Torn Pro-Tec oil filter on Ecotec

[dlundblad]

Mass produced products can randomly fail at times folks. The sky isn't falling.

These engines are hard on filters. BITOG knows that and now I'd like to think OP knows it too.

As SilverC6 mentioned, go OEM. Wire-backed might be worth a shot too.

 

[demarpaint]

Not good.

 

[tc1446]

I recently bought a Polaris Slingshot with an Ecotec 2.4L and kept the first filter, an ACDelco Hengst, which came out straight. I have ordered nine more off EBAY and plan on using them from now on. Polaris calls for 5000mi oil changes.

I like the way the Hengst is made with its tapered inner plastic core with holes on the bottom half to allow oil flow thru, and upper tapered part where it appears to be solid, on the back side, it has groves to allow for oil to flow down and out.

FWIW, AC Delco also makes filters in Bulgaria and I don't know the quality or how they are made, but the Hengst are US made. Similarly, Fram TG 9018's are made in China and the US and both have totally diff inner cores. The Chinese core is similar to the Hengst, but I wonder about the quality of the filter material. The US made has a core that is not tapered and the upper half is sold plastic with the filter material glued to it.
Personally, I don't like that type as I can't believe it allows for full filtration.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Mass produced products can randomly fail at times folks. The sky isn't falling.

These engines are hard on filters......

Some solid imo, and non sensational observations/conclusions.

Looks like a for ecotec engine cartridge. Not excusing the tear, however many of this application cartridge from many brands posted here have looked to use an oxymoron, pretty ugly. As example linked an equivalent TG9018 with similar looking sharply bent pleating. One can also note the reasoning by some there being over torque. Don't necessarily agree with that conclusion, but an indication of application issues for many brands and confirmed by a google search. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3189705/1

As noted this a jobber tier filter combined with an application that has shown issues.

The best overall results with ecotec applications seen here have been with the ACDelco Hengst made oem. But even with those if one google image searches, that application has shown some sharply bent pleating too.

As an aside, the Hengst made ACD appears to be becoming more difficult to find perhaps being replaced a different ACD.

 

[Kira]

As stated above, "mass produced filters etc....". So it's time for me to restate my theory.

Remember, it's a theory so don't jump on me.

Since so few filters are physically quality assessed for tears (a few are opened after use and fewer yet are opened before use), it's safe to say we just don't know.

THEREFOR I submit to the collective wisdom that frequent oil changes are what's needed to ensure against the damage caused by the occasional bad filter which comes down the pike.

A corollary would be that since a torn filter medium is so bad (and they are) a 15,000 or longer OCI could be disastrous for an engine.

How does one play the odds when you can't count all the tears? Cheers, Kira

ps I looked up an application on the WIX site and I get a WIX number but no Pro-Tec number.
Are the Pro-Tec filters only for a few select vehicles? Are they cartridge only?
I personally prefer the "hard element" cartridge filters offered by Mann and Hengst for my car. There was a Purolater one which was flannel-like (soft). All have had straight pleats though. K

 

[goodtimes]

Wix made a bad filter and didn't do well with media strength. I don't know why people defend the brand they like. Now Toyota filters, I say they are just as efficient as any other, and have devised several reasons to keep myself thinking that.
Seriously, media strength seems to be overlooked more and more, maybe it is just the exposure to facts we now have with the internet and easy picture sharing. In film camera and no internet days, the guy with a torn filter telling his friends at the shop was laughed at. Actually probably no one was cutting open filters to see. Of course here the filter is already opened. Still, no one was really searching for a torn filter before Purolator started the tend.

 

[jk_636]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Purolator is taking over

If Purolator was in charge this filter would have been just fine.

This has nothing to do with them.

Originally Posted By: Nitronoise
I have run purolator L15436 in my daughters saturn at 5000 miles and have no issues


Yes, that is the typical experience but...you know...people with tin foil hats will fight to the death to prove you wrong.

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Mass produced products can randomly fail at times folks. The sky isn't falling.

These engines are hard on filters. BITOG knows that and now I'd like to think OP knows it too.

As SilverC6 mentioned, go OEM. Wire-backed might be worth a shot too.


x2.

 

[SilverC6]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
A filter that can't last the full OEM interval is a major fail.


I disagree.

Just like brakes, you can buy economy filters and premium filters.

The filter manufacturers tell you on the box what you can expect.

Throw a $2.48 filter in and ask it to go for a 15,000 mile OCI requires either a substantial leap of faith or a heavy dose of stupidity.

Of course your bargain brake pads can go 100,000 miles too. Just be ready to replace the rotors on the next brake job.

 

[AuthorEditor]

I'm pretty sure just about every filter company says their bargain line is good for whatever the manufacturer's recommended OCI is. For the record, I've cut open dozens of Purolator made filters run on six different vehicles and have yet to see torn media or media that felt in the slightest brittle. Seeing this Pro-Tec makes me wonder if the whole tearing issue comes down to some third-party filter media company that flubbed up at one point. In other words, it was sold to several companies. Or, is there some other issue at play? Were any additives used in the oil? Did the engines have coolant leaks? Etc.

 

[SilverC6]

Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I'm pretty sure just about every filter company says their bargain line is good for whatever the manufacturer's recommended OCI is.


I think that's naive.

And the OP's filter is a great case in point.

 

[AuthorEditor]

You know what, I was wrong about Pro-Tec. Here's what Wix says on their website:
Quote:
You change your oil at traditional intervals - 3 months or 3,000 miles.


Here's what Fram says about the ExtraGuard:
Quote:
For everyday drivers who perform routine maintenance on their vehicle every 3,000-5,000 miles.1 Extra Guard is engineered for use with conventional oil.

The 1 refers to a footnote:
Quote:
Follow recommended change intervals as noted in your vehicle owner's manual


For the Purolator red filters they say:
Quote:
Engineered to your vehicle specs and normal oil change requirements

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I'm pretty sure just about every filter company says their bargain line is good for whatever the manufacturer's recommended OCI is.


I think that's naive.

And the OP's filter is a great case in point.


Most well known brand name filter makers will state that their filters meet OEM specs. That includes how long the filter can be used.

So if the OEM spec is to change the oil filter when the OLM = 0% then that filter better be able to run that long without any problems. If not, then the filter failed to meet OEM specs.

 

[jk_636]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6

...Throw a $2.48 filter in and ask it to go for a 15,000 mile OCI requires either a substantial leap of faith or a heavy dose of stupidity...


There we go.

 

[SilverC6]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I'm pretty sure just about every filter company says their bargain line is good for whatever the manufacturer's recommended OCI is.


I think that's naive.

And the OP's filter is a great case in point.


Most well known brand name filter makers will state that their filters meet OEM specs. That includes how long the filter can be used.

So if the OEM spec is to change the oil filter when the OLM = 0% then that filter better be able to run that long without any problems. If not, then the filter failed to meet OEM specs.


You don't strike me as someone that would blindly accept a filter manufacturer's marketing claims.

So we should all just go out and buy the cheapest filter we can find and run it for two 15,000 mile OCI's just like the owner's manual says? Are we also going to use just any old private label conventional that carries the API SN starburst for each of those 15,000 mile runs?

Sorry, I'm a thinking consumer that evaluates products for suitability to meet my usage expectations.

And I believe the filter manufacturers think like I do.

That's why they market different grades of filters at different price points to meet our specific service needs.

 

[crazyoildude]

For my whole life we used Purolater (Group 7) at the shop then when all the tears started showing up us and a number of other shops changed to Wix and we were happy with them for the most part.. Now the guy that bought my shop changed to a Chinese oil filter company he says is very good quality. I think a few of the shops use that filter now.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I'm pretty sure just about every filter company says their bargain line is good for whatever the manufacturer's recommended OCI is.


I think that's naive.

And the OP's filter is a great case in point.


Most well known brand name filter makers will state that their filters meet OEM specs. That includes how long the filter can be used.

So if the OEM spec is to change the oil filter when the OLM = 0% then that filter better be able to run that long without any problems. If not, then the filter failed to meet OEM specs.


You don't strike me as someone that would blindly accept a filter manufacturer's marketing claims.

So we should all just go out and buy the cheapest filter we can find and run it for two 15,000 mile OCI's just like the owner's manual says? Are we also going to use just any old private label conventional that carries the API SN starburst for each of those 15,000 mile runs?

Sorry, I'm a thinking consumer that evaluates products for suitability to meet my usage expectations.

And I believe the filter manufacturers think like I do.

That's why they market different grades of filters at different price points to meet our specific service needs.


If not all filters made by a manufacturer can't meet the OEM filter change interval, then they either need to: 1) clearly say so, or 2) change their filter design to be able to meet the OEM spec.

If a filter manufacturer says their filter meets the OEM spec, then people will expect it to perform as advertised. If it doesn't then the manufacturer has made false advertising claims. Pretty simple stuff - if consumers can't believe the manufacturers claims these days, then they can't trust anything in the market place.

Newer cars are running longer and longer OCIs/FCIs, and apparently some filter manufacturers aren't keeping up with the longer OEM use specs.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
So we should all just go out and buy the cheapest filter we can find and run it for two 15,000 mile OCI's just like the owner's manual says?

No one said that. But, if a filter manufacturer specifies a bargain basement filter number for a vehicle that has a 15,000 mile OEM OCI, they had better ensure that said filter can do it, lest they open themselves up to liability. If the part cannot handle Vehicle X because of its OCI, then yank Vehicle X from the application guide. It's very simple.

Personally, I don't buy the lowest tier filters I can find. But, lots of people do, and if a filter is specified for a vehicle, it better be able to live up to that vehicle's service intervals. Things like the Fram Ultra, Wix XP, Bosch Distance Plus, and the like, are advertised to go beyond those intervals. They're not targeted merely at vehicles that happen to have long OEM OCIs.

Fram outsources some production from other companies for very good reason.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: SilverC6
So we should all just go out and buy the cheapest filter we can find and run it for two 15,000 mile OCI's just like the owner's manual says?

No one said that. But, if a filter manufacturer specifies a bargain basement filter number for a vehicle that has a 15,000 mile OEM OCI, they had better ensure that said filter can do it, lest they open themselves up to liability. If the part cannot handle Vehicle X because of its OCI, then yank Vehicle X from the application guide. It's very simple.

Personally, I don't buy the lowest tier filters I can find. But, lots of people do, and if a filter is specified for a vehicle, it better be able to live up to that vehicle's service intervals. Things like the Fram Ultra, Wix XP, Bosch Distance Plus, and the like, are advertised to go beyond those intervals. They're not targeted merely at vehicles that happen to have long OEM OCIs.

Fram outsources some production from other companies for very good reason.


I don't buy the lower tier filters either. However if I were to buy a filter that states it is good for 5K miles or the mfg recommended OCI it better last that long without failing. That was why I stopped using Pure One Purolator filters. If a filter can't stand up to the advertised time/mileage I'm not going to use it. And I really don't want to be bothered cutting a filter open hoping it held up. I saw pictures of enough filters that failed here to return my Purolator stash a long time ago.

In all fairness I don't expect a 5K filter to last two OCI's either. Now if the new Purolator filters get rave reviews I might consider them again if the price is right.

 

[yvon_la]

A tool was used to tighten it .

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I'm pretty sure just about every filter company says their bargain line is good for whatever the manufacturer's recommended OCI is.


I think that's naive.

And the OP's filter is a great case in point.



Even Napa says to run their lower tiered WIX filters to 5000 miles.

Great filters, but I wouldn't push them.