Oil filter confusion... MB dealer sold me a BMW filter
 

They may all be the same, but I am wondering. Went today to get a filter for my moms 88 Mercedes. I have always purchased my Mercedes filters at the local dealership (its a Mercedes AND BMW dealer). Today there was some guy there that seemed totally clueless. He didnt even know what engine a 300SEL had. He had went around the corner to a computer where I could not see him and he asked me if it was a 3.5L or a 4.3L... I am like, what the heck?! I told him it was a 3.0L inline 6. He punched more on the computer, got up walked toward the back, mumbling, "I dont think its a 3.0". :rolleyes: Another guy behind the counter told him it was a spin on filter and to give me (and he said some part #). The man came back out and asked me if I minded using a BMW filter and I said no, as long as it works, but I am wondering will this filter be OK for our Mercedes? The filter he gave me looks longer than the Mercedes filter thats on there. It says made in Austria (and I think the Mercedes filter was too, (may have been Spain), but they may be the same manufacturer. I dont know. I wanted to be sure though that this filter would be OK for the M103 engine. Oh, get this... when I last bought a MB filter, it was $7.00... this time he came and said, the BMW filter is cheaper anyway... then charged me $16.01! :rolleyes:

I wouldn't use it.. the threads might be different

I think you'd be hard pressed to find an internet parts supplier that wasn't way better than these folks.

there is a website out there that sells filters for german cars and german cars only. You can buy the stuff by the case and save a lot of money

Thanks. Well I had stopped there because I was going by there anyway and I thought I could pick up the MB filter for $8.00 (which is what it was 6 months ago when I stopped there) and not have to deal with going on the internet, having it shipped, etc. Apparently there are morons at the parts department now at our local MB dealer that likes to give BMW oil filters for older Mercedes cars, then charge $16. for them. Some other guy in the back said it would work that someone else used those BMW filters on Mercedes, so I dont know.

Lame.... Whenever I order parts offline I always toss in an oil or fuel filter.

Talk about total incompetence. I would be embarrassed if I had to work there! I would avoid this dealer in the future and return the filter and get the correct one elsewhere.

Yeah, I know... it was really crazy he thought the 300SEL had a 3.5 or a 4.3L. Then in a cross kinda way he said "next time you need a part and you dont have the car, it would be a good idea to have the VIN #". Are their computer systems that old that they cant pull up a part # for an oil filter for a 88 Mercedes.

Bad part is this is the only MB dealer within 120 miles. This one is 20 miles away... next one is 120 miles. Guess I will order on online and take this one back next time I am down that way.

I have never seen a MB and a BMW stealership...er....dealership in the same building...I thought they were competitors and "not" allowed to sell each others cars/parts? Or at least have seperate buildings...seperate parts departments.

Ours is weird... there is a BMW building for sales/service and a Mercedes building for sales/service... they share the same parking lot and owned by the same person (Rick Hill)... strange thing is that the Mercedes "parts department" is over in the BMW building. I found that out the first time I went for a key for my old '85 Mercedes... I went in the Mercedes building and asked where the Mercedes parts department was and he exclaimed it was over in the BMW building. :rolleyes:

and here is a pic of the filter he sold me... its still on the back seat of my Lincoln...
(wasnt even in a package!!!)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...torm/007-3.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...torm/006-5.jpg

That man is causing confusion and delay....

If it is that pressing just go buy a filter at your local auto parts store.

I have read though where many say they are not as good because some kind of anti-drain back valve?

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/14867-tech-question-mann-oil-filters-post70745.html

look at this post. i always thought the mb filter could be used in place of the bmw, but not vice-versa. good luck, chuck.

Same Here
 

BMW,Mercedes and BUICK(?) parts and service ALL in the same bldg.
(YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE VERY,VERY CAREFUL BUYING MB parts from some
case hardened 25 year GM Parts Guy!!!!!!!)
I've actually seen,through the shop garage doors,Buick Techs working on MB s.
[These are Techs,who I know, have no other training than Buick]

I've always used german made oil filters in my 300se , except once. Normally I change my own oil and when I remove the "upside down" filter the oil stays in it and does not run out all over the engine.

The one time I didn't do it I was on vacation. I hadn't changed the oil before we left and I still had over a 1,000 miles of driving to go before we got back home. I didn't want to delay the change until I got back so I took it to the local Jiffy-Lube. They had the 15w-40 diesel oil I prefer and the correct Fram filter, so happy, happy, joy joy.

When I did the next change oil started runiing out of the Fram filter as soon as it was loose. What a mess!

I think Phil has Mann brand (german made) for less than $7.00. Hard to go wrong with that!

Thanks for that info. I cant find any cross reference # for this BMW filter to see if its OK for this car (even though the lame dealer said it was), so I guess I will take the $16 filter back and purchase one from the site here.

If you purchase one from here, pick up ten or so that way you do not have to deal with ordering filters for a while... then next time you get low (under three), order up more.

Why even bother going to the dealer?

To see and hear
 

The owners of newer MB s (Who do not have a clue) weep and cry when they're
handed their copy of the final R.O.

"$350 Dollars for an Oil Change?"

Because I was passing right by there anyway and the last filter I purchased (9 months ago) was $8.00 and was the correct MB filter.

Oh yeah, they are real winners. ;)

Even I could do better than that. At least I know that a 88 Mercedes "300" means it has a 3 liter engine and not a 4.5L. I mean, come on? :rolleyes:

He turned away and murmered... "I dont think its a 3.0L". :rolleyes:

I know this is an old thread, but wanted to update now that I have an update... LOL!

Today.... finally ended up using the "BMW" oil filter that our local Mercedes dealer sold us for my moms '88 300SEL a few months ago...... well it worked fine like everyone said, its a taller filter for sure (the MB filter I had on there before was pretty short), but the rest was the same size and it worked fine. Guess I worried for nothing. Just never guessed a BMW filter would even fit it, lol.

Thanks for the replies!

If it fits, and your oil pressure behaves the same, it's probably compatible. On my M102, on once used a filter where the pressure was about a bar lower than the correct one at the same rpm. It turned out it was actually the wrong filter, was one for a VW.

PS Roll Tide.

Wow. You are a brave man. I would've just gone to NAPA and gotten one of their NAPA Gold filters which are made by WIX, they are OK to use in a pinch. They have the anti-drain back valve. The Mobil 1 Oil filter does not have this valve and every once and awhile I will get a few seconds of lifter tick on freezing startup while the filter is re-filling. Next oil change a Mahle filter is going on.

Yeah, my update was above this... it fit perfectly. :)