Oil Filter Failure in W124 with photos
 

Filter cartridge has multiple holes in the material and some of the folds were cracked. Filter is perhaps 3 months old, about 500 miles a week. Brand I don't recall, but being a skinflint I bet it was a a house brand or on sale. Note the origin. The new filter is a WIX 51145. Car is a 93 300CE Cabriolet, 165K.

I'll be checking the labels on filters more carefully. The WIX included a new O-ring, which I knew where to replace, but also a copper washer. Any idea where that might go?

Old PSI readings were 2.25 bar dipping a lot into the 1.5 bar area. This was at idle. Jumped around a bit. Above 3 bar at travel speed. Now it seems to stay at 2.25 bar, moving to above 3 at speed. My 92 300TE (at 303K) dipped down to 0.7 bar at warm idle, and up to 3 at speed. So I'm thinking I need a new oil sender, and the old torn filter was making the oil PSI fluctuate at idle.

Follow up - went back to chain store, the filter was a pure o later. They make their own good filters, and also box some MANN units, but their bean counterz are trying to squeeze every nickle until the Buffalo jumps. Once the most populous nation on Earth gets their quality control under control, look out.

The copper washer is for the drain plug on the crankcase.

Is it possible that there's something wrong that could inflict the same damage on your new filter? Are you tempted to check it before it is time to replace it?

So 6,000 miles on one filter? I double my milage change interval when going synthetic, but I still change my filter around 4,000 miles at most.

The problem is printed right there on the filter. "Made in China"

Paul

re: [I]The copper washer is for the drain plug on the crankcase

I already had those from another source, but certainly thoughtful of them.

re: Is it possible that there's something wrong that could inflict the same damage on your new filter? Are you tempted to check it before it is time to replace it?

Yep, I think I will be attending to this more frequently. The holes are symterical, so perhaps some of that fine "imported" quality control. I don't think there are particles in the oil making the holes.

And after I drove about 40 miles the oil PSI drops to 1.5 bar at idle, but a smoother swing now.

The filter looks like it has Exit Wounds, as if a particle had come outwards from it. But the filter looks like it had been sucked inwards, or possibly twisted because it was too long or something. Except it should be twisted the other way after taking it out. If something is circulating around in there, the old filter certainly didn't stop it. But I would think it would have caused some kind of mechanical problem.

Maybe somebody who knows how the oil should flow through the filter on this engine can explain how a defective filter could account for its appearance, but I certainly can't.

Oil filter failure.
 

Reply to Steve M.
Oil is filtered through the filter from the outside where the surface area is greater allowing filtration to be more complete to the inside and out through the smaller opening where its routed to the various areas where needed.:D

Guyton, recommend using genuine MB, Hengst or Mann oil filters and changing oil and filter every 7,500 miles unless your car is exposed to extreme conditions. I have never seen a used oil filter damaged/distorted like that.

Lanny- You've confirmed what I suspected - When I pull those cartridges out and see how filthy they look, I've always hoped I was looking at the dirty, upstream side.

The prevailing suspicion seems to be that Guyton's filter was poorly made - but what if it started out perfectly good? What happens when a properly working filter becomes totally clogged? Is there a bypass mechanism in the engine to keep oil flowing under those circusmstances, or does the filter collapse inward as this Chinese one seems to have done? Maybe those symmetrical holes were caused by a support structure that helps the filter keep its shape, but which became overwhelmed. Maybe we can't see it because the filter pops out a little when the engine stops.

If this was an episode of CSI on TV, those exit wounds would have led to an autopsy by now. It's time for Guyton to cut this thing open.

I don't put made in China anything on my cars! Especially the oil filter!!

There are a bypass valve if the filter gets clogged. The problem is write on the filter Made in China I never put a Chines brand on a such imported thing as a oil filter I can't understand why because a filter even a MB filter is not expensive but a engine is very expensive. By the way I never use Chinese parts on a car they will get better but that's years away.

When you have a poorly designed oil filter you get less oil pressure the oil temperature gets higher the engine life is shorter your wallet get thinner because you first thought was to save money in the first place when you bought the less expensive oil filter and save a few dollar.

Made In China
 

You know the old saying "You get what you pay for". I have seen this type of filter failure on numerous occasions. It seems to happen only on the filters from China or perhaps India.

Just a quick story about Made in China. A local company makes research equipment. They needed some glass parts made. Got a quote from a China company which was very good. Ask for some samples. Samples were better than what they had been using. Ordered 10,000. When they hit the west coast, they had to pay for them before they could have them shipped here. Product was junk. No refunds. They had to dispose of them. Cost them $17,000 and change.
So, China is capable of doing great work, but money is more important in the end. Owner of the local company just said "Lesson Learned". Why can't other companies learn?

Paul

It is odd that the hole is going the other way as oil is filtered from outside in. I'd vote for the paper having a blob of unknown in the mix that fell out.

Is the element too tall? It almost looks like it was crushed during install.

With any liquid filter I wet the paper during install to prevent puncture. High initial air flow then a slam of liquid can crush the element. If your oil filter bypass valve is jammed, the delta across the filter will be very high and lead to crushing as well. ( Cold thick oil is the worst )

I think MB was offering elements with better paper to withstand synthetic oil / extended change intervals.

Oil filter failure
 

Hi guys,
Sometime ago I had xmssn slippage problems which i couldn"t figure out the remedy as all the adjustments done on the vacuum modulator didn't rectify the slippage. After doing the process of elimination I decided to change the fluid filter,on pulling the xmssn pan and taking down the filter I observed through the filter inlet orifice, pleats inside were collapsed thus blocking,restricting and/or allowing dirty fluid in the valve body:(.On replacing the filter with a new unit,leak /level checking,run xmssn through the gears to allow fluid to fill system went for a road test.The car ran beautifully,no more slippage:D.One thing I never checked was the brand filter that was taken out.So guys its most important to replace parts with genuine replacements (might cost more but don"t fail as cheaper ones do) my 0.02c