VW TDI forum, Audi, Porsche, and Chevy Cruze Diesel forum banner

What happens if technician installs oil filter element upside down?

2K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Keithuk 
#1 ·
I've a 2005 Passat TDI Wagon with the BHW engine. I'm not a mechanic; I'm just a guy who really likes his car.

Question
Is it possible to put the oil filter element in upside down, and would that result in ineffective filtering and damage to engine parts?

Background
The technicians at the shop where I've been taking the car for years said that my engine was making way more noise than it should, but were unable to tell me why without tearing it apart.
I took the car to another shop.
The technicians there also said the engine was making way more noise than it should. They brought that up themselves; I hadn't said anything about what the first shop's techs said. I'd actually taken the car to the second shop for unrelated issues.

After doing a bunch of digging, the lead technician at the new shop told me that, at the last oil change at the first shop, the techs had put the new oil filter element in upside down. He says this means:
  • the filter element didn't seat properly in the canister
  • the oil didn't flow through the filter as it should
  • the dirty oil then became dirtier and dirtier as it wore at the engine parts, and bingo
  • I've got metal particles in my oil
He says my engine will need to be replaced.

I've got the returned filter, and yes, it does have very many, very fine metal "filings" in it.

Is that bulleted scenario above possible/likely? Do the metal filings and the loud engine necessarily mean the engine needs to be replaced?

Thanks,
-Ken
 
See less See more
#2 ·
First posts normally go in introductions else you could get a free fix and we never see you again!!!

Forum Rules and Guidelines

This thread should be moved to the correct section if the new mod bjr72 does his job right.

This is a new forum layout which is owned by a company last year that doesn't give a dam with loads of bugs which have been reported in the new thread. There is no TDI Wiki at the moment or original similes which they refuse to install. It doesn't show the car spec/location.

Add your car specs to your signature that will show on every post you make.

Car spec now shows not for all members.

Myturbodiesel moving on

Release Notes

We Are Live - Community Feedback

This has been talked about many times.

I've made a poll which no one has posted in, there are a few votes and comments.

Do you like the new forum features?

Wiki pages have been restored as of 7th December, I asked where is the link it should be on top of the main forum.

You find someone who knows what they are doing as you can't really fit the oil filter element upside down.

Manufacturer: VW, Date(s) Used: 11/2003-05/2005, Model: Passat/4Motion/Variant, Engine Code: BHW, 100Kw, 136PS, 2.0 Ltr, 4 Cyls, Remarks: Mexico ("MEX"): Turbocharged Direct Injection Pumpe Düse (TDI-PD) Timing belt
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top