Maybe, I checked it really well and it looked in great shape but it looked like it had little white specks in the middle of the seal.

 

there really shouldn't be any issue with the seal, it's only 500 miles old. you'd notice if the seal was f*cked, it'be obviously torn or otherwise worn.

I'm stumped man, I don't understand how there could be no oil there, and then it magically appears. the only suggestion I can give you is to replace the filter, and see if that solves your problem.

 

I wish I had just bought another one anyways. Maybe I'm just weaksauce and didn't tighten it enough. Perhaps the leak comes and goes b/c it only happens under pressure and by the time I park it stops leaking enough to drip. But, before I added oil yesterday, I checked around the filter before anything else and it was bone dry. I'm more than stumped.

 

I'm starting to think I was just too sloppy with my oil. I didn't wipe down the filter after taking off the car and I always fill up the filter part way before I coat the seal with my finger. If I had oil out side of the seal, it'd have no where to go but down and out where I have my leak at the filter.

I'll be able to tell in a day or so when the oil gets brown in the engine but stays fresh dripping around the filter.

 

Youcould have bent the thread for the oil filter, causing it to not seal flush. Maybe an oil cooler upgrade is in order. Also, when you check the oil, wait about 2-3 min. with the engine off and level before reading the dipstick. You might also have a broken dipstick guide, allowing the dipstick to go deeper in the pan than normal. And lastly, tell your M3 friend his car needs 10w-60 oil, not usually available just anywhere.