BMW B48 Engine Oil Filter WRONG Installation Query

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Mar 11, 2020
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94
Location
Europe
Hello all,

I got an early oil change at a service instead of doing the work on my own as I was at other city.

My question is the service guy installed the filter into the housing first and then tightened the cap which is definitely wrong procedure.

I was always lubricating the center of the filter as well as the little oring at bottom and very gently slowly and straightly pushing it into the cap first.

I was stupid not to make him the same way I do. I thought about all again and realised that service did the wrong way 2 days later.

However while doing the job he was very gentle and talking by himself saying 'clicked' which was a good point.

But I still worry that he might have damaged the filter.

I only have my wrench with me, and I can go and buy a filter and 27mm socket and re-replace 2 days old filter by myself for my own sake.

I worry that the plastic base of the filter might have collapsed from the paper part while insterting the cap by turning it as there was no chance to push it once the filter went first to the housing and I do not see any warning light as all are still tight.

Not being able to remove whole filter is 1 thing I worry, second thing I worry is that even the oil and filter is only 2 days old even if I can get the whole filter without any visual damage while removing the filter the unfiltered oil will drain back to the oil pan and will it dirty the oil? Or the 2 days old dirt is already inside the filter and it is not a big deal?

What would you do?

Look forward to reading your responses.

Thanks in advance.
 
Does the B47 use the same oil filter? When I had my B47 I always used to put the filter in the housing and then the lid on top and never had any issues.
 
Are you able to take your car back to them or another technician and have the filter rechecked?
i do not want that because the quality of work will be even worse after that argument. i can buy a new filter and replace the filter myself but as i am in other city i do not have enough tools to get the filter out if it is stuck or to repeat the oil change work with even new oil if some parts are broken. The service guy first hand tightened the cap as far as he could and he mumbled and confirmed by himself that the filter sitted. However it is impossible to see if filter flexed a bit or not while turning the cap. the plastic part in front of spring turns independently from the cap though. Am i Worrying too much?
 
Does the B47 use the same oil filter? When I had my B47 I always used to put the filter in the housing and then the lid on top and never had any issues.
What your oil filter look like? Does the little bottom tip with little oring at the center or close to the edge? Can you post a picture of it please?
 
You can wait till you get back home where I presume you'll have a full complement of tools to remove, inspect and properly retorque the filter cap. I doubt there is much, if any, damage to the oil filter with the way the gorilla re-installed it unless it was a very cheap filter. Worst case, driving a few hundred km's w/o optimal oil filtration on new oil is not catastrophic.
 
You can wait till you get back home where I presume you'll have a full complement of tools to remove, inspect and properly retorque the filter cap. I doubt there is much, if any, damage to the oil filter with the way the gorilla re-installed it unless it was a very cheap filter. Worst case, driving a few hundred km's w/o optimal oil filtration on new oil is not catastrophic.
Thanks for trying to comfort me but car is not mine and next time i will do oil change myself will be September or October and car will probably have 3000 or 3500 miles until that time. As i said he did it wrong but very slowly he even took it out to check and made sure that all was in place and turned the cap but turned the cap while filter was in which i worry now. He also told that his purpose was to prevent braking the tip. How does all sound for driving about 3000 3500 miles?
 
Thanks for trying to comfort me but car is not mine and next time i will do oil change myself will be September or October and car will probably have 3000 or 3500 miles until that time. As i said he did it wrong but very slowly he even took it out to check and made sure that all was in place and turned the cap but turned the cap while filter was in which i worry now. He also told that his purpose was to prevent braking the tip. How does all sound for driving about 3000 3500 miles?
For your peace of mind go to another shop and explain your situation. Have the new shop remove and inspect the oil filter and replace if necessary.
 
The reason the guy put the filter into the housing first was to ensure the little nipple on the filter was seated into the opening in the housing. BMW does state to put the filter into the filter cap first but honestly, it isn't a big deal. It's a simple matter of sliding the filter over the cap center. It doesn't make a bit of difference which goes in first. I would put the filter into the housing first myself just to be sure the filter nipple was correctly positioned.

I think you're worrying over something that isn't worth the energy to worry over. As long as the filter was seated into the housing correctly, the cap fitment will either fit or it won't. It's almost a fool-proof design.

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CHECK RIGHT NOW!
Besides being installed wrongly, he maybe damaged housing or housing might get damaged over time. And on B48 changing housing is 10+ hours work!
 
CHECK RIGHT NOW!
Besides being installed wrongly, he maybe damaged housing or housing might get damaged over time. And on B48 changing housing is 10+ hours work!
I am planning to buy new filter and filter cap.

Am i taking risk trying to remove it now? Is it possible that housing might have been damaged even after he ensured that the bottom tip of the filter sat correctly?
 
I am planning to buy new filter and filter cap.

Am i taking risk trying to remove it now? Is it possible that housing might have been damaged even after he ensured that the bottom tip of the filter sat correctly?
I cannot say anything about that. Be patient when unscrewing and do it on cold engine.
 
The reason the guy put the filter into the housing first was to ensure the little nipple on the filter was seated into the opening in the housing. BMW does state to put the filter into the filter cap first but honestly, it isn't a big deal. It's a simple matter of sliding the filter over the cap center. It doesn't make a bit of difference which goes in first. I would put the filter into the housing first myself just to be sure the filter nipple was correctly positioned.

I think you're worrying over something that isn't worth the energy to worry over. As long as the filter was seated into the housing correctly, the cap fitment will either fit or it won't. It's almost a fool-proof design.

View attachment 279363
Thanks for your comment however the response from edyvw here at this thread is way different and made me worry more even.

 
The reason the guy put the filter into the housing first was to ensure the little nipple on the filter was seated into the opening in the housing. BMW does state to put the filter into the filter cap first but honestly, it isn't a big deal. It's a simple matter of sliding the filter over the cap center. It doesn't make a bit of difference which goes in first. I would put the filter into the housing first myself just to be sure the filter nipple was correctly positioned.

I think you're worrying over something that isn't worth the energy to worry over. As long as the filter was seated into the housing correctly, the cap fitment will either fit or it won't. It's almost a fool-proof design.

View attachment 279363

That's the same filter I used to have on the B47. Rightly or wrongly, It felt far safer to pop the nipple into the required slot and then put the lid on afterwards.
 
That's the same filter I used to have on the B47. Rightly or wrongly, It felt far safer to pop the nipple into the required slot and then put the lid on afterwards.
Thanks for sharing your opinion. Filter was put in and he made sure that the nipple with blue o ring sat then he gently screwed the lid.

In all cases I will change just the filter but I worry if the filter did not click then when i will be trying to remove it either the nipple of filter or the centre bottom pipe of housing might be broken.

Maybe loosening it half a turn then temporarily tightening it back just a bit less than half a turn then trying to loosen until getting it out might be better. but in all cases sooner or later i will need to remove that filter cap.

I ended up buying a new filter and new filter cap too just in case.

Maybe I should visit another shop and tell them all and tell them that I will try to remove the cap myself in front of the shop abd get a quote to replace the housing just in case if something goes wrong.By that at least I will not need to deal with towing the car which is hard job as it has automatic transmission and as i know the Emergency Release of that ZF8 transmission is under the car as a bolt. Not sure though.

Or maybe there is nothing is wrong and filter will come right away and I worry for nothing?
 
Hmmm, the filter for my car's B58 engine has no nipple. The ends are different, but no nipple.
 
That's the same filter I used to have on the B47. Rightly or wrongly, It felt far safer to pop the nipple into the required slot and then put the lid on afterwards.
Another question, did the cap clicked on filter with this type of installation and did cap came together with the filter afterwards when you uninstalled at next oil change? Do you remember?
 
Update: I ended up removing the filter and replacing it. 5 days old filter came out in good condition together with the cap so it was a waste of time energy and money.

I did the process correct way however as I was too gentle and unsure that all was okay while trying to push and screw the cap. I pulled the cap back with the filter but only cap came out so I had to push the filter back to the cap from different spots and I ensured that centre of the filter still looks good and filter stays rigid with the cap and at second try it slided easier and I screwed it down.

Only concern is now that I had to push the filter 2 times to the cap, although I am bit more comfortable I am still not 100% comfortable but I also really do not want to change the filter 3. time. Next oil change will be 4 or 5 months later in about 3000 or 4000 miles later. Hope that all will be good.
 
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