Purolator Classic, L14459. This filter only had 5000 miles on it. Discovered the media was torn at the base of the pleat near the seam. This pleat was spaced wide and apparently folded over from the oil flow, and the base of the pleat that caused it to tear on both ends. Photo shows the largest tear.

The media seemed too "brittle" and I could make it tear easily by simply just pushing the pleats sideways when spreading the pleats apart for debris inspection.

Probably tore in early use ... guess I had a built in "bypass" filter setup. At least no media went down into the engine.

Send this to Purolator; they will want to see it.

X2, i'm sure thay will send you a case of free filters...

I agree...send the filter to Purolator but I'm sure this is a rare situation.....Purolator make great filters!

You sure you didn't accidentally rip it when you removed it from the can? I'm having a hard time seeing how that could be caused by oil pressure, unless it was damaged during assembly. Wouldn't oil pressure be equal from all sides of the pleat? That wouldn't lend itself to that type of failure, where it looks like it was pushed in from the front or side. A blowout whole would be one thing, but that simply looks like it was ripped apart.

I'm with the others, contact Purolator.

I had a tear in a PureOne recently but it wasn't as bad as yours. This goes to show that every brand of filter has issues.

I've cut many filters open, and have two different filter cutters. I'm sure it was not damaged during the filter cutting & extracting.



It's the oil flow trying to flatten out that pleat that caused the pleat to tear at the base where it's solidly glued to the end cap. It was tore on both ends of the pleat.

That's why it's very important for any oil filter to have evenly spaced pleats with none that are wide open and susceptible to oil flow trying to flatten them down. That's what causes stress on the pleats. Most filters I've seen have the most uneven pleat spacing near the seam ... Purolators seem to be this way, and that was the cause of this failure - along with media that seems to tear easily.



It was ripped at the base of the pleat. Like I said before, if I simply push a good pleat to the side a little ways the root of the pleat starts to tear pretty easily. The media seems way to brittle and tears very easily on this particular filter.



I will definitely email Purolator with the photos and the "Made on" info on the dome end of the filter.

As said here frequently, any filter can have a defect from time to time, Puro no exception. I would agree that it likely happened early on, perhaps while the media was still somewhat more stiff/brittle.

Be a good one to box up and ship to Puro for inspection and comments. Or perhaps pics would be enough.

Used many of the L14459 on a Civic to 5-6k OCI's, and cut several open and posted here. Never found an issue, however as shown here, the first pleat to one side of the seam pleat is farther apart than the others.

Yeah, any filter can have a problem now and then. Whatever controls the pleat spacing must have glitched that day.

I think the Classic might have more brittle media than the PureOne from my memory after handing both and spreading the pleats apart for inspection.

One thing I noticed is this filter has 59 pleats including the seam pleat. My records clearly show that the PureOne PL14459 I ran the last oil change had 61 pleats including the seam pleat. Wonder if this one somehow was minus a couple of pleats it should have had, and therefore this one pleat near the seam got a large spacing (?).



This is the first filter I've ever witnessed a problem with after cutting open many oil filters.

Below is a comparison of the same app L14459 I cut open in 2010. 60 pleats not including the seam. Note the spacing next to the seam, but still intact in pic below. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2056548

And then the the latest L14459 I cut open, also 60 pleats. Still wider spacing at seam, but no issues.

I guess it goes to show us that ANY oil filter can have issues from time to time. At least you caught it in time and did not run the filter for an extended period of time.

I'm no "expert" like you. But I'd say it got damaged when you opened it.

Nope ... use a filter cutter. And besides, BOTH ends of that folded down pleat has tears in the media.

It's like the part that wanted to 'wave', failed to comply on that one pleat. My only 'beef' with Purolators. OTOH, I suppose if it didn't give perhaps that caused the rip(if during operation), then again it could be from the factory assembly. Either way, I believe a replacement at least should be in order from Purolator.

+1 Purolator has stepped up their PR. I would contact them.