Purolator failure

[99tl]

I don't post here often but I stop by a few times a week trying to learn. Great information

Here's my issue
I noticed a small puddle under my wife's car after shopping one day. After a closer look it was motor oil and it was every where on the undercarriage. I checked the oil and it showed nothing on the stick. I went across the street and bought 4 quarts of oil. I need to drive home so I bought what I thought was extra. It took all 4 qrts. I started the car and it was dripping slowly. Now this scared the [censored] out of me.

It was due for an oil change anyways as the maintenance light came on the day before. I took it home and looked around. The leak was coming from the filter. So I changed the oil (in the rain) and took the car for a ride around ( about a mile). I checked the level and it was fine. I cleaned off the area. The next morning I took it to my buddy's shop. No leaks. We checked everything including the lines, cam seals, around the filter nothing.

By the way the car is an
01 Acura MDX with 80,000 on the odo. 7500 on the oil and filter. The oil was/is pennzoil platinum with a purolator pure one filter.

Sorry for the long post
I've been using purolator filter on both Acura's for a few years now with out any problems. Anybody else ever have this problem? Is this something to be concerned about?

 

[TurboJim]

Did you save the filter?

 

[Donald]

Where was the filter leaking? Two gaskets, tear in metal? seam?

 

[OVERKILL]

Did the filter work itself loose??? WHERE was it leaking from?

 

[Lorenzo]

Originally Posted By: 99tl
... The leak was coming from the filter ... Anybody else ever have this problem? Is this something to be concerned about?
Not really enough information to categorize this as a 'failure' of the filter. Where exactly was the oil leaking from?

Installing it too loose or more often, too tight is the more common cause of leakage from a filter.

 

[Gary Allan]

Yes, unless this had a hole in the can (unlikely) then it had to be too loose ..or too something or other. If you got real lucky and managed not to lose all the oil by having the old gasket stick to the block ..that would do it.

 

[99tl]

Thanks for all quick response. I'll check to see if I have the filter can't remember.

The filter wasn't loose at all. Possible to tight but it's been on The car for a few thousand miles.
There wasn't a hole in the can. From what I remember the can at the top was (not sure how to explain it) indented slightly are the seem when I took it off. Like a needle size.
I change the oil myself and always inspect the filter.

AS for the gasket being stuck to the block. I learned my lesson. The happened the first time I did my own oil change years ago.

 

[Al]

Purolator metal is so thin I won't use one. As I recall it was .008" to .010" Thats the thinnest of any filter I have measured. K&N, Subaru, and Mobil 1 are up around .018" thick. I believe even SuperTech are around .012" to .014" thick.