I agree with Dubster, the oil filter is easy to locate and if you are up to it and willing to make a little bit of a mess, I would say it is worth looking into yourself before you start dropping bucks....

When threads are stripped, you can expect leakage, even if it is minimal, trust me, I know this from recent strippage experience! You should be able to tell if the threads are stripped just by feeling them, and a flashlight should definitely tell you more...

Bart

Quote Originally Posted by Ldub
I'd like to know, if the housing threads are stripped, how is it there is no leaking & you're still driving around...to determine it was stripped, it would have to be dis-assembled. No one in their right mind would re-assemble it after that.

GET A SECOND OPINION...you must know someone locally who knows a trustworthy mechanic, or a mechanically inclined neighbor ?