While I was at Mini today with my wife's R56S, my SA told me there is an issue with some of the aftermarket oil filters being an improper diameter, causing dirty oil to be recirculated. He insisted on installing an OE filter, despite the fact that the car had recently been serviced.

I've searched around online and on NAM, as well as reviewed all of the TSB's for her '13 and my '08, and can't find a thing on this. I have an email out to Wix on the issue, but I'm wondering if any of you knows about this issue, and which filters are affected?

 

Hmm. It sounds more likely that your service manager has incentives to get employees to convince folks to change oil there and they are willing to fib...

 

The only oil filters I would use are Mahle or Mann. Both are oem suppliers to BMW & MINI. If you had some other filter the SA may well have done you a favor.

 

I install premium Wix filters, both at my truck shop and on our personal vehicles. In some cases, this filter actually performs better than OE. On one application specifically, the Wix filter is heavier due to the extra filter media. Another application, which was prone to drainback issues with aftermarket filters, has never shown signs of it with the Wix. A third never developed leaks like it had with another brand.
I used to get vendors who would tell me one product or line of products was better than another. None of them will do that anymore, because they don't want to deal with my questions afterward. I'm very analytical when it comes to parts. I've been in automotive for a long time.
Anyway, if there's something specific that makes Mann or Mahle filters better, then please tell us what that is.

 

I never trust the service department of any dealer unless I have had extensive experience with them. The whole thing came up when I refused the free oil service, which is a joke to begin with since they dont change the oil frequently enough.
If I can't dig up any information on the issue myself, I will reach out to the individual OE filter suppliers myself and get the measurements of each filter. So far, I haven't found a thing anywhere regarding improper oil filter diameter on this application.

 

Why would one refuse a FREE oil change?
Just because you don't offer them every 5k miles like I want, I'll not take your FREE one at anytime!

Makes no sense.
Let them do the free one, and you do one in between!
You get two a year and yet only pay for one, making YOUR costs 50% when you do pay!

I've seen crazy statements posted all over NAM from time to time, but refusing a FREE oil change................Priceless.

 

Why? Because the car had about 500 miles on the oil that was in it. I serviced it right before one of the rear seat belt buckles jammed. It was pressing since we have small kids who ride back there.

If the Mini dealer we use were close, convenient, or trustworthy, we would probably have them do the free service once in awhile. But it seems like they're always trying to whack us for something, or messing something up, plus it's a 100 mile round trip, plus it takes forever once you get there. Just getting her car signed in and getting a loaner took about 45 minutes, and that was with waiting two weeks for an appointment. It's a lot easier, cheaper, and less aggravating to just do them in my little shop at home.

Some of us don't take things we don't need, simply because they're free. I don't know what's so crazy about that concept.

 

When my car was under warranty I changed the oil at 5,000 & the dealer did the free one once the counter reached 10,000 worked well for me.

Sorry you don't trust your dealer. Our local one has a pretty good service department. Now that I am out of warranty I use a trusted independent BMW/MINI repair shop. I do all my own oil changes now.

 

Thanks. It is what it is. I bought mine used, and it's never been under warranty. My wife's will be out of warranty in another 6,000 miles. Hers has made 4-5 trips back to Mini so far for warranty work, one of them being on a wrecker. All I've had to fix on mine so far has been a thermostat housing and license lamp lens, although my right window and sunroof don't work properly. We change oil every 3-4 k, trans fluid and brake fluid every 30k.

Regarding the oil filter issue, I haven't been able to confirm it anywhere. Mini has basically told me they only deal in OE parts, and can't speak for the quality of non OE parts (yet they know enough about them somehow to be able to tell me not to use them). Mini USA was no help whatsoever, and the service manager from our dealership never returned my call. The rep I talked to from Wix told me that the SA lied about the issue, and told me to try to get it in writing so I can sue them (LOL), and the parts vendor that sold me the filter said pretty much the same thing. So that's that.

 

I like your handle, peckerhead! Although I can't chime in on the oil filter issue, I see a lot of posts saying the OEM and Mann filters are great. I don't know enough about them myself, so I will just go the easy route and buy the OEM filter until I can see concrete evidence there is something sensationally better available. I also see some of the vendors here offer them for good prices if you get a six pack of them...hey, why not?

I wonder why your SA would tell you that unless he could point you to a service bulletin or something. I wonder if the SAs are on commission off parts?

 

Yes (as are all BMW dealers).

 

I buy my genuine BMW oil filters on eBay. Why not use the original equipment? I think I paid about $12.00 last time for a set of 3 genuine BMW oil filters. Still have 2 on the garage shelf, just waiting....and I use the Mobil 1 0w40 full synthetic...do it myself on jackstands in my garage at home every 5000 miles. Easy. Plus, I know that the oil-change guy didn't screw my stuff up. No one to blame but me if something goes haywire. Besides, it gives me a warm/fuzzy to know that I have done it myself. Yes, it's a bit messy, but I am a mechanic for a living, and I don't really trust anyone else doing stuff to my ride! Especially after seeing some of the work supposed "techs" have done....

 

I agree with you. I have a great relationship with one of our parts vendors, who sells me the Wix filters for about 7 bucks each in case quantities. I never investigated buying the OE filters on Ebay, although I am certainly open to it. I have had such great luck with the Wix filters over the years, that I never thought to use anything else.
On our R56S's, I have found that lifting the car from the left front jack pad until the wheel is off the ground, then letting it sit that way for awhile, lets the oil sitting in the oil filter housing drain back into the block. That way, it won't slop all over the bell housing when you pull the filter .
Regarding other people working on your vehicle, we're of a like mind, my friend. I'm stressing out about taking my car over this morning for the timing tensioner recall- especially since I have a short ram, draft hoses and a catback, and I know they'll be crying about it. I would never even consider taking one of our cars to a lube joint for service. You know they would **** and moan six ways from Sunday about the oil filter access, and you would get the car back leaking oil and coolant everywhere.

 

According to what several parts suppliers have told me, including the Wix rep, he said that because he's full of it .

Really, the only issue I could maybe come up with on the filter thing, and it's a stretch, would be that it possibly wouldn't go the distance with the Mini extended service interval. But this would still be a moot point in our case, since we don't run our cars that long between services.

I'm just waiting for some enterprising young attorney to make the linkage between running the oil too long, and all the engine problems on the 'S' models. There's already a class action lawsuit against Mini regarding the 6-speed 'S' transmissions, filed last year.

 

I did learn a little more about this issue today, both from the SA and the service manager. They apparently have seen more than one improperly made aftermarket filter installed on a customer's car. They told me it's visually apparent, and to be sure to check them for proper height and diameter. They have no information on which brands have this problem, and said there will never be a tech bulletin on this due to the fact that Mini could care less what happens to a customer's car once it's out of warranty (I'm not making this up).
Being an inquisitive guy, I ordered up a Mann HU71151X filter (OE), and compared it to the Napa Gold (Wix) 7512 and Silver (Wix) 27512 that I'm currently installing in our cars. The Mann filter is made differently than the Wix filters, and appears to have slightly more pleats, but there is no discernable difference in diameter or height, which is where the problems are supposed to lie.

 

I would think that more pleats would be better. More pleats would be needed for the extended oil services that MINI reccomends, right? I will stick with more pleats and reduced (5k) intervals. Cheap insurance, I figure.

 

I only use OE filters. Why take a chance when they are cheep protection when you buy in 3 to 6 at a time mail order.

 

After doing my own comparison, I will use either the Mann or the Wix filter. They both look like they'll do the job just fine. Manns do not include the crush washer (at least mine didn't).

I could do an in-depth comparison of the filtration capabilities, debris capacity, construction, and so on, but I think that would be a complete waste of time. The problem described by Mini is simply not there. My years of experience in the field have shown me that Wix makes a great filter.

My honest opinion? Some ******* installed the wrong filter on their car, and Mini made the assumption that it was the correct filter but just incorrectly made. We are talking about a dealership service department here...they sure don't pay em to think for themselves.