Wix Panel Filter Has Voids In Media

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edge10

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I just picked up a Wix Panel filter. When I place a light behind the filter and view from the front I can see many small voids in the media. This is a fiber media, but the Wix web site does not give much info. I have the the old OEM filter which has no visible voids in the fiber media when viewed the same way and has a finer, denser fiber. The Wix looks like it has a lower filter efficiency and would pass too much dirt. Anyone ever seen voids like this in a fiber filter?


5913937155_fcd199ea6c_z.jpg
 
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Wow that clearly looks DEFECTIVE!!!!!

Take it back and buy another brand, I have found that Purolator and Fram air filers are genrally very good quality, consistently.
 
Not every filter is a winner occasionally you will get a bad one, there has to be some sort of error after making millions of filters..
 
I agree this seems pretty open. It just seems curious to me that the OES filter is not shown. Sometimes images can be deceiving. Media has to be porous and the brightness of light and distance to the light source can have an influence.
 
Is the media really as dark as in the pic? Or is it the lighting? Only thing I've seen other than white or yellowy paper and the white fluffy stuff was my buddies OEM Honda AF that seemed to have a green almost waxy coating.

Just spray some K&N oil on it and it'll be fine!
whistle.gif
 
If you move the light source to a different spot behind the filter do the "voids" still appear in the same place or do they move with the light?
 
Originally Posted By: lawmanracing
I agree this seems pretty open. It just seems curious to me that the OES filter is not shown...


I am not sure what you mean. Do think I didn't compare each filter equally or intentionally left out a pic of the OEM filter or ? The initial back light viewing was done without the camera. Yes, a adding a comparison photo would have been better, but I ran out of time. Instead I included my visual observations on both filters tested the same way. Given the technical experience and exchange of information with BITOG members, I expected the single photo of the Wix filter with my observations would be sufficient .

Quote:
...Sometimes images can be deceiving. Media has to be porous and the brightness of light and distance to the light source can have an influence.


Yes, filters must be porous - there is a trade off porofilter restriction vs efficiency. But, the size of the voids in the Wix filter appear to be both larger and show direct light compared any dry filter I have ever seen. This was done by my direct observation, not the image.
 
It is not the lighting, the media is a dark color and the pic is very close to part color . This is a fiber media appears to be a dry non- woven type. It is not the typical perforated wax paper type media.
 
Are you sure that isn't a cabin air filter? Or a used one some lowlife returned for credit? I don't recall ever seeing a roll of black, engine media out in the warehouse. only in the cabin filter process.
 
Good thought - great minds think alike. I did check this out, the p/n matches the box and application and there is a date code stamped on the filter. It is made off shore, so that may be why you didn't see the dark media. Part appears new and not dirty from use.
 
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Hard to believe that several dark/black color engine air filter for your car. But there are some with white color media such as Mann and Denso, according to Amazon.
 
I wouldn't put that filter on my car. Yeah, good catch and a lesson that new parts should be inspected before installation. In general, Wix stuff is good but the more stuff you make, the more chances a "brown trout" will escape.

Oh... FZ1! There's hope for the world after all. We agree on Honda air filters... they are good stuff.
 
But you're supposed to see light through a filter if you put a blub right behind it. (The ol' light test) I would imagine with the dark media this effect might be more startling .

If the media on the other side of the filter (blub side) *appears* to be in the same shape as the media on the camera side, I'm not sure anything is wrong.

It's hard to tell from the picture though, just how big the voids are. Can you see them without the light?
 
Yes you might be able to see light through this type of filter. The concern is the type of light, which is not easily seen in the pic. I would expect to see diffused light from a filtered area in the media, but not direct light which would be a hole. I see what appear to be both diffused and undiffused areas of light.

You can see the voids if you position the filter at about 3ft from a typical drop ceiling fixture with 2, 40 watt fluorescent bulbs.

I have uploaded the pic of the OEM filter for comparison.


OEM Filter
 
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