trouble with fitment of aftermarket oil filters?

[mike30]

anyone else have this problem? I just tried a purelator (spelling?) and now an stp. autozone only had the stp for the m42, and advanced auto parts only had the purelator.

They both seem to be JUST a bit larger than the oem one i was replacing. And after torqueing down the bolt, it doesn't quite seal up as well as when the oem filter is in.

Wondering if anyone else has run into this problem... please chime in if you have.

thanks
-mike

[dude8383]

I've been using the purelator filters for almost every oil change and I didn't have any fitment issues...

Are you sure that you are buying the correct filter for our cars?

[mike30]

I've been using the purelator filters for almost every oil change and I didn't have any fitment issues...

Are you sure that you are buying the correct filter for our cars?

Whats up dennis. Yes, I'm 100% sure i picked up the correct box/number, the guy at the counter double checked it when i took it back, too. I felt kinda bad about taking back the filter after i ran it in the car for about a minute, but what else am I supposed to do with one that didnt fit? (it cost almost 9 dollars too, bosch filters for my m20 didnt even cost that much iirc)


anyway, yes i'm sure i picked the right one. slight chance it may have been mispackaged, but seemed pretty close to oem. The stp seemed to be the same size as the purelator, frustrated... i just torqued it as much as i could and drove it home. we'll see if it seeps/leaks tomorrow during/after work.

[dude8383]

What up Mike!

That is odd.

I would get OEM stuff then...

Have you checked for something maybe inside the oil filter housing thats causing this...

[ecpreston]

I had this trouble too. Tried a couple brands, none of them fit. Take a look at realoem.com though. You'll find there's a split in filter part numbers that the generic auto parts places don't seem to know about. From what I understand, some m42's had a plastic cap, some metal. For whatever reason, the aftermarket filters are designed for the plastic cap. Mine was metal. Had to order a Mahle from Bimmerworld, I'm sure the dealer will have them too.

Shameless plug... there's a blury pic of the right one in my current auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320219344232

[gearheadE30]

Funny, all of the different filters I've tried (mostly from pep boys) have fit fine and I have the metal cap. Go figure.

[mike30]

What up Mike!

That is odd.

I would get OEM stuff then...

Have you checked for something maybe inside the oil filter housing thats causing this...
only thing that is in there is oil. oil is good for 5k, and figured i should change my filter around 2.5k. dont think the little bit of oil at the bottom would do anything to alter fit.

I had this trouble too. Tried a couple brands, none of them fit. Take a look at realoem.com though. You'll find there's a split in filter part numbers that the generic auto parts places don't seem to know about. From what I understand, some m42's had a plastic cap, some metal. For whatever reason, the aftermarket filters are designed for the plastic cap. Mine was metal. Had to order a Mahle from Bimmerworld, I'm sure the dealer will have them too.

Shameless plug... there's a blury pic of the right one in my current auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320219344232
k, good. glad i'm not the only one. thanks for the input.

[Choking Hazard]

Metal cap on mine wants oem - Mahle
Others leaked- even the m-1 filter from mobil.

[Gooch]

On the topic of oil filters, does anyone know the part number for an OEM Mahle filter off hand?

Thanks.

[RED IS 91]

Ox91d

[Choking Hazard]

Mr Gooch-
that is a zweet lookin ride. Yes.

[Gooch]

Thanks for the part number, and thanks for the compliment! You've got a sweet lookin' ride too. :)

[Voluted]

How much do the after market filters cost? I have been changing my own oil and i buy Mahle filters from eBay.

This is the guy i buy them from (SoCal Motorsport):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-Oil-Filters-Mahle-Qty-4-318i-ic-is-318ti-OX91D_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713Q2em153Q2el12 62QQcategoryZ33661QQihZ022QQitemZ350028839030QQtcZ photo

Are they more expensive from the dealer/other source? I like the shipping this guy uses and i have ordered some other parts from him (fuel filter, replacement M style shift knob, and some filters for my dad's 540i) with ease.

Have i been overpaying for filters?

[dcm42]

Per the seller's current listing, ~ $7.00 per filter, shipped - seems like a good (average) price to me.

[Colo318IS]

Just close the loop on this...I was changing my filter last night and ran into the exact same issue (I got the purelator) and the bmw place I had it changed at last had used a Mahle....after putting in the purelator, it was leaking out of the oil filter....I checked the two against each other for size. Both filters are the same size, however, the black rubber rings on both sides of the filter (the ones that are about a US quarter in size./..not the O ring) on the purelator, they're slightly bigger than the mahles (maybe 1/16th of an inch)...just enough to not make it seal up properly causing it to leak out of the filter....at any rate, just wanted to throw that out there...

Jay