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For people new to cartridge filters. This is why people swear by the Mann filters. No plastic/mesh/metal cage needed for support. It stays solid, doesn't collapse/twist/tear. Just a solid, quality filter, made for 10-20k OCI's. Hope this helps your decision. BTW - Hengst and Mahle also make good...

Oil experts: So, I traded my wife's 2011 E350 BlueTec turbo diesel for a gas BMW. I have some MB229.51 and 229.52 oil in the stash (5W-30). Could I use it, for instance, in the 99 CLK320? Looking at the Lubrizol chart, the SAPS seems to be the only problem. Maybe for a short run? Or in the...

My 09 X5 3.0 needed valve cover and oil pan gaskets replaced. After viewing some videos, decided it was beyond my tool/skill/comfort level. Dealer obviously had to do an OC on it afterward. My question for people with a BMW with 100k+ miles on them: Do you stick to the 15k mile OCI? I think it...

First oil change on an 08 SL550. Was surprised by 2 things: 1. Oil was overfilled by a quart. My guess is someone just dumped in 2 5Q jugs, instead of the 9Q required. 2. The filter looked just like a Mann/OEM, but has no manufacturer name on it. Is this a fake/counterfeit Mann...

My sister bought this last week, and I was doing some maintenance on it for her. I have to say, this is the worst cabin filter I have seen. I think it may be original - 10 years old. It was a KIA brand filter. Dirt was so thick it looked like fur. A closeup, and side-by-side with new filter.

Asked a dealer 3 times to change the ATF in my 09 X5 30i. Each time I get the "BMW says it doesn't need it" So, I did a drain and fill. After seeing how hard it was going to be to drop the pan/filter. Any need to be concerned about the copper and tin levels? Would you take this report to the...

This X5 is supposed to do a 15k mile OCI, per BMW. (vehicle at 98k miles) Last year, while they were doing some recalls, I had the dealer do an OC at 7500 miles (I thought). I had it on jack stands to do the ATF, both diffs, etc., before going on a trip. So I also did an oil change (at 4700...

Hadn't checked it in three years, since I bought it. Previous report was on the oil that was in when I first changed it . No idea on miles/type/etc. This report is Amsoil Classic Euro 5W-40, approved for MB229.5 spec. Car has 147k miles. Runs great, interior great, paint terrible/rusting...

My kid drives it to college now, so I change when I can, so sometimes it is short, sometimes longer than Ford OCI of 5k. Mostly concerned about the engine, and not the oil. Oil could have gone way longer than this, I know. Wear metals are still great. Made me happy. Amsoil filters from the...

Well, I suspected that I wasn't getting a lot of air flow from the HVAC system. So, while changing the oil and doing a few other repairs, I changed the cabin filter. Service Manual says every 5 years or 60k miles! This is after 2 1/2 years and 16k miles. So, I think I will start doing this one...

I don't have any "cans" to cut open, so here are a few pics just for the heck of it. But seriously, they make a cartridge great filter. If you have one of these M112 or M113 engines, you can't go wrong. It is the exact same filter as the Mercedes one.

I put this filter in back in May, and it only has about 3k mile on it. My daughter has had intermittent problems with it since June. It completely died on her Saturday, and had to be towed. My friend has an indy shop. Only problem was that the MAF was very dirty. It had been cleaned just a few...

When selecting an oil, I understand that the Manufacturers Approval is a primary consideration. I have 4 vehicles with 4 different approvals But, I am wondering about the various specifications available at most manufacturers websites. I have made a few assumptions below. In particular: 1. VI...

I have a pretty good knowledge of the MB oil spec requirements, but I just bought a 2009 BMW X5 30i, and was wondering a few things about the oil requirements for a BMW. 1. I think this engine needs LL-01 approval oil, 5W-30. But, can you use LL-04 in an engine that was spec'd for LL-01? 2. Is...

Wanted to see what the oil and filter looked like on a new-to-me 2009 BMW X5 3.0i. Filter didn't look too bad(other than tufts of media on the inside), but the o-rings were really hard/brittle. So, I had a new filter and decided to go ahead and change now. When I tried to remove the o-rings the...

I have been searching Pennzoil site, BITOG, and Google for recommended OCI for Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5W-30. I picked up 2 jugs on sale with rebate to use on my Ford when it is due, but I am wondering if I will need to go back to the Ford 6mo/5k mile OCI? Or, can I extend it to 1yr/15k with the...

I had some Reward money from Ford to use up, and decided to get some oil. On the phone they told me they had Total synthetic. I thought it was kinda weird that they didn't use Motorcraft. But didn't care if it was Total since it was basically free. When I looked in the box at home, it was...

I have some Reward money from my Ford dealer that I need to use soon or loose it. Even though I do my own OCs using Syn oil and syn filters, I am thinking of getting the MC Blend OC. But all the talk on here about the FL-820S that the Explorer uses makes me wonder if it is worth it. I was even...

So, I have tried using the Castrol Oil Selector for months, and it keeps ONLY recommending GTX for my 2004 Ford Explorer 4.0 V6. Any ideas why it would not recommend the Edge 5W-30? When I look at the specs for the US Edge 5W-30, it says it meets the Ford spec for that engine. Is it just a...

Doing some work on my old 99 MB CLK320 that I bought in November, I had to remove the valve covers. I was really [censored] when I found all of the varnish in the pictures below. It was so thick in spots that the vent (about 1/8") holes on both sides were COMPLETELY blocked. So oil vapors were...