Well, I've had my SRT6 for just over a month and have put almost a thousand miles on it. Everything was great until last night.

I went out to meet some friends for dinner and when I pulled into the restaurant and parked, I smelled oil. I've been reading this forum a lot and had read about valve cover gasket leaks, so that's what I thought it was. However, when I got out of the car, I noticed smoke billowing out of the passenger side of the hood and wheel well. I freaked out and popped the hood and there was oil everywhere!

There was a huge puddle on the passenger side frame rail, right up near the radiator support, as well as in the shield below the front of the engine. It also looks like it got on the belt and that's what threw it all over the engine bay.

I started the car and looked around, but it was getting dark and I couldn't really see anything. I ended up leaving the car in the parking lot and had my friends give me a ride home after dinner. I'm going to buy a couple quarts of oil and head over to the car shortly and try to drive it home (about 5 miles from my house).

It definitely didn't seem like the valve covers were leaking. I just did a bunch of searches on this site, but didn't find anyone describing a leak in the front passenger side of the engine bay. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on what I should look for?

I can't believe I have to wrench on this car already! The only wrenching I wanted to do was performance upgrades...LOL!

Thanks,

Jon

 

Did you just have your oil filter changed? Sounds like what happens when the top "O" ring on the bayonet that holds the filter cartridge is in the wrong position.
I hope that's all that it is. Then it's an easy fix.
You will need to take your belt off and clean it completely, if it hasn't "slipped" off already.

 

I second the motion to inspect the oil filter housing, and see if its properly set up.

BC.

 

OK - I just got back from bringing the car home. It was easy to see the oil seeping out of the oil filter housing in the light. You were right on with the diagnosis.

Is there a trick to getting the leaking o-rings to seal, or should I buy a new filter (assuming o-rings come with new filter). Also, I believe the dealer did an oil change before I bought the car, but I've put about a 1000 miles on the car since I bought it, so why would this start leaking now?

Thanks for the help!

Jon

 

I've only changed my filter once and I believe there are 5 o-rings that come with the filter. I would check the existing filter and o-rings just to make sure they are in the proper position. Also, the filter needs a little force to get it to seat on the shaft. There is a great thread here somewhere on how to change the filter and properly seat the o-rings. Check it out first.
Good luck.

 

The filters come with 5 o-rings, you use 4 of them.


I BET the person doing the oil change know less about your car than YOU do! Do the next one yourself with help from this forum and you'll be fine.

I hate that you have oil all over! Sorry 'bout that.

 

[quote=pizzaguy]The filters come with 5 o-rings, you use 4 of them.quote]
My Mercedes filter #A000 180 22 09, Chrysler #1-05102905AA (paper) came with 4 'O' rings, never used it though.
I think some come with 4 'O' rings and a crush washer for the sump pan, thats what I read on the Forum some time ago.I've been wrong before though.

 

The reboxed filters at Advanced auto have 5 rings. No idea why, but one of the mid-sized is duplicated in the kit. They are in a "PUROLATOR" box but are German fleece filters. Purolator Part L25277.

There is a Purolator L25276 that fits our cars, too - but it's a PAPER filter. Don't want that! I buy the crush washers separately, don't have that part number rigth here, tho.

 

I always use all 5. Mine had 5 when I got it so I continue. The difference is 2 grooves on the bottom some use one ring some use 2, but why else would the 2 grooves be there?

I dont think there is any other application than the MB engines and all that use this filter use the same housing
IMO.

 

Jonny, unscrew the cap and pull the entire filter out. If the oil looks clean, you might be able to reuse your old filter, if you gently slide it off the shaft of the bayonet.
Check and see that all the rubber O-rings are still in place (and didn't come off with the filter). There's only one designated groove for each individual o-ring to go, (according to size) with the exception of the largest 0-ring at the very top of the bayonet.
There are two grooves at the top, and logic would dictate that the last groove would be the place to install the largest o-ring. But as Mr. Spock would say, "That's not logical". Because the o-ring needs to placed in the 2nd. groove from the top, or you will have a catastrophic oil leak, sooner, rather than later.
Personally, if I wasn't sure about what type of oil the dealer used when they changed it, (for my own peace of mind) I would probably go to Wallmart and pick up some 0w40 Mobil 1. and a new filter from a Mercedes dealer, or a "Mann" filter from Napa and change everything myself. It's one of the easiest cars in the world to change the oil on.
You might want to pick up some spray degreaser to clean off your engine bay, then hose it down, and maybe some solvent to soak your belt in to effectivly clean it up.
Sounds like alot of work, but everything should be as good as new when you're all through.
If you continue to change your own oil from now on, then you shouldn't need to worry about this happening again. Good Luck.

70GT6, I think certain Mercedes bayonets are set up to use 5 o-rings. Maybe yours came with that style, or your original bayonet was replaced at some point in time. Did you buy your car brand new?

 

Really good advice above in +fireAMX feedback. When I changed my oil & filter earlier this year, I only used 4 O-rings. Just make sure you follow the instructions carefully that come with the fleece filter. I use filters purchased from www.fleetfilter.com. P/N is WIX 57078 or NAPA 7078. Paid $10.22 each; bought four late last year. S&H cost me another $2 & change for each filter. $12.35 per filter delivered to my door - not a bad deal!

 

Got the NAPA filter, replaced the filter and o-rings, topped it off with Mobil 1 0W-40, started it up and there were no leaks. So then I washed it all down and cleaned all the oil up and all seems well.

The top o-ring was in the correct place, but it was squished and completely flat. I really don't understand how that happened. If the seal was too small and flat from the start, how did it seal for a thousand miles?

Jon

 

Yeah, happened with mine too after the oil change. Accidently put the last o-ring to hign and oil went everywhere.

Now its all good, still smells a little when the engine gets hot. But thats just oil taking a while to burn away...

 

I definitely just went through the same issue. Changed the oil this weekend, and am now wondering if I put the largest o-ring in the correct position...time to go check when I get home...if it was in the wrong position before, it is probably in the wrong position again knowing my haste to change the oil.


...also, some IPA will help you clean off your belt...that's Isopropyl Alcohol...not Indian Pale Ale (although a bottle or two of that will make any work on your car much better)


IPA is rubbing alcohol...just check the label to make sure it does in fact say Isopropyl Alcohol... it will clean off the oil without doing any damage to the hardened rubber...assuming you don't leave it on there for weeks... spray some on, wipe it off, should be good to go.


...I'm about to do the same thing, I hate taking my belt off though...anyone have suggestions for making it easier to belt on/off with a 185mm installed???

 

Yo Z.
First ya gotta get some IPA (the beer kind) then remove the radiator fan (not necessary but easy so why not).
Then check out this post...

POST

 

I had my oil changed about 1,000 miles ago at a Chrysler dealership. While driving home from work I started to smell burning oil. Sure enough when I opened the hood there is oil leaking from the filter. It doesn't seem to be a ton of oil but it is ending up on the belt and being spread everywhere...

 

I just got back from the dealer and they told me whoever did the last oil change did not do it right. The filter was installed wrong and there was .5 quart too much oil. I'm again disappointed in Chrysler because another "5 star" dealership had done the last oil change !...From here on out I will do all oil changes myself.

 

Update: I took my receipt back to the dealer who improperly did the oil change and to my surprise they refunded me!

 

This is most commonly the cause of the catastrophic oil leak, and is due to some dope over-tightening the oil filter body when reassembling. The body should be hand-tightened, only, so as not to overly compress the top O-ring.

After a time or two of changing the oil yourself you will be able to 'feel' the 'just-right' degree of resistance necessary to properly seal the filter assembly without crushing the rubber O-ring..

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replies.

I'm glad you mentioned the hand tighten part. Hopefully I got lucky and "felt" the right tightness...LOL!

Seriously though, the filter says 26 Nm (or something like that - it's late and I don't feel like going out to the car), but I don't see how I would put any kind of torque wrench on it to check the tightness. So is it just hand tighten to "feels just right" or is there actually a way to "know" it's right using the proper tool?

Thanks again!

Jon