Oil change, now leaking 2015 5.7 Hemi

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Did an oil change last Saturday using Royal Purple 5W20 and a Royal Purple filter. Car was bought used and previous change at the dealer I bought it from used a Wix Filter, no idea on oil brand.

Got the car up on ramps, removed the plastic protector plate that Dodge users, drained oil and removed filter. The filer was only hand tight as I was a little surprised on how easily I was able to remove it. (Not loose but was able to remove without a filter wrench)

Put drain plug back in and filled the filter with bit of oil, lubed gasket and installed. Usually when I put a filter on it will make contact and I can turn it 3/4 to a full turn to snug it up. Withe the RP filter it seemed to make contact and that was it...didn't feel like I could turn it any more. My hands were slipping between the sweat and oil I had on them so I put a filter cap wrench on and turned it a bit more ( less that a full turn)

Filled up with 7 quarts, started and everything seemed fine. Didn't detect any leaks. Put everything back together and cleaned things up.

The other day I noticed a oil spot where I sometimes park my car at work. Didn't really think much of it. Yesterday while idling in my car I got a whiff of oil...hmmmm...go out and looked...didn't see anything.

This morning I back out of my spot at home and see about a basketball size stain under the car. Whoops....I shined a light underneath and I can see that there is oil all over the plastic cover that shields the below the engine bay. I turn the car off and can hear a faint drip, drip, drip....

At this point I'm running late for work so i put a drip plan under the car and hopped in the Honda to head to work.

My initial guess is the filter is leaking. A quick Google search pulled up some guys with Hemi's in the RAM Forums having leaking issues. According to Royal Purple's website I have the right filter on there. 20-820

I checked my oil and it is just a bit below the full line. I'm guessing what is leaking is pooling on the top of that plastic cover and when stopped it is draining out leaving the spot on my parking spot.

Half of me just want to bring it to the dealer and have them take a look and do another change and hopefully clean up that area. Living in a townhome complex I've already made a bit of a mess with the leak and who know how much of a mess I'm gonna make when I take that cover off.

Think the filter is the culprit??
 
It could be leaking from anywhere. The filter and drain plug would be where I looked first. I've always hand tighten the filter and then give it a 1/4 to 1/2 turn with a wrench. I never settled for hand tight filters, although many people do just that and have no problems.
 
The filter could be the culprit. The only way to know is get under there and take a look. Was the old filter gasket still on the WIX filter when you removed it? Two filter gaskets don’t seal well. There could have been some trash or grit left on the mounting flange and that could cause problems. The new filter gasket may have come out of place when you put it on. If it is the filter, you need a new filter on hand to replace the old one. You’ll need some makeup oil, as well. You won’t lose much oil changing out the filter. Make that change with the engine cold, Finally, clean off all of the blown oil that you can. I almost forgot. Check your drain plug for tightness, torque to spec. The correct Royal Purple filter is the 20-820*FI.
 
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I made sure that the old gasket did not come off the previous filter and I wiped the seating area down.

I'm thinking I'm going to bring a ton of cardboard boxes home from work and place them under the entire length of the car to avoid any spill disasters. I'll probably stop and pick up a 57899 Wix filter as well as that didn't seem to have any issues or maybe even a Mopar OEM MO-899

I've never changed just a filter before without draining the engine oil first. Should I expect a lot more to come out with a full oil pan vs after being drained? Changing this filter is already a messy task based on where it is located...
 
If the filter gasket come off intact with the old filter and it’s not the new filter leaking. Check your drain plug for a washer if equipped they do tend to fall off and sometimes roll away from you I once found one halfway down my driveway. Also see if you can get another half a hand turn on that filter
 
Originally Posted By: mx5miata
If the filter gasket come off intact with the old filter and it’s not the new filter leaking. Check your drain plug for a washer if equipped they do tend to fall off and sometimes roll away from you I once found one halfway down my driveway. Also see if you can get another half a hand turn on that filter


The drain plug on the Charger doesn't used a washer, it has a self contained rubber grommet (for lack of a better word) built into the plug.

When I took of the Wix 57899 that was on there, I literally was able to remove it with just my hand, no wrench needed. No leaks at all with that filter. When I put the Royal Purple Filter on it felt like once it made contact with the seating area it just stopped. I need a wrench to turn it extra. I can't remember ever having to do that before with an oil filter.

Then again if it was the filter shouldn't I have seen it leaking after I started it and did my check?
 
You've done it now, putting a synthetic over a conventional. Let the leaks begin! JK

Sounds like it could be the filter. I have had that happen with a few filters myself.
 
Sounds like a filter prob for sure. Go pick up a Fram or if Wal-Mart still has OEM grab a Mopar filter and just top off the amount of oil you lost.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Did you make sure the gasket came off with the Wix?


Yep! First thing I checked for
 
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Did you make sure the gasket came off with the Wix?


Yep! First thing I checked for


Could just be a chunk of dirt on the mating surface then, maybe remove the filter, check, and reinstall, see if it solves the problem?
 
That’s why I don’t use RP oil/filters
27.gif
 
Any idea how much oil will come out when I remove the filter? Will it be more than if I drained the oil from the pan first? Trying to prepare for how much is gonna spill out. It doesn't come off clean without a mess running down your arm etc.

And yes I did clean all that up before I buttoned things back so the oil leak I'm seeing is not from the mess of the initial change
 
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
Withe the RP filter it seemed to make contact and that was it...didn't feel like I could turn it any more.


That definitely sounds like a problem (the problem ?).

As for replacing just the filter w/o draining the oil, it can definitely be done but it also depends on the location of the oil filter in relation to the sump. On my Infiniti G35, it's mounted high enough that when I removed it (had to replace the oil cooler gasket), I lost 250 ml of oil. If I hadn't measured it, I probably wouldn't have bothered replacing the same 250 ml but since I had a number, I did. On 2WD versions or older versions of this same car, apparently the filter is low enough that you lose A LOT of oil when the filter is removed so draining first is advised. On your vehicle - sorry, no idea. If you do drain it, use a clean pan and put it back in when done. There's nothing wrong with doing that.
 
Originally Posted By: Blue_Goose
Any idea how much oil will come out when I remove the filter? Will it be more than if I drained the oil from the pan first? Trying to prepare for how much is gonna spill out. It doesn't come off clean without a mess running down your arm etc.

And yes I did clean all that up before I buttoned things back so the oil leak I'm seeing is not from the mess of the initial change


Probably 1/4-1/2 a quart. The oil cooler and lines hold a fair bit that will be liberated when you remove the filter.
 
On some vehicles the threaded part that your filter threads onto is a seperate stud and is screwed into the filter housing itself. If that backed out at all when you removed the Wix and then you put the new filter on it may have tightened but not be making full contact at the gasket.
you should check that out before installing your new filter. the way you described the new filter just kind of stopping and not feeling the gasket makes me wonder if that"s the case.
 
Thanks guys. The filter is located above the sump so hopefully no issues there with the sump draining out some. In fact part of the issue with making a mess is because the oil filter is located higher up. While unscrewing it the oil cascades down your arm and goes everywhere (well it did on this change, I may adjust for cause and effect next time)


I didn't notice a separate stud etc


Still wondering why I didn't notice any leaking after I completed the change
 
Oil pressure and heat could have worked the filter loose if it wasn't seating good to begin with or just a filter gone bad. Luck of the flaw.
 
Had a similar experience once with a NAPA branded Wix.

I thought it felt funny when I installed, but figured it was just my OCD. First noticed a stain on the parking lot at work.

When all was said and done, the gasket on the filter was too thin, to the point that it completely compressed and the base plate made contact with the mounting surface. A change of filters fixed everything.

Never happened before or since.
 
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