[bmw] Silly oil change questions

["Ed Mathews" <Ed@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
     I've owned my '95 325i for about 1 year an a half now, and have
decided it's time I start to do some of the maintenance myself.  I'm not
a Saturday mechanic, but I've done normal maintenance on all of my cars
and I'm well capable - once I understand it.
     I changed the oil for the first time myself yesterday.  I found it
to be a pretty easy process on this car, but this is the first
experience I have with a car that has a replaceable filter element, as
opposed to replacing the entire filter.  I bought a Purolator filter
element from Pep Boys.  I noticed when I replaced it that the element
that was in it (Fram) had a metal outer shell, whereas the one I used
had a paper outer shell.  Is this going to be a problem with the paper
breaking down and contaminating the oil soon?  Also, the kit had a two
new rubber O-rings, and then two small steel washers also (much smaller
than the drain plug washer).  I could see where the rubber O-rings went
on the rod and housing, but I saw no place to put these steel washers.
Did I miss them or ddo you think they were for some other model car?

Thanks,
Ed
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