A filter's just a filter.... right?

We were recently having a discussion about oil filter quality with some friends and customers. Since we place so much emphasis on educating our customer base, we decided to take a hands on approach and took apart 3 different oil filters for the same vehicle application and compare their construction and component quality.

We were very excited about being able to share the physical differences with our customers to help them better understand not only how this vital component works, but also the difference between the economy brands and the aftermarket and factory brands we are using in our services. 

The oil filter used on your vehicle is one of the most critical pieces of equipment and often gets over looked. The filter’s purpose is to do exactly what it’s called, filter the oil. As engine oil is circulated it runs through a filter element where any particulate is taken out of the oil and then returned to the engine. This is crucial to the longevity and performance of the engine. Internal engine clearances are set to the thousandth of an inch and even the tiniest of particles can cause excessive wear or even damage. It is important that quality filters are used to ensure the particulate is trapped and the filter will be able to work efficiently throughout the duration of the oil life cycle. With increased oil life cycles due to the now common use of synthetic oils, this is especially important.

Our comparison results:

Average Cost Increase: Quality aftermarket or OE filter vs an economy filter is $3.27

Packaging Quality: The aftermarket and OE filters are packaged to ensure filter remains clean during storage to lessen the risk of contaminate entering the filter and therefore the engine where the economy filter is not.

Exterior Construction: The aftermarket quality and OE filters have deeper and better thread engagement and better O-Ring construction to ensure more effective sealing, larger fill hole diameter to allow for better flow and therefore more oil can be filtered

Internal Construction: Aftermarket quality/OE filters allow for better separation of filtered and non-filtered due to its welded metal construction and better flow control valve construction. The economy filter using cardboard and glue for the top and bottom construction allows oil to pass between the cylinder and the sleeve. Oil will also promote the breakdown of the glue and cardboard over time.

Bottom Retainer/Bypass Valve: The aftermarket quality/OE filters provide better construction to prevent the filter from failing due to a potential sudden increase in oil pressure. The purpose of the bypass valve is to allow the filter to promote oil flow in the event of an oil pressure spike. It will bypass the oil filter and flow the oil back into the engine to prevent it from starving the engine of oil. Having a valve made of steel and being integrated into the filter cylinder is more stable than a plastic valve with plastic retainers. If one of the retainers were to fail, it would keep the valve open and allow the oil to continuously bypass the filter and therefore putting contaminated oil into the engine for an extended period of time.

Element Construction: The aftermarket quality/OE filters provide more pleating lowering the risk of clogging the clogging the filter. The aftermarket quality filter offers 48 pleats that are .16” larger than the OE filter and the OE filter offers 54 pleats that are smaller. Both provide a better construction to allow for longer filter life (vs. 45 pleats at .507 in the economy filter). 

Economy			Quality Aftermarket			Original Equipment
Retail Price	$4.99		Retail Price	$7.98		Retail Price	$8.53
Packaging			Packaging			Packaging
Filter is not covered			Filter comes with plastic shrink wrap over top to protect and keep it clean during storage			Filter comes with plastic shrink wrap over top to protect and keep it clean during storage
Exterior Construction			Exterior Construction			Exterior Construction
Thread depth:		.200	Thread depth:		.315	Thread depth:		.295
No. of threads:		4	No. of threads:		6	No. of threads:		5
Gasket used:		Flat O-Ring	Gasket used:		Factory Style Round O-Ring with locking lip	Gasket used:		Factory Style Round O-Ring with locking lip
No. of fill holes:		10	No. of fill holes:		6	No. of fill holes:		8
Fill hole diameter:		.180	Fill hole diameter:		.246	Fill hole diameter:		.195
Top seal type:		Crimp type top seal	Top seal type:		Spot welded top seal	Top seal type:		Spot welded top seal
Internal Construction			Internal Construction			Internal Construction
Cartridge Top Construction:		Cardboard	Cartridge Top Construction:		Coated Steel	Cartridge Top Construction:		Non-Coated Steel
Flow Control Valve:			Flow Control Valve:			Flow Control Valve:
Rubber, received into cardboard top directly into cylinder, creates poor seal, allows oil to pass between cylinder and sleeve			Neoprine Rubber received into outside metal collar for better sealing			Neoprine Rubber received into outside metal collar for better sealing
Element Attachment to Top and Bottom of Cartridge:		Glue	Element Attachment to Top and Bottom of Cartridge:		Epoxy	Element Attachment to Top and Bottom of Cartridge:		Epoxy
Center Cylinder Construction:		Perforated metal	Center Cylinder Construction:		Perforated steel welded to top and bottom	Center Cylinder Construction:		Directional perforated steel welded to top and bottom
Element Joint:		Metal Crimp	Element Joint:		Paper crimp with glue	Element Joint:		Paper crimp with glue
Element Thickness:		.030	Element Thickness:		.030	Element Thickness:		.030
Pleat Depth:		.507	Pleat Depth:		.580	Pleat Depth:		.420
Total Element Length:		45 inches	Total Element Length:		55 inches	Total Element Length:		45 inches
Total No. of Pleats:		45	Total No. of Pleats:		48	Total No. of Pleats:		54
Bottom Retainer:		Paper glued to element	Bottom Retainer:		Steel welded to center cylinder	Bottom Retainer:		Steel welded to center cylinder
Bypass Valve:		Hard plastic with plastic spring retainers attached to stand plate	Bypass Valve:		Steel welded to center of cylinder	Bypass Valve:		Steel welded to center of cylinder
Stand plate:		Attached to bypass plate	Stand plate:		Separate Spring	Stand plate:		Separate Spring Steel

Understanding Engine Oil - Weights, Brands, Types

 We've all seen this meme all over the internet and well to be honest, its one of the most intimidating aisles in the auto parts store.. Let's hope we can clarify a few things so it's not so scary. 

Understanding engine oil weights, conventional oil vs. synthetic oil, regular vs. high mileage. Engine oil can be intimidating, technological improvements have led to so many new types, weights and brands. Understanding what it all is can really help you understand what you need and why you need it. 

What all these numbers mean and why there’s a W in the middle. Oil is rated using reference numbers indicating the viscosity rating, or weight, of the oil. Viscosity can be simply thought of as its “thickness” or a measure of its resistance to flow. The most commonly used oil is what is called multi-grade, meaning it includes two viscosity grades, the first number indicates the base grade viscosity at cold temperatures (the “w” after the first number means “winter”) and the other indicating the viscosity at warmer temperatures. The basic series is 0, 0W, 5, 5W, 10, 10W, 20, 30W, 30, 40W, 40, 50 and 50W. The most commonly seen weights used are 5W20, 5W30, 10W30 and 10W40. Oils starting with a 5W are much thinner and often seen in newer cars, oils with a 10W or higher are thicker and often seen in higher mileage cars. 

Result of a quick google search - i have a 2000 VW Jetta 1.9L TDI requiring VW 505.00 standard oil

Picking a brand. With so many different brands available to choose from it can be very difficult to know if what you are buying is the right oil for your car. What does it matter? Well, a number of years ago, the standard for oil was very simple and basic. As technology improved and efficiency and emissions standards became stricter, the major auto manufacturers began developing their own standards for engine oil to meet the needs and requirements of the specific engines they build. What does this mean to you? If I have a Volkswagen, do I have to buy oil from Volkswagen? Or Mercedes? Or BMW? Or Honda? Or GM? No you don’t. What you have to do is your research. In addition to making sure you are using the proper weight oil defined by your manufacturer, you have to make sure that the oil you are using is approved by your manufacturer for your vehicle. In fact, this is more important that having the proper weight.  For example, I own a Volkswagen which runs a 5W30 synthetic oil. However, I cannot use just any 5W30 synthetic oil. Volkswagen states that I need to use a engine oil that meets their VW 505.00 standard.
 

When purchasing oil for my car, I need to read the back of the container and make sure that it conforms to that standard before putting it my car. How do I know what my manufacturer’s standard is? Well, your owner’s manual is the first resource, google always works or you could contact us and we have that information readily available and can provide you with the brands that your manufacturer approves. 

This is the label from the oil i use in my car clearly indicating it meets the VW standard required.

Why is this so important? Well, keep in mind the amount of research and development that goes into building a engine for maximum lifespan and efficiency. Your engine is a very volatile environment that faces extreme pressures and temperature changes over its entire life. Your auto manufacturer developed its own standard designed specifically for the increased life span and efficiency of its engine. There are a variety of detergents and additives added to reduce carbon build-up, increase life span of the many moving parts and cool the various metals used to the proper operating temperature. All of these things lead to longevity and maximum power output as well as fuel efficiency. If you are not using the proper oils, all of these sensitive factors will be compromised, potentially resulting in catastrophic failure over a long period of time. That being said if you have no oil in your car, any oil will suffice in a pinch, but make sure you change to the proper oil as soon as possible. 

Conventional vs. Synthetic Oil

Most newer cars are built to run a synthetic oil as it has a higher viscosity (its thinner), it contains more additives and detergents and can run longer spans of time with less frequent changes needed. If you are not sure if your vehicle takes a synthetic oil, do your research on what the manufacturer specifies. Conventional oil is more commonly found in higher mileage vehicles as it is usually a little thicker. Over time, engine seals can shrink or dry which will allow a much thinner oil to leak out. Using a thicker oil will slow these leaks down. Additionally, over time, clearances built into your engine will expand and using a thicker oil will compensate for these differences. There are special oils designed specifically for higher mileage engines as well. If you are unsure of which one of these options you should choose or if you should consider switching from one to the other, send us an email or give us a call and we can help you decide what’s best for your engine.

Bill Marino Auto Repair