Mahle OC705 7800 Miles cut open - TORN!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Messages
261
Location
Ontario Canada
I just changed the oil in my 2003 Town Car 4.6. Was running Mobil 1 5W30 and this filter since March 2017. Car is garage kept, so pretty much zero start-ups below freezing, 90% highway driven. Changed at 12,600km's (7800 miles) and the OLM was reading 29%.

I bought this filter on Rock Auto late last year, thinking Mahle would be a good filter, considering their Austrian made ones are great, but apparently these Mexican ones must be made by Purolator or something, considering it tore in the exact same spot as most Puro's!!

Not happy about this one.

Can anyone identify who makes this filter for Mahle by the baseplate stamping? Or is it in house?

On went a Fram XG2 and more Mobil 1. Not too many makes to trust to make a decent filter nowadays. Fram Ultras for me from now on.







Tears: (Look Closely)










How do ya like that hole in the media??

Now here's the most alarming thing, the media's brittleness. I managed to pull all of the media apart by hand and crumble it in about 5 seconds. The only other filter I've come across with media that was brittle like this was an MC FL-820. All the other filters I've cut open (wix, champ, etc.) I basically have to saw through the media and it's a struggle. Not this one.




Baseplate



Now cue all the Puro/MC fanboys with the obligatory "I've never had a problem" "You musta done something wrong" or "A small hole's not a big deal"
 
There's a video on YouTube of a guy who disassembled a Mahle filter and proceeds to crumble the media like crackers over soup. Apparently not an unknown issue.
 
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
There's a video on YouTube of a guy who disassembled a Mahle filter and proceeds to crumble the media like crackers over soup. Apparently not an unknown issue.


Yikes. Never seen that, thanks for the info!
 
I would make an inquiry with Mahle to confirm the manufacturer of this filter. Not sure what they will say but that name is usually associated with good quality.
 
Motorcraft Filters are the way to go on Panthers IMHO. Logged on tons of miles on my Panthers since 1985 [last one was a 2005 4.6 with 300K miles] and never had a oil filter issue.
 
Originally Posted By: FORD4LIFE
Motorcraft Filters are the way to go on Panthers IMHO. Logged on tons of miles on my Panthers since 1985 [last one was a 2005 4.6 with 300K miles] and never had a oil filter issue.


After opening up a couple of FL-820's and seeing pretty much the same thing I saw on this filter, I won't be going back to motorcraft filters any time soon.

MC filters used to be good. Not no more.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
How much was that?

Looks to me like it is a more of a budget filter, like the Purolator Classic.


Actually this filter was like $6 on Rockauto and it's not listed as an economy filter. Supposed to be OE quality...
smirk.gif
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
I would make an inquiry with Mahle to confirm the manufacturer of this filter. Not sure what they will say but that name is usually associated with good quality.


Thanks for the suggestion. I have just done so. Automated email says I'll receive a response in 24 hours. I highly doubt they'll give a hoot.
 
I have a removed Mahle OC707 I have run for 5K miles in my Frontier I have waiting to be opened up and inspected. It is also a Mexico made one. Will try to get it opened this weekend and report my findings then.

Mahle has always had a good reputation in my book but maybe that was based on the Austrian made ones and not the Mexico ones. Would be a shame as I have about 6-7 remaining to use in my stash.
 
I'm thinking that's a Mexican-made filter, and while Mahle does hold OEM supply contracts to VW and Nissan who have plants in Mexico they could have farmed this out to a Mexican filter producer. Those markings on the dome end don't look like Mahle ones. The only idea I can think of is Gohner, who is Nissan's filter supplier.
 
Not Puro made, it has round holes in the base plate (Puro will be oval).
Kind of looks like a Frampion filter.

2014 date would be in that time frame. Endcaps look like the non fiber Fram, louvered center tube is Champ.
Date code is not a Fram code though (not sure what Champ date codes look like).
 
The reason is more it's too old. IMO. I am throwing out a number of filters that I can see through the center tube the media has darkened. Including a German Mann. Not worth it, and RA is well known to be selling old stock. If the media is brittle like that, I don't thing the manufacturer should be blamed unless the date is reasonably fresh.
 
Originally Posted By: BalticBob
Mobil 1 5W-30 will make any oil filter media brittle and cause it to tear.


I'm not a Mobil fan, would never use their oil in anything (I'd rather use O'Reilly full syn than Mobil1), but I'm curious to hear more about this thought. If you have proof, just another reason not to use Mobil.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: dogememe
Originally Posted By: BalticBob
Mobil 1 5W-30 will make any oil filter media brittle and cause it to tear.


I'm not a Mobil fan, would never use their oil in anything (I'd rather use O'Reilly full syn than Mobil1), but I'm curious to hear more about this thought. If you have proof, just another reason not to use Mobil.


He was joking around as usual. All his posts are like that.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Apparently causes brain damage too.


Several medical studies verified that it does.
You may want to stop using Mobil 5w-30.
 
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: dogememe
Originally Posted By: BalticBob
Mobil 1 5W-30 will make any oil filter media brittle and cause it to tear.


I'm not a Mobil fan, would never use their oil in anything (I'd rather use O'Reilly full syn than Mobil1), but I'm curious to hear more about this thought. If you have proof, just another reason not to use Mobil.


He was joking around as usual. All his posts are like that.


Some of my posts are serious, for example........
When a oil filter is cut open for inspection, and a defect is observed, how would one know if that is the one filter out of thousands that has a defect, or if it is the norm for that filter brand? If no defect is found, that may be the only filter out of several thousand that was good.

A random sample is not a good method to judge any product. Has any testing company done used filter analysis of hundreds of filters, under controlled conditions?

Filter media may be brittle when you deliberately destruct it, but in actual use, it works as designed.
A water glass is not designed to be dropped on a concrete floor and not shatter, but it works fine as intended.

It would be great to have a oil filter with a see-through window, or made of clear material to inspect it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top