The filter housing still has a good bit of residual oil after the filter is removed. It definitely isn't dry.
BMW cartridge oil filter - correct installation?
- Thread starter wavinwayne
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Loosen the housing 1/2 - 1 turn. Proceed to drain engine oil. Come back later to the filter housing and it should be nearly dry.
When I changed the oil on the X3 last weekend, I drained and refilled the oil before removing/replacing the oil filter. There was no oily mess when I removed the cap, so I guess the oil drains back down quickly as soon as the airtight seal is broken on the filter cap.
Kantaro is correct. Don't ever ever use any kind of metal oil drain plug on a plastic oil pan or you will irreversibly damage the threads = oil leak and potential engine failure! No idea what percentage of BMWs have a plastic oil pan, or if it's becoming more common on other brands too. No issues with me so far, but the prejudice in me (not an engineer) says I would prefer some kind of metal!
That's what happens on the Mercedes filters. Loosen the cap, oil drain back to pan. I use the filter housing to fill it back up then put a new filter in.
Usually three full turns to make them start to drain. 1/2 to 1 turn won’t do it
A
Always replace the filter (or at least loosen the filter cap) before draining the oil. Otherwise you’re dumping 300-500mL of old oil into the sump you’ve already plugged instead of draining it out with the rest of the old oil.
I will next time.
The first generation of BMW/Mahle's cartridge filter system used a long central bolt to secure a metal cap to the housing.
One large O-ring for the cap, and one tiny one for the end of the bolt, and a crush washer at the top. That's it.
No large sockets, or other special tool needed for the task, just a 10mm wrench or socket. Loosen the bolt, and the residual oil is released into the pan.
As long as one was not ham-fisted, and didn't cross thread, or over torque the bolt, no problems.
One large O-ring for the cap, and one tiny one for the end of the bolt, and a crush washer at the top. That's it.
No large sockets, or other special tool needed for the task, just a 10mm wrench or socket. Loosen the bolt, and the residual oil is released into the pan.
As long as one was not ham-fisted, and didn't cross thread, or over torque the bolt, no problems.
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If you find an answer to that question, please share with the group! Makes no sense that they cost (for my application) $4-5 more than a canister filter that's used on a slightly newer model (same car, same engine). And it's downward-facing, so you're making a mess, no way around it (the little drain plug in the bottom of the cap is near worthless as a drain).
One of these days, I'm buying the filter adapter that bolts to the motor and converting to a canister, I keep telling myself. But it's $50+ for the parts, and I change the oil 1x/year (2k miles or less) so it's hard to justify the spend. Haha
The price is the issue. I have no problem with the filters and like that you can look the actual filter over before installing.
Have you priced FCP Euro. I bought an OEM one from them, and it doesn’t stand out in my mind as being pricey.
There's a distinction between a good, well-designed, and implemented cartridge filter system, and a bad one, just like there are good and bad canister implementations.
Once you experience a properly done top-side cartridge, especially in combination with an oil extractor, it's hard to go back.
Those systems weren't afterthoughts when the engine was designed, like a canister conversion (whether OE, or aftermarket) that merely swaps one form factor for another, but still in a compromised location, or orientation. Might as well keep the canister in those situations; simpler and less hassle on that side of the coin, and no practical gain from a cartridge in such usage.
