I have an unused MINI brand filter and looking at it there is indeed a plastic cage inside. MINI part number 11 42 7 512 446.

 

I have done three oil/filter changes on my car. I only use OEM filters, but I have never seen any sort of plastic cage, plastic insert, or what-not. Just the metal tube ont he block and a metal coil spring. My Bently Manual appears to show some sort of cage that might be the plastic one, attatched to the aluminum filter housing cover, but it covers models through '04, so that might have changed somewhere along the line. I have certainly not seen any plastic inside the filter itself.

 

Ok, I'm trying to re-locate all of the information I ran across on this issue about a year ago.

First, here is an interesting link circa 2002 that shows a factory filter that, indeed, does NOT have in integral plastic cage:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

So, we now know that two types of factory oil filters have been offered - one without an integral plastic cage (perhaps this was the original or "early" version?), and one with an integral plastic cage (A more recent version? All of the half dozen oil filters I bought from the dealer when I picked up my car 1 year ago have the integral plastic cage).

One way or another, let's all get to the bottom of this!

 

OK, my bad. Buried deeper in that last thread that I just referenced is word that that was the wrong filter the guy got from his dealer - it was for some other BMW.

 

Yeah, that is the type of filter that I have been using. Though mine came with just the o-ring, not the crush washer. Good! I'm not crazy after all!

 

Here are some relevant threads:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ght=oil+filter

As you can see, this matter has caused a huge amount of confusion. I don't know if this is a difference between MC and MCS, older and newer builds, or what.

 

Yes, that 4th thread down was mine. Back and forth with Purolator, till I gave up. Yes, the difference is in the mount. With or without the center tube is the determining factor. Never could determine with certainity who has what as to year and model. I only use OEM today after my dealer parts dept told me they only stock and use ONE filter for all. Too bad past experiences get buried over time.

 

SO TRUE! Maybe we could have a sticky thread that would have warnings like this one. It would have saved me some anxiety for sure.

 

onasled - it looks like you crushed the filter when you installed it. The plastic inner cage just makes the filter easier to push onto the oil canister cover.

FYI: The MINI oil filter is manufactured by MANN - just like most BMW filters.

 

Yea, it does look like that, but it's not what happened. If you look closely at the comparison of the collapsed and the new filter, you will realize that this thing is compressed not only vertically, but at it's circumference also.

No way had I done this during an install.

 

Installation also mentioned on my first experience with this. In fact, it is a bypass issue and how the two filter set-ups are designed to handle the pressure.

Paul

 

I just did an oil change on my MCS before i sold it. I've been doing my own oil changes every 5k miles since 15k with no problem using purolator filters. But with this last one at 25k the purolator filter came out looking just like the on in the picture on the right. I was a little worried but thought it wasn't a big deal. I guess for my 05' i'll stick to the oem or wicks filter.....

Does anybody think because of the collapse that some oil might be going through unfiltered??? I use Mobil 1, and i had been noticing it comes out pitch black during the change. I know it shouldn't come out brand new but usually i've heard Mobil 1 still comes out a darker brown compared to the clear honey color it goes in as.....

 

This situation has been resolved. When the Mini was first introduced Purolator supplied the oil filter housings, caps and elements to the Tritec engine plant in Brazil. At that time the mandated design for the oil filter element was for it to be metal free and plastic free to insure that the oil filter element could be incinerated without releasing as much by products as possible in the smoke.

Based on this the oil filter cap was designed with the plastic centertube (some people call it the cage) as an intergral part of the cap by snapping it together with the cap and it was also sping loaded. This design was patented.

As time went by the engine plant which is located in Brazil started mandating local content in the products they produced and as such the oil filter housing, cap assembly and element were resourced to a different supplier.

Evidently the requirement that the oil filter element to be plastic free was no longer a requirement. The newer elements now have the centertube inside the element and the cap does not have the centertube attached to it.

Due to this purolator has redesigned the oil filter element to include the plastic centertube inside of the oil filter element. This design will work with the original Mini's that were manufactured with the Purolator housing as well as the newer housings and caps that do not have the intergrated centertube.

The original Purolator element was never intended to be used on the Mini's that did not contain the intergrated centertube with the cap and we wwere unaware that the cap had been redsigned to eliminate the intergrated centertube.

How can you tell which housing is on your Mini is easy. When the oil filter cap is removed look down into the housing. It there is a black colored plastic standpipe in the center of the housing then that housing was made by Purolator. If there is a gold colored metal standpipe then that housing would not have been made by Purolator. If the housing was made by Purolator then the plastic cap should also be the one made by Purolator and it should have the intergrated centertube. This design does NOT REQUIRE the oil filter element to have the centertube. This also assumes that the engine plant did not mix cap assemblies between the different housings. Another way to look at is like this ...if when the cap is removed to change the element if it does not have the intergrated plastic centertube then the oil filter element must have the centertube inside of it.

The Mini oil filter elements without the plastic centertube are not going to be recalled because they work just fine on the early Mini's that they were designed for. As of today all Mini oil filter elements will have the centertube to insure that they will work with either housing.

Richard Hedgepeth
Product Engineering Manager
Purolator Products
910-426-4363 feel free to call with any questions.

 

Wow,

Thanx for coming on the board and explaining the situation Richard!

Its always great to see big companies actually have a representative come onto a forum and explain a situation.

Now will the new Oil filters with the built in cage have a new part number from puralator? I honestly rather go to my local Discount Auto Parts or AutoZone and pick up a few filters instead of having to order it from MINI.

 

Does any one know why these things have such a strange little oil filter assembly to begin with?

I mean, why would a modern car NOT just use a good quality spin on filter?

And does anyone know of an external oil filter adapter designed for just mounting a spin on filter assembly to the firewall and plumbing it up?

 

Actually, this system we have in place is not too bad, and in some ways is better than the typical spin-on filter arrangement.

The pros are that, when done right, there is very little remaining oil in the filter compared to the typical spin-on arrangement. This makes recycling the oil much easier and thorough and the disposal of the filter safer for the environment. Spin-on filters should be crushed flat to drain them thoroughly before disposal. Most steel recyclers no longer accept oil filter casings as scrap due to the flareups they cause when added to the furnaces (there have been injuries from this).

You can actually see what you are getting in the way of a filter as well. The stock MINI filter is very well designed with lots of filtering area and good quality media. If it is damaged or substandard before installation, you can see this. A spin-on filter housing hides that.

Another side benefit to an open element filter is that you can actually see the condition of the oil and the element upon replacing it. Unlike a sealed spin-on filter, you can see what has been trapped by the element without cutting it open and subsequently contaminating the internal element. You have a built-in 'litmus test' for your engine condition.

Bad points for some are those who hurry (i.e. tune/lube shops) the process and not give the filter a 5-10 minute 'drain' period by loosening but not removing the housing and letting it back-drain into the engine will make a nasty mess when pulling out the element. Those careless in replacing the element and housing can cross-thread the housing, which is much more difficult to line up than a simple spin-on filter. If you know what you are doing, an engine oil change can be accomplished without spilling a single drop of oil.

The short story is that for those willing to live with and learn the slight idiosyncracies of the filter actually end up with a better system overall.

 

For those of us who are a bit less environmentally conscious and who basically don't give a rat's a$$ whether these oil filter parts are recyclable.... Anyone know of an adapter to mount an external oil filter to this engine?

Apologies to anyone offended, but I didn't buy this car thinking I would save the planet. They make electric cars for that (assuming you don't worry about where the electricity comes from)

Cheers,
Lloyd

 

Moss used to offer one w/ a cooler kit.

 

There are a couple manufacturers who offer external oil coolers with and without an oil filter arrangement. As far as kits solely to convert the filter to a spin-on, I saw pictures of one early on but dont remember who makes it and I havent seen it since. That must say something about that kit. It was probably a one-off solution to a problem that really does not exist.

Most who whine about the MINI's cartridge filter arrangement do so simply because they want to be able to stroll into a Wal-Mart and buy a cheap Fram filter there or elsewhere, rather than spend a couple bux more to get the real deal.

 

Shhh. Don't tell 'em they're not saving the planet! Besides, it's the intentions that really matter, right?