If it was debris, it should be in the media, not plated-out on the bottom of the canister, bottom of the cartridge and all over the bypass valve assembly though. That's my concern. Also, have no way to easily check what things look like elsewhere in the engine unfortunately.
You can get it pretty dry if you wrap the element with many layers of paper towels and hold them onto the filter element with rubber bands. You might have to change out the paper towels a couple times over a day or two.
It probably is also in the media ... you just can't detect it.
You've tried this on an XG? I know it works well on conventional media, but hadn't tried it on an XG.
Yes ... just keep wicking the media like shown until the wicking stops. Might take a day or two with some paper towel changes.
Here's the previous filter, nothing plated out and it was run for almost double the duration:
I've see more crud in the same areas of the oil filters I've cut open if they were used over the winter months. My V6 Altima did that, and I could see more small carbon debris deep down in the media pleats.
No.
Thinking further on this. Esters and many of the additives (detergents/dispersants) require heat to work. This vehicle sat while I was in the hospital, and sat for a month or so after I was out of the hospital. It might have got 1 or 2 short trips, that's about it, and in the dead of winter. It has only recently really had hot weather and the oil getting up to temp, and staying at temp. Given the "streaks" in the coating/buildup on the bottom of the can, I suspect had I run the fill through the summer like the previous one, the oil would probably have cleaned it back up.
