Replacing the Oil Filter Housing. Who's done it!?
 

Vehicle: 2017 JCW Hardtop

Took the car in for service and received a call back from my advisor telling me the oil filter housing is cracked :cry:. As can be expected with these cars, there will eventually be something that happens (breaks!) that warranty does not cover. Well....my time is here as my warranty has since expired.

I have a part number, compliments of ECS Tuning, of ES2798694 retailing for +$700. The dealership is quoting me at $2,565 out the door to have this remedied. My question is what all amount of work truly needs to get done in order to remove/ replace this housing/ oil cooler?? I am contemplating taking the car elsewhere. Also, is there an 'upgrade' to this part?? I imagine not, but if I'm spending this kind of money I wouldn't mind getting something that might be more...efficient. Thnx.

I would want them to show me the broken part before I shell out that kind of money! If it is broken such that it leaks, I would think you'd have seen oil on the ground...

I thought the housing was a plastic piece that you unscrew with the filter in it?

You are right in that it is a plastic piece, however, it does not seem like there is an ability to buy that piece by itself (seen here: Filter Housing)

If I can get a tech to show me a visual of where the crack is I am seriously thinking about buying some Flex Seal to put on it until I figure out whether trading this car in or keeping it is worth it.

Here:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_6461

If you need just the filter cap, get just the filter cap.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...p/11428575907/

Thats why I said tell them to show you what’s broken.

Cheaper than ECS

Oil FIter Housing

I don't think the job would be too hard but there are a few parts you need to remove to get to it. I just replaced the water pump on my '15 F56 and it wasn't too terribly bad. I think the oil filter assembly would be a bit easier.

Just came across this with someone PM'd me for a information on the oil filter housing and what fails, that is right here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...periences.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ag-help-2.html

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...c42931fc53.jpg


DIY: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...48281-9999.pdf

I wonder if the root cause to the housing wall failure is in the block surface where there is a sharp edge that my induce a stress riser on that wall of the housing. Over time the plastic simply fatigues and fails. You would need to pull a pre-failure housing to see the block witness marks on the surface of that area to determine if that may be the cause. Could obviously be material flow stress risers in the housing as well, where there is a weak area on that wall of the part. Regardless of the cause of the failure, there is what appears to be a 'common' failure that either BMW/MINI didn't identify in durability testing or determined failure rate would be low enough in quantity or severity to not correct. I may just pick up one of the metal body housings to have on the shelf, since I still have a couple years left before I send my F54 onto a new owner.

Bad mold from Mahle which is the OEM. Enough that their was a stop sale from MINI and they swapped out the housings in 2014 models.

I have a 2017 and mine failed in exactly the same pictured-upthread spot, in exactly the same way. And so far I've seen at least four, maybe five of those "exactly the same spot in exactly the same way" photos and videos. So whatever messed them up to make corrections back in 2014, they didn't correct enough :lol:

Yep their has been some part revisions. I Have even seen some 2019 models do this. So it looks like it still has problems. BMWs with the same set up but different part design are also having the same issues of that era.

I've seen this happen to a couple of minis at my local mechanic. They have made an aluminum version of the oil filter housing for the B48 in some other bmw cars. last I knew they were supposed to be working on an aftermarket solution for the b48 mini coopers because it is a know issue.

We have the metal ones linked above and here: https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/1142858523/

Anyone have any experience with an aluminum one and put some mileage on it? I know I will need to replace at some point and want to know if the upgrade is worth it.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...diag-help.html

Talked about here^^ we have people running both our plastic and metal versions. The MINI original ones have failed.

What would be the torque spec for the metal one? 8Nm is what I could find for the original one.
In fact, I replaced it with the metal one last summer (taking out the screws were not easy though) but I noticed a very small amount of coolant leak recently when the temperature dropped down to -10F (yes in MN). I wondered if that's anything to do with the torquing value. When the temp returns to above 20F, I don't see a leak.

Its the same TQ values.

Might have been from extreme weather and the seal shrunk. Have not heard of that on the filter housing.

Also you have to clean that mating surface good. As you can see above the gunk and built up can easily get on the gasket/threads holes.

I would install in that pattern again hand tight to make sure its all seated correctly. These thing are touchy.