OK, so I go to my local auto parts store to see if they carry an oil filter that will fit the Mini - it is not your standard filter. The dude looks it up on his computer - a Fram oil filter is like $21 and a Puralator oil filter is like $6. Is the Fram 3 1/2 times as good as the Puralator? They did not have the Fram in stock and I did not want to get the Puralator until I confered with NAM. Which also got me to wondering - who makes the Mini oil filter? I doubt Mini manufactures it themselves - it's likely outsourced to someone. But who?

 

I think the OEM is made my Mann. Personally, I'd go for OEM, especially since it's a canister design. I've heard NAPA has a Wix filter that works pretty well too. A filter at your dealer is only going to cost a couple bucks more than that Purolator; or you can get them online at several of the aftermarket MINI companies.

 

Try a NAPA oil filter #7303 at $7.69.
It is made better than the stock filter.
Also, NAPA has a cabin filter #4478 at $30.69.
Both of these products are superior.
Merry Christmas.

 

what makes the napa superior to the oem unit?

 

Why? What makes them superior?

 

Personally I don't like the NAPA oil filter for the MINI. The NAPA filter has plastic ends and it tends to fall out of the housing when you remove it, throwing oil and filter down the back of the engine. Since the filter falls out, it probably doesn't seal around the center tube of the housing as well as the stock filter.

 

NAPA filter is indeed a very good filter... it seems to be better constructed than the OEM but thats my opinion... ha, o and I never had any issues with it falling out so far, and it takes a good amount of force to take it apart from the canister.

 

There were a few people that had issues awhile back with the Purolator filters. They would collapse in on itself and drop oil pressure... Oil filters are the ONLY parts I stick with OEM wise.

 

I sincerely doubt any oil filter is 3.5x better than another one. Unless we're talking homemade out of chicken wire and duck tape. But I'd also recommend OEM since it's not a huge $$ difference for an important maintenance item.

 

The biggest issue is that the dealer is 30+ minutes away, and the auto parts store is 3 minutes away.

 

and you know this how?

 

If you want Mann filters, I recently purchased a box of four from this URL:

http://germanfilters.com/

They are located in PA and I got my filters in a couple of days.

 

+1

Jim

 

Never had this happen to me.

Jim

 

OEM is made by Mann (Austria). $7 at Minspeed. BMW will not warrant 18K km oil change if this filter cannot withstand that period and if filtration is so-so.