Oil or Filter change first?

[mjfx]

If Im going to change my filter at home, and change the oil at some drive-thru place. Should I change my filter first, then run the car hard, then go change the oil? Or run the car hard, change the oil, then change the filter at home?

I know it seems weird but I dont want those people touching my filter area.

 

[JHZR2]

If you change your filter first, then there will be old oil impregnated into the media. This oil will not drain.

If you change your oil first, the old filter will have similar amounts of old oil in it, which will dilute into the new oil.

Either way, youll have some extra old oil mixed into your new oil in the sump.

Which is the best? I guess its a question of if the existing oil or virgin oil has more stuff to filter out. Id judge by which puts more junk into the filter media.

JMH

 

[Compman1988]

I would just change both yourself, but to answer your question, I'd change the oil first. Also, if you change the filter first, you'll have to probably add oil just to drive to the quick-lube place, depending on the filter capacity.

 

[bdcardinal]

do you have some special filtering setup that would make it different than any other car? just wondering why you wouldnt want a shop that you trust changing out oil to change the filter.

 

[lewk]

the consequence of a screw-up here could be detrimental either way. you could have serious damage from a mishap in either event. your odds are 50/50. if it were me I would look at trust as an absolute issue here; you have trust in them or you don't. the big picture is who is to blame if something goes amiss, the filter or the oil changer? this, and I'm creating a word just for you, is an unanswerable question!


it ran fine when I brought it in! yeah boss, all we did is change the oil!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Can't you change both at home? If you don't feel like or don't have a place to crawl under the car to drain oil, just get an oil extractor.

 

[Tosh]

Ask the shop to let you watch them put on your filter.

Theoretically, you'd be a tiny bit better off changing the filter first, then the oil, but only if you topped up the oil level with new oil right afterward (which would then get mostly drained). I'd find a way to do the whole job myself.

PS. What's with "running the car hard?"

 

[doitmyself]

I agree with the others. In fact, I would be MORE worried about them wrecking the drain plug threads than any damage they could do with the filter area.

If you don't like the brand of filter they use, many places will let you bring in your own.

Please explain why you fear them changing the filter....no offense intended, just curious.

 

[leftlane]

Stay out of the drive thru places. They tend to tear up more than they fix. The dealers arent much better as they have screwed up a lot with me but they sure do charge more. Do the oil change yourself to save problems and money.

 

[mjfx]

Im scared of them not changing the oil filter or not putting the gasket on it correctly. Its an bmw m42 engine. I think Im just paranoid.

I didnt wanna deal with disposing the oil, but after I went to the local place and he acted like an [censored], I'll def. do it myself next time.

 

[PT1]

Just do the whole job yourself. Call your local auto parts store and see if they will take your recycled oil. I have had the nightmare you are fearing so NO you are not crazy. I get nervous when anyone changes any lubricants in any of my vehicles after almost losing an engine in one of my trucks. I was getting gas right after an oil change and about to get on the freeway when the cashier tells me there is something pouring out of your truck. It was the brand new 5w30 I just paid for. My friend was not so lucky when his wife skipped the OCI at the BMW dealership and decided to stop at a jiffy lube because she was running late and the tech didn't get the seal on the filter right and she got in I-480 and toasted the motor in his 1 year old 750il. Not a pretty sight.