Looking for some advice/perspective.

I have a Mazda 3 2005 automatic (167,000 km) that after I drove about 200 meters from my driveway had the oil filter fall off cleanly onto the road. Didn't notice except the check oil light came on. Figured I was about due for an oil change and maybe I was low a bit (seemed odd). Drove 3-4km to get an oil change immediately since I had time. Got there and the guy comes up from underneath the car and says you don't have an oil filter (and obviously any oil in the engine). Car engine temp never crept above normal.

I deal with Napa Auto Pro to do my normal maintenance and immediately brought my mazda over with a new filter and oil installed. He seemed baffled how it would come off 4000km after they did the last oil change. I can only reason that they hand tightened it and it held until it didn't. I went back and retrieved the oil filter from the street and the threads looked good as did the seal. No visible issues to the filter itself.

Obviously I don't want to be out of pocket for repairs on the engine and my mechanic obviously doesn't want to be liable. That said from what I've been told it's difficult to ensure that no damage was inflicted without taking apart the entire engine. For now the engine seems fine from the perspective that the engine doesn't knock and it "seems" to behave normally at high speed. I'm looking for advice on what symptoms I should look out for that would indicate permanent engine damage.

The warranty on the service runs for another 6 months and I've been told "we'd work something out" if something goes wrong. The car is probably worth less than a whole new engine at this point of course. If there is obvious damage I'd want it replaced/compensated obviously but otherwise I'm just going to monitor it.

Thanks,

B.

 

Hmm, using any tool to install a filter is a huge no no. The filters are thin as a beer can and the tool would likely puncture it. That said i can't imagine it taking 4000 miles for a loose filter to rear it's ugly head. As soon as it got half a turn loose it would dump all the oil. It would not wait until it fell off to do so. Anytime an oil light comes on for any reason you should stop the car right there and tow it or at least check the oil. Thousands of dollars are at stake. All that said i would bet someone took your filter off or loosened it wherever you parked the car. I would touch base with your insurance company about the possibility of it being a case of a criminal act. I don't see it being the shops fault after 4k miles.

 

In retrospect stopping the car immediately would've been the smart thing to do. It just never even occurred to me that that could be a possibility. I'll say based on how cold it is here (-25C) I highly doubt someone would crawl under the car to loosen my oil filter at night (I suppose anything is possible). I would say I live in a relatively good neighborhood as well. I agree though it just doesn't add up that it just came loose but I can't fully discount the possibility of an improper installation. That said, where do I go from here? Car is running apparently fine atm. Is there the possibility that enough lubrication was present that permanent damage did not occur? I will check with my insurance company as well though.

Thanks,

B.

 

You just cross your fingers and wait or have the crank bearings replaced now.

 

<crosses fingers> . Not going to get the crank bearings replaced unless i have to. Car is probably a write off is there is serious engine damage at this point.

 

Problem with waiting is once you HAVE to replace the crank bearings it will need a crankshaft too I'm afraid.

 

The cold shrunk the seal and it worked it's way loose. Recently they looked at my oil filter and did see oil on it, it's been ridiculously cold the past month or so. I believe you are in Ottawa Ontario, i'm currently in Cambridge

 

I bet old man winter could be the culprit. Bah! I'm going to have a beer and forget about it for the weekend.

 

-25C may have saved your engine. the residual oil in your engine was probably thick as molasses. It takes time for the moving parts to push through the slowly thinning residual oil film that separates them. It takes longer the more viscous your oil is. Damage doesn't occur until there is metal on metal grinding, after pushing through the oil film that makes a protective barrier between parts.

If it didn't make a "whining" sound, it's likely ok (probably, maybe).

It would be kinda ironic if the cold made your oil filter fall out, and simultaneously protected your engine briefly while you drove to the oil change place.