Oil Change - Dealer Screw Up?
01-22-2007, 05:21 AM
#21
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Changing dealers over an oilfilter is kinda rough. If its convienent and close, then just talk to them.
THink there is no human error at Rahal? Ever?
It may be standard practice to use the same filters despite the numerical difference. Perhaps the dealer mechanic is even better and the "word" is the 545 filter is "better"! Just a a stab, but give it a chance. If its a phuch up and you have no confidence, then so be it. Usually the new guys change the oil. It ain't like they left a wrench under the valve cover!
If its a bad mistake, I'd make the beg for mercey and give you a new 535i for screwing up! Throw in those illuminated door sills and allow you to get mid-evil on the oil change mechanic and make sure your muffler is seered on his chest!
As far as changing oil, I like synthetics changed at 10k. But, Im leasing this puppy and if they want to change it every 15k, hey, its their car man! Me, thats a differnt story.
My other cars are frequent. My van gets dyno oil at 4k, my kids subaru mobil 1 at 10k.
THink there is no human error at Rahal? Ever?
It may be standard practice to use the same filters despite the numerical difference. Perhaps the dealer mechanic is even better and the "word" is the 545 filter is "better"! Just a a stab, but give it a chance. If its a phuch up and you have no confidence, then so be it. Usually the new guys change the oil. It ain't like they left a wrench under the valve cover!
If its a bad mistake, I'd make the beg for mercey and give you a new 535i for screwing up! Throw in those illuminated door sills and allow you to get mid-evil on the oil change mechanic and make sure your muffler is seered on his chest!
As far as changing oil, I like synthetics changed at 10k. But, Im leasing this puppy and if they want to change it every 15k, hey, its their car man! Me, thats a differnt story.
My other cars are frequent. My van gets dyno oil at 4k, my kids subaru mobil 1 at 10k.
01-22-2007, 09:19 AM
#23
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My Ride: 2013 M5 - Sakhir Orange / Black Leather.
Here's the update/verdict. Went to the dealer this morning and had them look up the correct filter part number. I was correct - they used the wrong filter. They then pulled both filters out of inventory so we could look at them (shop foreman was there - who is a good, knowlegable guy). They are exactly the same, but for two subtle differences (both are Hengst filters, by the way). The first difference being that the correct filter has a plastic infrastructure on the inside. I suspect this is there to somehow ensure the filter will keep its shape after being subjected to 12,000 miles of use, but I'm not sure and not an expert.
The second is that the correct filter has a larger hole in the bottom where it connects to the filter casing drain plug. This difference has no operational impact. Other than those two differnces, the filters snap into the plastic casing exactly the same.
Bottom line is I am going to leave their filter in the car because it is essentially the same as the correct one. I'll change it out in 3,000 miles anyway. And, if my enginge blows up in the interim I've got the paper trail showing their mistake. By the way, the foreman did not suggest changing it out. He said it would be fine.
For my trouble, I asked for a free upgrade to an M5 and they didn't agree to it. Oh well.
The second is that the correct filter has a larger hole in the bottom where it connects to the filter casing drain plug. This difference has no operational impact. Other than those two differnces, the filters snap into the plastic casing exactly the same.
Bottom line is I am going to leave their filter in the car because it is essentially the same as the correct one. I'll change it out in 3,000 miles anyway. And, if my enginge blows up in the interim I've got the paper trail showing their mistake. By the way, the foreman did not suggest changing it out. He said it would be fine.
For my trouble, I asked for a free upgrade to an M5 and they didn't agree to it. Oh well.
01-22-2007, 04:39 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by pa550' post='381693' date='Jan 22 2007, 01:19 PM
Here's the update/verdict. Went to the dealer this morning and had them look up the correct filter part number. I was correct - they used the wrong filter. They then pulled both filters out of inventory so we could look at them (shop foreman was there - who is a good, knowlegable guy). They are exactly the same, but for two subtle differences (both are Hengst filters, by the way). The first difference being that the correct filter has a plastic infrastructure on the inside. I suspect this is there to somehow ensure the filter will keep its shape after being subjected to 12,000 miles of use, but I'm not sure and not an expert.
The second is that the correct filter has a larger hole in the bottom where it connects to the filter casing drain plug. This difference has no operational impact. Other than those two differnces, the filters snap into the plastic casing exactly the same.
Bottom line is I am going to leave their filter in the car because it is essentially the same as the correct one. I'll change it out in 3,000 miles anyway. And, if my enginge blows up in the interim I've got the paper trail showing their mistake. By the way, the foreman did not suggest changing it out. He said it would be fine.
For my trouble, I asked for a free upgrade to an M5 and they didn't agree to it. Oh well.
The second is that the correct filter has a larger hole in the bottom where it connects to the filter casing drain plug. This difference has no operational impact. Other than those two differnces, the filters snap into the plastic casing exactly the same.
Bottom line is I am going to leave their filter in the car because it is essentially the same as the correct one. I'll change it out in 3,000 miles anyway. And, if my enginge blows up in the interim I've got the paper trail showing their mistake. By the way, the foreman did not suggest changing it out. He said it would be fine.
For my trouble, I asked for a free upgrade to an M5 and they didn't agree to it. Oh well.
Nice follow up and good info.
01-22-2007, 06:21 PM
#25
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Here's the absolute verdict. I decided to yank the filter tonight after work and put the right one in - just my gut instinct. Also, my wife is very understanding. So, I drained the oil and pulled off the casing. Sure enough, the wrong filter was in there - no surprise.
There's a spindle that comes out of the block and the filter slips over it. The plastic casing then screws over the whole shebang. Because the hole at the end of the "wrong" filter was too small (see earlier post), the spindle couldn't fit itself properly into the distal end of the filter, therefore it had deformed the end of the filter when the service technician torqued the casing down. The spindle had actually cracked through the plastic end of the filter (that is, the end furtherest from the engine block). Best I can tell, oil under pressure comes down the spindle and pushes from the center to the outside of the filter, then returns to the crankcase. With the filter cracked at the bottom, the pressure differential would have been lost and I think I might have had some blow by, which would have defeated the purpose of the filter.
Pretty unbelievable that I spent the money I did on the car, take it to the dealer and still have the same problems you get at a 30 minute oil change place.
There's a spindle that comes out of the block and the filter slips over it. The plastic casing then screws over the whole shebang. Because the hole at the end of the "wrong" filter was too small (see earlier post), the spindle couldn't fit itself properly into the distal end of the filter, therefore it had deformed the end of the filter when the service technician torqued the casing down. The spindle had actually cracked through the plastic end of the filter (that is, the end furtherest from the engine block). Best I can tell, oil under pressure comes down the spindle and pushes from the center to the outside of the filter, then returns to the crankcase. With the filter cracked at the bottom, the pressure differential would have been lost and I think I might have had some blow by, which would have defeated the purpose of the filter.
Pretty unbelievable that I spent the money I did on the car, take it to the dealer and still have the same problems you get at a 30 minute oil change place.
01-26-2007, 07:46 PM
#27
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That person did you car should be saked 
See what I mean, why pay more to BMW dealer for a oil change, when you can pay just $100us in HK get better oil change too and it only takes 20mins to change instend of a day.
See what I mean, why pay more to BMW dealer for a oil change, when you can pay just $100us in HK get better oil change too and it only takes 20mins to change instend of a day.
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