Originally Posted By: philobeddoe
just on the Amsoil site looking for a filter for my 2008 Prius ...
so, they've pulled the Toyota compatible filters across the board
anyone have the straight story?
i have two Priuses running SSO 0W30 with the appropriate EAO filters ... whattup?!
I called Amsoil today and spoke directly with their technical director regarding this issue. From our conversation I was told that Amsoil has experienced issues with sludge on some of the following Toyota engines which has also been identified by ConsumerReports.org as being problematic as well.
The problem engines include:
Lexus/Toyota 3.0L V-6
1997-2001 Lexus ES300
1999-2001 Lexus RX300
1997-2001 Toyota Camry
1997-2001 Toyota Avalon
1997-2001 Toyota Sienna
1999-2001 Toyota Camry Solara
2001 Toyota Highlander
Toyota 2.2L 4cyl
1997-2001 Toyota Camry
1996-1999 Toyota Celica
OEM Drain Interval
5,000 miles, or four months (severe)
7,500 miles (normal)
Also included is the Pontiac Vibe with Toyota 1.8L 4cyl.
As the story goes, with 25,000-mile extended drain intervals using Amsoil synthetic motor oil and EaO oil filters, some of the fore noted Toyota engines with sludge issues developed excessive amounts of sludge toward the end of their extended drain interval which resulted in loading up of the oil filter and leading to oil starvation. I was told that this was very “costly” for Amsoil as we may deduce that people lost engines and Amsoil had to fill warrantee claims.
Then we saw Amsoil TSB: FL-2009-05-01 come out which rolled back their recommended drain interval from 25,000-miles to the OEM recommended for these engines, and then eventually pulling the EaO9 and EaO10 oil filters off the market.
I was told that pulling the two filters off the market was a unanimous decision by Amsoil officials as it is a liability issue for the company. And even though theses two Toyota specific filters have worked fine in many other Toyota applications, they have chosen, at least for the time being, to play it safe and not offer them at all.
I further asked what could be the reason behind these Toyota engines being so much more prone to sludge issues than other models. He said that no one knows for sure at this point and that it’s been theorized it could have to do with emission requirements and newer Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) operation. In probing him further, he also noted that Toyota OEM oil filters have fairly loose filtering tolerances on them so that they pass a lot of the particles the Amsoil filter would otherwise pick up. This of course was tested by the late George Morrison who did a particle count comparison here on BITOG some years ago and found that the Amsoil EaO oil filter filtered some 93% better than the OEM Toyota filter in reducing the amount of fine particles in used engine oil.
At any rate, this is a fairly significant step by Amsoil who is generally quick to point out problems and concerns that arise within the industry and have stood their ground in this instance. Further, I think if demand and out cry is high enough, they may consider bring the two filters back, but under different recommendations. If anyone has used the now discontinued filters without issue, I'd consider calling, writing, or e-mailing Amsoil and letting them know you would like to see the filters made available again.