Oil filter always comes out crushed?

[kevinkay]

I kinda thought it was normal too until hearing not everyones looks as mine does........
I find it hard to imagine that every filter I have bought (at least 6 oil changes) has been counterfeit. They have always come out looking crushed. I tried emailing Mann and sending them the photo, but email did not go through with or without the photo attached.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by kevinkay

I kinda thought it was normal too until hearing not everyones looks as mine does........
I find it hard to imagine that every filter I have bought (at least 6 oil changes) has been counterfeit.

IMO, it isn't normal. It also isn't proof of a counterfeit filter, that is just one thing to check given the number of counterfeit filters being produced.

1) First thing to check is the installation. The filter has to be seated down, any old gasket or ring has to be removed or a crush zone can be created. You appear to have checked that already. Check the cap as well as the base, anything left there would create the same issue.

2) Second thing to check is the filter itself. Is it the same height, and does it have the same shape where it seats, as an OE filter. It doesn't have to be a height difference, the difference could be in the diameter where it seats.

3) Counterfeit filters are far too common. But even if it isn't counterfeit, there can be multiple filters with a published cross reference that may not be exact. The Mann catalog shows a discontinued filter (925/3) that was replaced by the 925/4. The 925/4 comes in two versions, one for BMW (925/4x) and one for Landrover and Volvo (925/4y). Same published dimensions. No information on whether the filter media (micron rating, durability, expected life) is the same or not. It might just be a different o ring. The ECS picture shows a BMW logo, but doesn't indicate an x or a y. It may be nothing, but the x may signify something. In my former business, we sold filters with 2 micron, 10 micron, and 20 micron ratings, just as an example. Different prices. Different purposes. All the same size and apparently the same filter. If you go just on price, or if a competitor is competing on price, those sorts of differences go out the window. We lost a filter tendered supply contract (1 year supply, it fit in a 40 foot container) for a good customer with a large fleet. A few months later, following up on a component failure, we tested the filtering performance. It was markedly different, and didn't meet our spec. The equipment was still under warranty, and the customer had been claiming warranty. It wasn't warrantable. He returned a truckload of filters to the other supplier. They weren't counterfeit, and they were a recognized name brand. They just weren't built with the same filter media, even though the dimensions, flow, and cross reference table all said they were the same. That is why buying an OEM filter (one made by someone who also makes filters for a company like BMW) isn't a guarantee of performance. Since BMW doesn't publish filter performance specs, we don't know if the Mann (or other filter) is as good as, or even better, than the OE filter.

4) I would buy an OE filter from the dealer, and try one. See if it is any different. Measure before installing, check markings, see if it is identical

5) Mann may have a small tolerance for production that allows filters of a slightly different height. Maybe this batch was 106 mm instead of 104 mm. Nothing against Mann, they make good filters, but if all the numbers check out, and the filter inspection, and the installation is correct, then maybe the filter is just too long for whatever reason.

6) Counterfeit parts are a real problem. I worked with a different major brand of heavy equipment, and we had counterfeit parts showing up, from China and India. With fuel system components we had blatant knockoffs coming out of China. They did not last at all. With the filters, if we had an engine crater, we looked for the root cause of failure. If we found a non-original filter, broken apart and not filtering (or worse, blocking oil flow) then we tracked back to see where it came from. Sometimes it was obvious (Motorcraft filters that said Motocraft on them, for example, or Cat filters that were the wrong colour yellow) Sometimes you had to cut a filter open, that appeared correct, to find what was actually inside it. The best defence (and it isn't 100%, but it is a good strategy) is to deal with reputable suppliers. I would put ECS in that reputable category. But if the problem occurred back at the distributor level, then the retailer may not even be aware. As noted above, BMW has found counterfeit filters in their dealers. We found counterfeit parts in our stock (not at a BMW dealer) that had been returned for full credit (we caught them). The challenge is that consumers (and suppliers) have been conditioned to look for the lowest price and sometimes assume that everything is right if the box has the correct name on it.

Jeff