Plastic piece inside oil filter housing...remove or don't remove. I'm confused...
 

So I'm getting ready to change the oil in my 03' MCS. I've got 5 quarts of Mobil1 5w-30, and a MINI oil filter...so I'm ready to go. Everything I have ever read says that sometimes when people take their mini's to an oil change shop that is not familiar with mini's...some shops REMOVE the inner plastic tube and spring assembly because they don't know what it is...and that will cause the motor to have low oil pressure.

BUT...after watching this video...the guys says that you DO need to remove that plastic center tube and spring assembly.

Can someone steer me in the right direction??

Here is the video....

http://www.minicooperspeed.com/mini-...de-oil-change/

Hmmm interesting question, I'd like to know the same!

I had a 2003 MCS and it did not have the plastic tube and spring. Mine was bought used so there is no telling what could have happened to it, but I never had any issues with it not being installed.

-Chase

FWIW I've been changing my own oil for years, and that's the first I have ever seen of the plastic tube and spring... Gollum did not have these components when we first met, and I've had no issues with oil pressure ever.

Cheers,

Charlie

I thought the tube/spring was in the MC (R50) not MCS (R53) filter.
The three different brands of filters I have used on R53s have an internal plastic cage but no tube/spring.
Have you looked at the filter you got for your MCS?
Does the filter have a tube/spring?
If so, what brand and part number is the filter?

[QUOTE=quikmni;3350563]I thought the tube/spring was in the MC (R50) not MCS (R53) filter.
QUOTE]

^^This.

FWIW, the WIX/NAPA Gold filter (#7303) works well and is available at your local NAPA store.

Jim

+1 on the WIX filter. I just switched to using the WIX filter after always using OEM Mann/Mahle filters because the WIX filter appears to be better in a couple ways (more pleats, better end caps).

reference Haynes manual, "Oil Service" page 1.6 Maintenance Procedures; paragraph 5

".... Note that MINI One/Cooper models manufactured up to 07/2004 have a guide sleeve and spring fitted between the element and the cover, Cooper S models and vehicles manufactured after this date do not have the sleeve or spring. Do not remove the sleeve or spring from the cover."

Thanks for the WIX number!!! I though I was going to end up having to order one, and then wait several days for it to show up!

New member, looking to buy a 2003 non-S Mini w/ 170K miles. It had the oil light on when we looked at it. The seller said the oil was changed recently and the light came on afterwards. I'm seeing two schools of thought on this:

1) The plastic piece & spring are needed:
MINI Cooper Oil Filter Warning

Low Oil Pressure – MINI Cooper


OR

2) It is not needed (the video in the first post), but the filter may be upside down.

Which one is right? I don't want to buy a car that has a damaged engine.

The seller is going to have it looked at to see what is or isn't there.

I see my first post w/ links has been moderated due to being new. I had linked the pro mini website's page that said NOT to remove the inner piece, while their video in post #1 says to remove it. I found another place that also said to keep the inner piece.

Further info, apparently there are two part numbers in play here. The non-S car I was looking at was made 12/02, and according to the parts listing the cover is part # 11427514988, which I will call the "988" part. It shows the inner piece.

The 2003 "S" model lists part # 11427563763, which I will call the "763" part, and it does not show the inner piece. I looked up a 2005 non-S model and it showed the 763 cover as well, again no inner piece. I've read a lot of threads about this issue, and I think it said in one of them the cover was changed circa 7/04. To check this, I looked up a 6/04 non-S model, and it listed the #988 with inner piece. A 7/04 model listed the #763 w/o the inner piece, so this appears to be the changeover date.

Maybe the later piece was machined a little tighter?

odd
 

My 06 has that center piece and I've changed the oil just as he did - same suction can as he has and all - but I left that piece in... seems to be just fine. Somehow since it was there I figure I should put it back..

My 03 has the plastic screen on it too. My last oil change the old filter was jammed onto it so hard that I couldn't get it off, I ended up having to cut the filter into a 150 pieces to get it out.... what a pain in the rear. Stay away from the purolater/STP oil filters