Is NAPA Gold Same as WIX in Air Filters?

[SuperBusa]

After some reading in this forum, it sounds like NAPA Gold air filters may not necessarily be made by WIX and rebadged like the oil filters.

I can buy either a WIX or a NAPA Gold air filter at my local stores ... but without looking at them side by side I don't really know if they will be the same air filter or not.

Anyone know who NAPA sources for their Gold air filters?

 

[DieselTech]

Good question!!

 

[zrxkawboy]

Yes, they are the same.

 

[barlowc]

I wonder if that's the case for cabin filters too. I was planning to pick up a NAPA FIL4400 which has identical dimensions compared to the WIX 24400, so I'm guessing they're the same.

 

[JHZR2]

Friend just did a napa gold and it turned out to be made in south korea unfortunately...

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: zrxkawboy
Yes, they are the same.


Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Friend just did a napa gold and it turned out to be made in south korea unfortunately...


Hummm ... I doubt WIX is making air filters in Korea.

I'm wondering if the NAPA Gold p/n is the same, but missing the 5 at the beginning, if that is any indication if it's truly a rebranded WIX filter.

Example: WIX 56116 is a rebadged NAPA Gold 6116.

If the NAPA Gold wasn't made by WIX, then I doubt there would be the p/n similarity.

 

[Silver02ex]

I picked up a Napa Gold (engine) air filter last week, and it's made in Poland. I say buy which ever is cheaper.

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: Silver02ex
I picked up a Napa Gold (engine) air filter last week, and it's made in Poland. I say buy which ever is cheaper.


Interesting ... was the NAPA Gold p/n you bought the same as the WIX p/n, but missing the leading 5 used in the WIX p/n?

Example - the WIX for my car is 56116, and the NAPA Gold is 6116.

If so, maybe WIX is manufacturing some of their filters outside the USA now ... ???

 

[SuperBusa]

Well, I went to pickup either the WIX or NAPA Gold air filter today. Stopped by the place that has WIX filters, but they couldn't find the filter even though the computer said they had 6 in stock. Apparently, they are just getting WIX air and oil filters in and are unorganized to say the least.

So I went to NAPA and got the NAPA Gold. The NAPA p/n is 6116 (it's a 46116 in WIX). Apparently WIX starts their air filter p/n with a "4". I thought it was a 5, but that must only be for WIX oil filters.

Anyway, the NAPA Gold air filter said "Made in Mexico" on it ... so WIX must actually have a factory in Mexico, or else NAPA really isn't rebadging a WIX air filter in this case.

I'm thinking WIX really does have a factory outside the USA, because if the NAPA Gold filter wasn't a re-badged WIX it would not have the p/n of 6116; the variant of the WIX 46116 p/n.

 

[SuperBusa]

I still see some WIX air filters with the "Made in USA" stamp too.

So now we have FOUR different places of manufacture for WIX air filters .. what's the deal?

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Friend just did a napa gold and it turned out to be made in south korea unfortunately...


Originally Posted By: Silver02ex
I picked up a Napa Gold (engine) air filter last week, and it's made in Poland. I say buy which ever is cheaper.


Originally Posted By: SuperBusa

Anyway, the NAPA Gold air filter said "Made in Mexico" on it ... so WIX must actually have a factory in Mexico, or else NAPA really isn't rebadging a WIX air filter in this case.

 

[Silver02ex]

Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Originally Posted By: Silver02ex
I picked up a Napa Gold (engine) air filter last week, and it's made in Poland. I say buy which ever is cheaper.


Interesting ... was the NAPA Gold p/n you bought the same as the WIX p/n, but missing the leading 5 used in the WIX p/n?

Example - the WIX for my car is 56116, and the NAPA Gold is 6116.

If so, maybe WIX is manufacturing some of their filters outside the USA now ... ???


It looks that way... The part # for my car. 42564 = Wix and 2564 = NG

 

[Ken2]

Or, WIX and other filter makers buy and re-label foreign filters for small volume applications.

WIX does have plants in Canada, Poland, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Ukraine, as well as several in the U.S. They sell filters around the world and make them around the world.

If the NAPA filter says that it was made in Gastonia, North Carolina, you know it is a WIX. That's WIX's headquarters and the location of four of their plants.

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: Ken2

If the NAPA filter says that it was made in Gastonia, North Carolina, you know it is a WIX. That's WIX's headquarters and the location of four of their plants.


After looking at the NAPA Gold filter box closer, it had the following printed on an inside flap.

NAPA Filters
AFFINIA
Wix Filtration Corp.

So, it looks like it is indeed a WIX filter, but one made in their Mexico factory.

My feeling is that the same filter in a WIX box will also say "Made in Mexico" on it.

 

[SuperBusa]

The old air filter that came out of the car was an OEM Nissan filter. The new NAPA Gold has twice as many pleats and also a diamond pattern screen on the top side. The OEM filter has not screen on the top side. Also seemed the sealing rubber area around the NAPA Gold was a better setup than the OEM filter.

 

[barlowc]

I picked up a cabin air filter (for my 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe) at NAPA this evening. Like SuperBusa previously indicated, its box said Affinia Wix Filtration Corp. The filter itself was labeled "NAPA GOLD 4400" on one edge and, believe it or not, "MADE IN CHINA" on another. So either WIX is manufacturing there too, or they sourced this particular filter from a supplier who is.

The filter appears to be as good in quality as any cabin filter I've seen before. And with the current 40% off promotion that NAPA is currently running on their Gold filters, it only cost me $7.12 with sales tax included. But I was disappointed because they didn't have any of the free 2010 Racing Caps left.

 

[Jake_Wade]

Wix oil filter part #'s begin with a 5,air with a 4,and fuel with a 3.

NAPA drops the first number.