Oil Filter Housing in Older BMWs Is Making Many Oil Changes an Unpleasant Surprise

A recent article from The Autopian highlighted an issue with the oil filter housing within BMW’s B58 engine that can turn a simple oil change into something much bigger.

Many owners of older B58s have experienced a leaky oil filter housing, with the average lifespan for the component appearing to be around eight years, according to The Autopian. The issue has been known to crop up in older M240i, 340i, 440i, 540i, 640i Gran Turismo, 740i, X3 M40i, X4 M40i, or similar vehicles.

The problem lies with a cartridge filter that fits within the oil filter housing, rather than the canister-style filter often found in Japanese vehicles. BMW’s redesign for the clean-sheet B58 straight-six included an oil filter housing made from plastic, which has been prone to becoming brittle, cracking, and leaking oil, coolant, or both.

However, there exists another known failure of the oil filter housing. The moment an oil makes contact with the sealing rings on the oil filter cap, its torque spec of 18.4. Lbs-ft is rendered obsolete. This can cause torque values to flare up, leading to the oil filter cap overtightening. Much of the damage caused by this will become apparent when performing any routine oil change. 

A replacement engine oil filter housing replacement, with labor, can run anywhere from $1,800 to $3,500. This issue has also been seen in vehicles with the B48 four-cylinder engine, such as the 230i, 330i, 430i, 530i, and X3 30i.