I was just wondering why Honda puts a washer with their stock oil filters?

Can someone please explain.

 

it's a crush washer, the washer helps seal the drain hole

 

i think you meant a washer with the oil drain bolt, not filter.

i'm not 100% sure but i think it helps seal it like he said, so that you can torque down the bolt without potentially damaging the threads on the actual drain hole. you can get away with re-using the same one just fine (versus replacing it at every oil change). that's what i personally do at least. if you see that it is leaking, then change the washer, but that has never happened to me yet from my personal experience with this and other hondas/acuras.

 

Yeah, if you mean crush washers for the oil drain, they are to prevent over tightening and they also DO help seal a bit more. I reuse the washers on my CR-V until they weep then replace them and problem solved.

If you DO mean filters, all filters have rubber GASKETS to seal them in place when tightened. Without a good seal, you can be in BIG trouble. Being a Gen II CR-V owner, I was in a state of panic when CR-Vs started torching due to leaks from the oil filter. Turns out Honda was installing them dry at the factory (not rubbing the gasket with oil, as you should when you install a new filter) and they were seperating from the filter and sticking to the engine. When a new filter was installed, there was a leak because the surface where the new filter met the old gasket wasn't a good seal. Resulting oil sprayed right onto the catalytic converter and caused a raging inferno in short order. Honda escaped real blame, saying that in event of gasket seperation from the filter, it was the responsibility of the person changing the oil to ensure the gasket was removed.

 

I was actually wondering about the oil filter. All good info guys. Thanks!

 

I noticed that local dealers now sell the filter with the copper washer included.

I always replace the drain plug washer at each oil change and I use a torque wrench to be sure of proper tightness. I think it's worth the extra precaution.

The rubber seal on the filter gets a coat of oil and I firmly tighten it by hand with a rag wrapped around it. I've never had any leaks doing it that way and it's easy to undo with the proper filter wrench when the time comes for the next oil change.

 

Simple. They are assuming that if you are replacing the oil filter, you are also most likely changing the oil. Since you are supposed to change the crush washer on the oil pan bolt, they include the washer with the filter. That way neither the dealership nor you will forget to replace it.

 

i like how honda uses a generic washer as their crush washer for the plug...unlike my other with those special copper washers that actually crush.