VanCityLS4

iTrader: (1)

Im running the K&N oil filter. Any input on that one ?

sethjon

I have 2 boats, 2 cars, and one truck all with Fram filters. Been using them for over 20 years and NEVER had a problem related to a Fram filter or oil before.

BradTank

The Toyota brand filters I've seen over the years are often made by Purolator. Buying oil filters at your local Lexus dealer is a waste, your engine is not going to last any longer. If you spend over $5 on a filter, you're wasting your money. You can buy Purolator at Sears, and they're a quality filter.

I also think that the Fram filter paranoia is overblown. I personally don't use them, but being one of the biggest selling brand over the years, if Fram filters were so destructive, you'd have MILLIONS of engines that were blown. Fram would be looking at multi-billion dollar class action law suits. I'm sure they're not the best (which is why they're usually the cheapest) but if Fram thought they're design was killing engines, they'd change them. Oil filters aren't rocket science.

ChiTDI

My hesitancy in using non-OEM oil filters on these 1MZ-FE engines is the change in oil pressure and flow on the Oil Control Valves that effect valve timing.
Perhaps a tech could address this issue for us.

BDSL

The difference in oil pressure drop across different oil filters is negligible. Beside, all of them have pressure relief valves.

I don't understand how that can have any effect on valve timing??

BradTank

I agree, no way would engineers design an engine to mess up its valve timing on the flow of an oil filter. The outside temperature would have more effect than the brand of filter in that case.

Car makers would never design a mass produced vehicle that could have its engine destroyed by using the "wrong" brand of filter. They understand that cars like this are going to places Jiffy Lube to get their oil changed, and they wouldn't want the lawsuits of an engine blowing up because the wrong oil filter was used.

MikeLex

Of course an engine would not be destroyed by using this or that brand of filter. When it comes to Toyota cars, however, the point is how to preserve their integrity and performance at their peaks over decades. Using a non-OEM part just to save 2 or 3 dollars at each 5k miles is a non-sense for me.

BradTank

I would respectfully disagree, my problem with that type of thinking is I feel it's a way to scare consumers into paying a premium they don't need to. If there's concrete examples of why you need to use OEM Lexus parts, and the after market equivalent is harmful , I'm all ears, but with oil filters, I just don't see it.

One example is I would only use Toyota brand transmission fluid because from research it seems they have a slightly different formulation, the owner's manual is very specific that it's different than Dexron III, and it's essentially the same price. (and that's less of a brand argument and more because it's just a different formula than what's on the shelf)

I would not, however, buy Toyota or Lexus brand Motor Oil for my car, it's just a repackaged brand that they charge a premium for. I feel it's the same with their oil filters.

Another example is I helped a friend flush the radiator on a newer Porsche. The dealer wanted $90 for a jug of "Porsche" brand anti-freeze to refill. Through research on the net from the Porsche forums, we found the same exact supplier and same exact formula at NAPA, it just said "Havoline Dex-Cool" instead or "Porsche" on it and cost around $11 a jug. Now you could say, "it's a $80,000 sports car, why risk it?" but I don't like getting ripped off and we saved quite a bit of money. Plus, it's just the principle.

I see no evidence that a Lexus or Toyota brand oil filter will make your car last longer, and a Purolator or Wix brand will shorten the life of your engine. I would in fact say that saome of the other aftermarket brands are probably superior when it comes to the dealer's oil filters, but not enough to make a difference. The Toyota one I have says it's made in Thailand. I have seen other filters that are made by Purolator, they just say Toyota on them.

You can always make a case of "isn't it worth not destroying your car by using Toyota brand" but I feel that is usually just a scare tactic used to bully people that don't know any better into paying a premium at the dealership.

You just have to use common sense. Nothing wrong with using dealer parts if you want to pay extra, I just don't think it's right to say the other brands in this instance are "bad" for your engine.

sethjon

I can tell you from hands on experience you are wrong. Heres how it works. An american will go to China and bring a smle and negotiate a price. Its starts off at $1 and the american says he can only pay $.90. They settle in the middle and the american thinks he did a good job. The unit is made at the lesser cost and hence a lesser quality thereby giving the factory the profit they actually wanted and VERY FEW americans do QC to check it.

PFB

Please also refer to my post 28 Above.

But if you still don't agree, lets at least agree to disagree, and leave it at that.

Phil

ChiTDI

It's the ability to maintain or limit the drop in oil pressure by the filter that brought me to the discussion.
No, not the initial or "different" psi rating of the filter.(Whatever the brand) It's the effect of the oil and its pressure on the oil control valve that effects the valve timing. There are a few of us hunting down the cause/solution to this problem. Oil filters was my desiginated area. The valve timing in the front bank seems to cause stumbling symptoms of the engine. There are no codes thrown for a while, the electronics check out, and then finally a multiple misfire code comes on, followed by the three specific cylinder misfire codes, (all in the front bank)followed by an oil control valve issue code. After months/ years of getting past the plug/coil/injector chatter we've finally narrowed it down to oil flow and pressure. Now the game is to find the variables in that group and go from there. My thought on the filter was to get the one that seems to prevent or limit the flow and pressure issues.

pauloil

interesting. in some cars the oil pickup tube in the oilpan gets leaky o-rings and replacing said o-rings helps ensure oil flow to the furthest away valves. specifically, in volvo 5 cyclinder motors like in the 850, V70 etc.

snowmaker

I agree. If you want the true on hot good your filter is pull a UOA after using and it and compare to another brand you ran..Toyota is now better then others.

ChiTDI

pauloil - thank you for that thought. Sounds like a real possibility,so I'll pass that along to the windage tray people and see if we may have a similar type of situation.

yeldogt

If you look at most of the OE filters they are all normally of high quality -- the Toyota filters are very nice. Often when you hold an OE filter in one hand and an aftermarket filter in the other you can see and sometimes feel the difference.

Th questions to ask is ......Is the aftermarket filter good enough ? When a manufacturer builds a car with 9 or 10 quarts of synthetic oil and a 15k or 20k change interval the filter may be more important than one designed for 5k intervals.

I like to use OE quality products but unfortunately we are not able to control our fleet cars -- they must go to the quick lube places for changes. But - it is really surprising how clean the regular oil remains even as the 5-6k change interval approaches. We always get 200k plus out of the cars and the engines are never the reason for them to go.