopped.

Anyone know what the problem could be? It would seem there is a build up in oil pressure forcing the oil filters seal out of place hence the leak.

I'd like to get this problem sorted soon as I travel about 150 miles a day, and no doubt it will happen again.

I went into my local audi parts shop had a chat with him, and he seems to think it could be the oil cooler? Hes ordered one for me so its worth a try.....

Is there some kind of pressure relief valve on the filter system? Maybe that is blocked/sticking??

Thanks

 

[Caesium]

The pressure relief valve is on the pump, in the sump.

Sounds like the mating face is warped. What engine/year is your car, mine doesn't have an external oil filter, its a paper element that fits into cast housing.

 

[Sm[]key]

Its a '98 a4 1.9 tdi, the filter is an external type with a tapped through hole which screws onto the oil cooler.

AFN engine.

 

[Sm[]key]

I got a used oil cooler from a scrap yard and fitted it last night.

I screwed the oil filter on hand tight and everything seems ok so far....:icon_thumright:

It would seem there was a problem with the oil coolers mating face with the oil filter.....this seemed to occur after a long journey so maybe it a heat related problem.

 

[Sm[]key]

I was wrong.....the oil filter has started to leak again!

It would seem the filter is some how becoming loose? Maybe by vibration?? So it looks like I am tightening it every three days!!!

Its an external type filter with a tapped through hole which screws onto the oil cooler.

Any ideas whats going on?

 

[treblesykes]

my 2.0 tdi had an engine management light on so i took it in to audi the problem was a valve on the engine oil filter housing. So on my engine at least there is some sort of valve in there somewhere

 

[Jason]

Dammed weird problem you have there matey!!

Sure it's not threaded??? right filter???????

Is the old girl running ok? especialy at tick over??? as if she was'nt ticking over properly i.e rpm to low she could shake herself to bits!!!!!!!!

Now that I come to think of it I Once had the same problem on a 1.9d Passat,****** crank pulley was knacked putting timing out and on tickover looked like the hole lump wanted to jump out from under bonnet!!! Filter had come undone as a result and spewed oil every where!!!!!!

 

[Sm[]key]

Yes very weird!

I have ran the vag-com tdi timing checker and it says my timing is slightly advance but within the ok region on the graph. So I dont think its a timing problem.

When I got the oil cooler I fitted from the scrap yard, I also took off the threaded tube the filter screws onto, so I could try fitting that......but I checked the existing one and it looked ok thread wise, so I dont think thats the problem?

So at this moment in time this problem seems to be beyond me! :Flush:

 

[Jason]

If it's the right filter,the thread is OK & the mateing surface is not damaged,your putting a little smear of oil on the joint before and are not over tightening I aint a clue!!!!!!

Try a drop of thread lock!

 

[Caesium]

the smearing of oil is probably not necessary now because as soon as you undo it oil will undoubtably cover it anyway.

Its probably not done up tight enough, don't use thread lock as it wont set when covered in oil and it'll end up in the oil galleries, this is not good.

 

[Jason]

the smearing of oil is probably not necessary now because as soon as you undo it oil will undoubtably cover it anyway.

Its probably not done up tight enough, don't use thread lock as it wont set when covered in oil and it'll end up in the oil galleries, this is not good.

I only ever tighten oil filters up hand tight and have never had one leak,Understand and agree to your concern but one drop of threadlock on a clean thread is going to do less harm than oil filter coming undone at 70mph hammering down the motorway.

 

[Caesium]

They're normally self tightening, some have a spring inside that pushes against the threaded portion, and as you say, I have never ever had one come off, or heard of one coming off. Maybe the guy installing it can't tighten very hard.

Try using a filter strap.

 

[Sm[]key]

The filter is being tightened hard enough......​

If you tighten too much you will force the o-ring seal out of its locating groove.....

 

[Jason]

I have been working on this one for you buddy and a mechanic mate of mine with over 45 years experience had it happen once and that was because some bod had change the filter and not noticed that the old filter rubber seal had stuck to the other side houseing-New filter 2 seals-Big Leak!!!!