Warning: PremiumGuard PG5309/M2224 < Garbage

[OLAFF]

Premium Guard:
M2224
PG5309
These go on V6 3.0L engines sold in the Cadillac Catera, Saturn L series with the 3.0L and I think a few Isuzu models.

I have owned the car (2K1 Catera) since 59,000mi with regular 5k oil changes and I used WIX filters for the longes time.

Then they got more expensive and harder to find, so I took a look around, finding a Premium Guard filters on ebay selling for 50$/case (12pc) so for 58$ total I had enough filters to last me 60K miles...

One thing that was disturbing to me was the fact that every time I removed my oil filter I found it kind of smashed... twisted, which made me worried that the thing wasn't doing its job. I also thought it was as a result of me untwisting the filter cap and as a result causing the damage to the filter but if logic had it any other way, she will disagree with me.

I just removed the very last filter that I had, and same old deal, nicely smashed. I did verify that the filter fits in the housing correctly, and I did torque it to specs, after that removed and inspected it, with no negative results. It appears that after you install the filter and it gets soaked with oil, it then softens and the oil pressure deforms it, pushing it out of the way and sptiting oil past the side of it, thus not filtering nothing.

So as a word of warning stay away form these pieces of garbage, especially if your engine uses these:

Not sure about the FRAM CH8806 < but at 9$ I wont be giving it a shot any time soon.

Instead buy WIX 57033 filters, those run without problems in my car, they also cost around $4.30 at rockauto or NAPA.

Here are the pictures of the filters side by side, I also noticed that the wix has more media fins by at least 25-30% more and its more sturdy when you attempt to twist it, or push against it. It appears to be a better made filter so I think it works best.

Wix (L), PG (R)

Wix (L), PG (R) < Last two oil changes...

Those two filters were replaced as follows, the on the very right was replaced at 3000k, and the one next to the new WIX was replaced at 2500k...

Latest oil change.
5qt Mobil 1 HM Non-Energy Conserving(10W-30)
3/4qt HDMO Rotella T (15W-40)
6oz. MMO

I refuse to put anything that says Energy Conserving in my Oil.

 

[Blokey]

You mean to say there is no support between the endcaps on these filters? The oil filter on my wife's '01 Olds Intrigue is an element type like these but it has a metal tube down the center connecting the metal endcaps. I can take a pic of it and post it later. Next time you're at the auto parts store, check the construction of different brands of the same model filter and see if you find any better constructed ones.

 

[OLAFF]

Not sure, I took a careful look at both filters and both of them have a inner plastic tube that is around 3/4 of the length of the filter, also the PG has a soft material at the engine end, where it seals around the oil inlet pipe, the WIX has just a plastic ring with some teeth on it...

Either way I wonder how much of a protection my engine actually got for the last 60K miles... probably nothing,

Which is also why I now have blue smoke out of my tail pipe and decent loss of oil during my OCI.

 

[addyguy]

That's brutal. I've never seen a cartridge filter deform like that. Then again, I've only ever done cartridge filter changes on Ecotecs - only ones we (WM) stocked......

 

[OLAFF]

Well here is a list of all the filter makers that make this type of filter element.

This filter is a replacement for the following part numbers:

Premium Guard PG5309
Champion P2224
Fram CH8806
Group 7
Halvoline
Pennzoil PZ-56 PZ56
Purolator L15309
Valvoline
Wix 57033

Also the vehicles that they fit on.
Make Model Year
CADILLAC CATERA 1999 - 01
SATURN L SERIES 2002 - 04
SATURN L300 2005
SATURN LS SERIES 2001
SATURN LS2 2000
SATURN LW SERIES 2001 - 03
SATURN LW2 2000
SATURN VUE 2002, 03


Here is a picture of the oil filter housing...
Its on the lower right side of the engine, its round and has a nut and a square in the middle for removal.

Only the cap is removed and the filter snaps into the cap, then its reinstalled, 0% chance of damaging it during installation.

 

[RF Overlord]

As Speedy Gonzales used to say: "Holy Frijoles!"

Those are without a doubt the WORST looking filters I've ever seen.

I do have to ask: after you removed one all smashed for the second time, why did you continue to use them?

 

[OLAFF]

You are right, I was being a fool by using them, I think what it was, was the fact that I was thinking that the inner part would get wedged onto the block and when you untwist the cap which held the other part, it would twist it like that... but I am pretty sure that this wasn't the case.
The other thing was I often had my dad help with that stuff, and he never thought much of it, since he has seen that happen on other vehicles, he too thought it was from the removal process...
He also always likes to do the underside work... so I being nice, let him... he likes to check and recheck the stuff twice.

I bet soaking it up and then applying pressure on the one end had a lot to do with it.


No more PG filters for me...

 

[postjeeprcr]

Sounds like a good idea. Also if your Cartera takes an even 6 qts of oil you need 8 oz of MMO as 3/4 of a quart is 24 ounces.

 

[Maritime Storm]

What caused this to happen?

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Yeah, what's the deal? Are you saying that just being in contact with hot engine oil is what caused these things to twist up, not an installation issue?

 

[defektes]

I would be contacting the mfr. with some of those photos above and see what they have to say.

Thank you for the warning!

 

[OLAFF]

Well I thought maybe the filter was too long so when you installed it in the housing the oil cap forced it in the block and twisted it as a result but I prefit it and then removed it without issues.

I think what happens is the oil filter gets soaked with oil then the media softens up and the oil rushing from the engine fills p the space inside and then when it cant get through the filter fast enough it starts to push against the weakest spot which is where it seals on the inlet pipe on the engine...

Then the oil pressure finds a way out and pushes past the filter itself.

If it was just twisted without being angled like that I would think that the removal of the cap causes that if say the front part is well stuck to the block itself.

Note that the WIX filter has a plastic cap and nothing else that goes on the engine side... the PG filter has some sort of a cloth material used to seal around the inlet side.

Not kidding, all of them came out like that, the wix on the other hand had no issues.

I suppose I can send a quick email to them to see what they have to say.

 

[kkreit01]

The early Purolators used to do this on the Ford/Mazda 2.3 cartridge applications. They then put some sort of reinforcement tube down the center. I always ran Wix or Motorcraft, and never had any issues. Also coat the top and bottom with oil prior to installing.

I would never buy some off-brand on ebay to save a few bucks. I've never quite understood skimping to save a few dollars every 3-6 months on oil filters? Buy what's proven.

 

[Scienceman]

Wow.....a bad filter and it wasn't a Fram. Whats going on?

 

[labman]

The L 15436 I used on my Ecotec showed some slight twisting. I wonder if it happens removing the old oil soaked filter? I have also seen a suggestion you need to lube them.

 

[Eddie]

Twisting suggests that the cartridges was not lubricated on both ends before installation. I have found this is the case on Pureolator cartrides. If I lube both ends I find no twisting when removed after 6,000 miles and if I don't lube both ends, I get twisting. Purolator added an internal support to prvent sideway media bulging but, was too short to stop end wise twisting/colapeing and was not intended to do so.

 

[OLAFF]

Well as far as I know the inside of the filter case never gets cleaned since its hard to reach so it has oil left on it, the outside cap just snaps on and rotates freely, also without binding.

Also the entire filter housing gets filled with oil so I am sure it has enough lubrication. I have tried installing and removing the filter right away to see what happens and the filter held up, only after a full OCI did this happen.


A friend of mine from another forum is trying to contact them at the moment and we will see what he says about their filters.

 

[wgtoys]

"Premium Guard" looks to be just another importer of anonymously sourced in China parts.

http://www.pgfilters.com/menu_list.php?cid=377

 

[Nick R]

Quote:
I refuse to put anything that says Energy Conserving in my Oil.


Why not?

 

[OLAFF]

When comparing the EC vs Non EC M1 oils, the ECs pass certain government specifications for the ZDDP and other additives, they meet some preset maximum lelve... oils that dont meet the EC regulations often have higher levels of such additives and thus are not certified as energy conserving.

Often the difference can be around 0.1mpg. To me thats not enough to justify the skimmed up additive package.

Thats just my theory, you believe what you want to believe, not saying that my way of it is right.