Crease or dent in Wix filter?

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Just got my shipment from RockAuto of 3 wix filters for my cars. Including shipping & tax, total cost was $6.20 per filter so I was quite happy to buy these. Opened the box this afternoon and one of them has a dent...or is it a crease?

You can see for yourself in these two pics. I took a couple of others but these show the width and depth of the dent the best.


Now I knew where to go as soon as I saw the dent. I looked this issue up here at BITOG, and from what I can tell, the collective wisdom here falls into two camps: (1) send any dented filter back--its not worth the risk; and (2) small round dents are probably harmless, it is the creases that will be more likely to turn into cracks in the filter.

So help me out here--this dent is more round than oblong, but it is not entirely round--the dent is, say, parallel to the direction of the letters W-I-X, so if this is an example of a crease, I would have no problem calling RA tomorrow and having them ship me another one. On the other hand, if there really is little chance it would hurt my engine, then I'd rather use it than have a good filter tossed b/c a customer returned it.

What say you?



FWIW, I saw a definite crease in the box of this same filter, going from the bottom to the top, although the length of the crease was perpendicular to the expanse of the dent in my filter. Also, Wix lists the following specs for this filter:

By-Pass Valve Setting-PSI: 8-11
Burst Pressure-PSI: 275
Max Flow Rate: 7-9 GPM

EDIT: Sorry I am going to edit out some personal names on the paper that I had the filter resting on. I'll post the edited pics again in a minute!
 
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It is probably okay but I never use any filter that shows any sign of physical damage, and I also don't buy them online since they're usually packed lousy and can end up damaged as a result.

I'd cut it open.
 
I'd send it back. RockAuto should ensure their stuff isn't damaged before sending it out, so IMO they should pay for shipping back to them. They might wise up someday and not send out dented up filters to people.
 
FWIW I did look at the box itself (sent via USPS) that the filters came in, and there was absolutely nothing on the package to indicate that the box fell or was hurt, so it most likely was in this condition before they were packed and shipped out to USPS.
 
The local Oreilly has them for $8-9. I'd rather buy them online for 6.20, although not of course if they're going to arrive dented. But at least buying locally I can inspect them.

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
For another buck you can buy those at O'Reilly.
 
jim302, thanks for the link. I had come across a TSB from the Filter Manufacturer Council, to the same effect, but seeing this from the maker was nice.
 
OK just requested a replacement. Their automated system said I'd get it in a week or so.

Thanks everyone for chipping in with your opinions.

If I'm reading the date code right, it was made on April 6, 2018, on the first shift of their "D" facility (format used according to earlier Wix date code BITOG threads). 040618 D1.
 
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Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
I'd send it back. RockAuto should ensure their stuff isn't damaged before sending it out, so IMO they should pay for shipping back to them. They might wise up someday and not send out dented up filters to people.
^ this. You didn't pay for a dented filter. Whether it was the carrier who did it or them, it's not your problem. You paid for an undented filter and they owe you one or if they can't fulfill that transaction, your money back, simple as that.

I wouldn't settle for anything less. They need to feel the cumulative impacts to their bottom line to get the message.
 
Throw it away - as a Wix fan myself that sounds so wasteful but losing an engine over a $7 filter that you'll have a free replacement for anyway is silly.
 
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I wouldn't use it. Even if a little dent wouldn't bother you, this one looks deep enough to distort some media.

If this was a Fram and you used this filter and had a mechanical issue, they'd tell you to pound sand because you used an already damaged (and unpredictable) filter.
 
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