I just completed my first oil change! Success! I have just over 1,000 miles.

The reason for the oil change was due to all the reading I had done on NAM regarding metal shreds from the engine manufacturing process that could be cleaned out after break in. IT'S TRUE!

I cut up the original OEM filter and sure enough, it was filled with metal shreds. They were small, but they were there!

I'm attaching pics. They aren't the best pics, but I circled some of the larger shreds.

 

OUCH...

 

In before someone says that you should follow factory maintenance regardless.

 

So the REAL question is... if you were to filter the oil you drained at that point through filter paper, would you get more metal particles small enough to be suspended in the oil (not just sitting on the bottom of the pan all the time) but large enough to matter from a lubrication/friction/mechanical perspective? Because metal in the oil filter just means the filter is doing its job right...

That said, I too did the 1,000 mile drain. And another at 5,000. Just because. Worst case, it's a waste of a little money. Best case, my engine lasts longer. Potential benefit outweighs cost for me...

 

whoa. thanks for the pics.

 

You'll get small quantities of metal shavings in the oil whenever an engine's new. But since all of the oil that gets sucked from the pan goes through the oil filter before going anywhere else in the engine, the only question is whether the filter allows particles to pass that are large enough to cause wear problems.

 

Do this again the next couple of oil changes and see how it changes. Would be interesting also to see what other particulates are being caught.

 

Thanks for relaying that info to me and others. I haven't picked up my Mini S just yet but things like that are valuable to me and others. This is my first reply on NAM and look forward to many more. Thanks again.

 

very interesting, thanks for sharing

 

Oh the terror!!!!!!