Metal slivers in 1st oil change

Pygmy Warrior

I did my first oil change yesterday at 1000 miles on my 2.7L and found tiny slivers of metal in the oil filter. Not a lot, but it still concerns me. Is this normal? Thanks!

Did you take any pictures?
I didn't cut open my oil filter on my first change but probably should have.
Have you thought about sending your oil in for analysis?

A small amount would be typical that is why you change early on the first oil change... Pics of my filter.



a few small shards... Not many though.

I didn't take any pics but I still have the filter. Mine looks about like Unicorn's filter. I didn't consider sending it for analysis.

Pygmy Warrior

I didn't take any pics but I still have the filter. Mine looks about like Unicorn's filter. I didn't consider sending it for analysis.

Well I am not too worried with mine. Early on all the moving parts are settling in. "break in" If yours looks like mine I would say you are just fine.

Yeah same here in our 1st change at 1,800miles, didn't save either. Am guessing/hoping those are mostly alloy fines from upper motor..

Cheers

That's the function of an oil filter, to capture and retain particles in the oil. That's the problem with cartridge oil filters, the owner can confirm the filter is doing its job, but not understand what he is seeing.

The filter medium in a canister screw-on filter has the same particles in it, the owner just doesn't see it.

I own a car I've had since new. A 2006. It uses a oil quality sensor to detect the contamination level of the oil, so the oil life monitor is not just a simple miles, time, fuel consumption calculator.

The 1st oil change came up at 17,000+ miles (that's not a typo). The 2nd oil change was similar mileage. Almost 18 years later, the engine has run past 424,000 miles. 34 oil changes with an OCI average of 12,400 miles. It still pulls a per-tank average of 27 MPG as it has since it was new.

Modern mechanical engineering and chemical engineering have advanced the state of the art.