How to fail with a cartridge oil filter: BMW 330i

[OVERKILL]

So, went to change the oil on my sister's 330i today. It had unknown dealer oil in there with only 3,000Km on it, but we wanted to get it out and an LL-01 oil in there (Mobil 1 0w40).

Drained the oil, then pulled the filter.

The filter was HEAVILY deformed and squished (I'll see if I can get her to take a pic of it, I forgot while doing the change).

The filter was made in China, and of an unknown brand.

But then I found out why. I looked inside the cap, which retains the "filter cage", and it looked funny. It took me a moment to figure out why!

There was the top of ANOTHER FILTER still in the cap!!

So somebody had broken the top off a filter (said "made in USA" but the part # on it when googled yielding absolutely ZERO results) when pulling it out of the housing top, and hadn't noticed, then shoved the new filter in with it still in place, subsequently crushing the new filter when the housing cap was screwed back down.

We used a FRAM as a "flush" filter. I've got a couple of OEM BMW filters on order for her, but they haven't shown up yet. She bought two cases of M1 0w40, and we'll probably change out the FRAM as soon as the OEM BMW filters arrive. Predicted OCI by the maintenance minder is 8,500Km at this point. Very short! I was surprised....

 

[91344George]

Another example of getting the shaft when paying good money for
"service" !

 

[HTSS_TR]

The filter you removed is Pentius isn't it ?

It's almost impossible to remove old cartridge filter with the top broken without noticing it. The only way a person who didn't notice the filter had the top broken is he removed the filter from the housing behind his back, or a blind tech worked on her car ?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
The filter you removed is Pentius isn't it ?

It's almost impossible to remove old cartridge filter with the top broken without noticing it. The only way a person who didn't notice the filter had the top broken is he removed the filter from the housing behind his back, or a blind tech worked on her car ?


Or he was an idiot, LOL

 

[abycat]

wow never seen that before. Ive seen the double gasket on the spin on and that is easy to see from the oil trail but that sounds major newb.

 

[oggb]

Nice.

 

[zyxelenator]

Fram cartridge filters are not so bad. But all above= epic fail...

 

[RF Overlord]

Yet ANOTHER reason for DIY... (as if we needed more reasons

)

 

[Toto]

That is a great story it is amazing what some people do and is why many of us on the site do it ourselves, so it is done correctly and you really know what oil was poured in your motor. I have to say though the FRAM cartridge filters I have seen in the store and on YouTube look like decent filters.

Toto.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Toto
That is a great story it is amazing what some people do and is why many of us on the site do it ourselves, so it is done correctly and you really know what oil was poured in your motor. I have to say though the FRAM cartridge filters I have seen in the store and on YouTube look like decent filters.

Toto.


This FRAM is made in China, somebody posted a picture of one on here that looks just like it recently. Both my sister and I are simply much more comfortable with an OEM (or OEM style, ie MANN) filter in there, which is why it will be changed.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
So somebody had broken the top off a filter (said "made in USA" but the part # on it when googled yielding absolutely ZERO results) when pulling it out of the housing top,

That's nuts! I've removed a number of these filters from the housing cap, and I don't know what you'd have to be doing to it to rip the top off the filter. Must have been a very poor quality filter or someone left it there for 30K miles. The OEM filter looks completely intact after 10K miles on mine.

Quote:
Predicted OCI by the maintenance minder is 8,500Km at this point. Very short! I was surprised....

By "at this point" you mean right after you reset it? That is surprisingly short indeed. Mine doesn't actually show the miles, it only shows little dots, but in normal driving, it would take about 15K miles for the reminder to go off.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
So somebody had broken the top off a filter (said "made in USA" but the part # on it when googled yielding absolutely ZERO results) when pulling it out of the housing top,

That's nuts! I've removed a number of these filters from the housing cap, and I don't know what you'd have to be doing to it to rip the top off the filter. Must have been a very poor quality filter or someone left it there for 30K miles. The OEM filter looks completely intact after 10K miles on mine.

Quote:
Predicted OCI by the maintenance minder is 8,500Km at this point. Very short! I was surprised....

By "at this point" you mean right after you reset it? That is surprisingly short indeed. Mine doesn't actually show the miles, it only shows little dots, but in normal driving, it would take about 15K miles for the reminder to go off.


Yes, it read 8500 after I reset it, crazy eh???