[ciscorob]

I just did another oil change on my 2011 328i (I have 50,000 miles on it now and it gets an oil change every 8,000-10,000 miles using Amsoil synthetics) and I always use a BMW filter. However, I didn't have time to go to the dealership and purchase one so I thought I would order one from K&N and install it.

From the start this filter seemed to "starve" the engine at cold startup because you could hear it tap a little more than normal for a few seconds. When I went to change my oil there were TWO big problems:

1. The filter element was very britle

2. The filter element had torn!

No chunks missing but I noticed the filter had a small "caved in" section and when I pressed softly against it I noticed my finger went right through it! This is scary because I have always regarded K&N to have high quality filters.

Thus, to those wondering, I would stay away from K&N and purchase from the dealership to stay safe.

[Efthreeoh]

Good to know.

I've never understood why people stay away from the BMW oil and oil filter. The price savings is negligible for aftermarket products; and you know you have tested, approved oil, and an OEM quality filter. The Tischer oil change kit is $76. Counting $10 for the filter, and $15 for shipping; that works out to about $7.25 per quart. Not a bad deal IMO. Order on line and shipped to your door. Easy.

[Casca]

I used a K&N oil filter before when they had them on sale. Looked exactly like OEM, made in Germany and the part numbers/printing on it was like it came from the same factory as my Mann filter. 99.9999% positive that K&N just re-badged Mann filters as their own.

Ok, I see. Gonna assume this is the K&N filter you got

http://www.amazon.com/K-N-PS-7014-Oi...1&s=automotive

which is probably the same as this aFe

http://www.amazon.com/aFe-44-LF022-P...1&s=automotive

If I opened up the box and those were the filters I saw, I would have sent it back to Amazon for a refund. No way I'd put that crap in there. Looks like K&N changed suppliers for the worse, much worse. Bosch filters look exactly like those too. No doubt they come out of the same factory in China.

This was the K&N filter I used

http://www.amazon.com/HP-7014-Cartri...1&s=automotive

STP oil filters for E90's are also re-badged Mann filters, at least they were last year.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Casca

I used a K&N oil filter before when they had them on sale. Looked exactly like OEM, made in Germany and the part numbers/printing on it was like it came from the same factory as my Mann filter. 99.9999% positive that K&N just re-badged Mann filters as their own.

Ok, I see. Gonna assume this is the K&N filter you got

http://www.amazon.com/K-N-PS-7014-Oi...1&s=automotive

which is probably the same as this aFe

http://www.amazon.com/aFe-44-LF022-P...1&s=automotive

If I opened up the box and those were the filters I saw, I would have sent it back to Amazon for a refund. No way I'd put that crap in there. Looks like K&N changed suppliers for the worse, much worse. Bosch filters look exactly like those too. No doubt they come out of the same factory in China.

This was the K&N filter I used

http://www.amazon.com/HP-7014-Cartri...1&s=automotive

STP oil filters for E90's are also re-badged Mann filters, at least they were last year.

This makes my point perfectly. None of the filters I saw sold by Amazon were anywhere near being less expensive than just getting the OEM from BMW as part of the Tischer oil change kit.

[Casca]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

This makes my point perfectly. None of the filters I saw sold by Amazon were anywhere near being less expensive than just getting the OEM from BMW as part of the Tischer oil change kit.

The K&N (Mann) one I bought was $6.99 at the time. I think they were making way for the stock change to the crap filters. I should have gotten more than the 3. Of course you buy it when there is a deal. I got STP filters when I was getting all my German castrol from Autozone since getting 6 quarts came with a free filter, of which STP was a choice and turned out to be a re-packaged Mann filter.

[jacobsed]

I always get mine from this guy on ebay....$10 delivered. Can't beat it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Engine-O...13757f&vxp=mtr

[mi_bimmer]

Only $7.82 with free super saver shipping

http://www.amazon.com/Mann-Filter-HU...ype=automotive

[jacobsed]

Super saver shipping is only for orders $25 and greater

[Casca]

Get Amazon Prime. For me, it is easily worth it. $70 to $80 a year and you get "free" 2 day shipping on a ton of stuff. Plus access to a bunch of movies and TV shows to stream as well as "free" monthly kindle books to rent.

For me, it would be like three months and I'd easily exceed $80 in shipping.

Running low on tooth paste? I order off Amazon, 2 days later its at my doorsteps for "free" (shipping).

[SoGood]

Anyone know if bosch oil filter any good?

[jacobsed]

Originally Posted by Casca

Get Amazon Prime. For me, it is easily worth it. $70 to $80 a year and you get "free" 2 day shipping on a ton of stuff. Plus access to a bunch of movies and TV shows to stream as well as "free" monthly kindle books to rent.

For me, it would be like three months and I'd easily exceed $80 in shipping.

Running low on tooth paste? I order off Amazon, 2 days later its at my doorsteps for "free" (shipping).

I'll spend $2 more dollars on ebay before spending $70 on a prime membership.

[JimmyBimmer]

Sometimes I think the people who respond here all work for BMW. I have used K&N oil filters on my BMW for years and they are great. Never a problem.

[BKV122]

I just did an oil change ..Previous filter was a K&N..must say the quality of the filter used at about 5k miles looked pretty poor compared to the BMW filters after a normal change...and the worst was the crush gasket on the oil plug really crushed good wear as I had trouble taking it off the drain plug to install a new one

[r4dr]

Originally Posted by JimmyBimmer

Sometimes I think the people who respond here all work for BMW. I have used K&N oil filters on my BMW for years and they are great. Never a problem.

Mann and Mahle make quality oil filters (and one of them makes the OE BMW filter I believe, can't remember which). I would stay away from K&N/Fram/Wix. Too much crap in their lineups.

[jmercmon]

Originally Posted by ciscorob

I just did another oil change on my 2011 328i (I have 50,000 miles on it now and it gets an oil change every 8,000-10,000 miles using Amsoil synthetics) and I always use a BMW filter. However, I didn't have time to go to the dealership and purchase one so I thought I would order one from K&N and install it.

From the start this filter seemed to "starve" the engine at cold startup because you could hear it tap a little more than normal for a few seconds. When I went to change my oil there were TWO big problems:

1. The filter element was very britle

2. The filter element had torn!

No chunks missing but I noticed the filter had a small "caved in" section and when I pressed softly against it I noticed my finger went right through it! This is scary because I have always regarded K&N to have high quality filters.

Thus, to those wondering, I would stay away from K&N and purchase from the dealership to stay safe.

I know this is an old post but I too had a K&N filter completely fall apart in the wife’s 328i. Unfortunatly I already had another K&N to go back in, I will be doing another oil change quickly and puttting an OEM one in this time. Hopefully the one that came apart did not dump too much trash in the engine.

[ciscorob]

Originally Posted by JimmyBimmer

Sometimes I think the people who respond here all work for BMW. I have used K&N oil filters on my BMW for years and they are great. Never a problem.

Man, I hate resurrecting old posts, but with all this time on my hands...

I have never worked for a BMW dealership, and in fact, I also started to have issues with K&N filters on my motorcycles. Three of them, in a row, different part numbers on different machines, leaked. Overall, K&N really hasn't shown me they have done any innovation into their products, in fact, it appears they're just capitalizing on their image from the past while reducing their products quality to improve margins.

K&N filters are generally more expensive, the Mann filters have proven to be sufficient, and even Amsoil has a line of filters for some BMWs which I have used and they are constructed well, but haven't had time to run any real analysis on them, I buy them because it is convenient when I order my oil and gets me free shipping.