Help Me Pick an Oil Filter - 2018 Equinox

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Jan 23, 2013
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Location
MA
2018 Equinox with the 1.5L turbo LYX. Normally I just buy a Fram Ultra XG12060 at Walmart but with all the C&P's looking meh for some time and First Brands going under....I'm looking for some new recommendations.

Severe service. Lots and lots of short trips. 5k mile OCI. Using Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30. 95k on the clock, have owned the car for 5k miles. Cut open the filter at 2.5k into the 1st Valvoline Restore and Protect OCI and it looked fine. Just looking for a high quality filter with the best efficiency.

Available local to me:
Microgard Select - MSL10290
ACDelco Ultragaurd Gold - UPF64R
Hastings/Baldwin - LF630
Bosch Premium - 3334
Mobil1 - M1-114A
Wix - WL10290
Purolator ONE - PL11403
Purolator BOSS - PBL11403
Carquest Premium - 95140

Thanks in advance!
 
I believe the Microgard Select - MSL10209 is the same high quality from the same plant as the CQ Premium.

What kind of oil used in a wee, abused, turbocharged engine might be the question better answered.

I'd shorten the intervals too......and I say this with nearly no data. Pretty good, eh?
 
What kind of oil used in a wee, abused, turbocharged engine might be the question better answered.
Bought it at 90k. Dealer did an oil change with commodity 0W-20. I changed it to Valvoline Restore and Protect 0W-20 after 1.5k miles. 3.5k on that Valvoline Restore and Protect and changing this weekend to 5W-30 Valvoline Restore and Protect. Was planning on 4-5k OCI's but can do 3k. Probably will for the first couple OCI's.

These wee turbo engines fail when they get carboned up. Plan is to always use an oil that it always cleaning. Will probably be Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30 or Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30 forever.
 
I'd go MicroGard or Carquest. We have a 2020 with the LYX and have nothing bad to say about either filter... doing 4K OCIs with either Pennzoil Ultra Platinum or Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30.
 
I had one of these engines in my '18 Terrain. I actually didn't mind it. Yes, it was little underpowered. However, it always got pretty good gas mileage. The only repair I had in my 120k was a cam shaft sensor at 50k. It got dealer oil changes until ~80k miles whenever the OCI came on. I know, I know, should've changed it earlier, life got in the way and they were free. The bigger issue with these cars is the transmission.

Out of the list, any of the Premium Guard made filters would be great. Those include: Microgard Select and CQ Premium. The Mobil 1 filter is also a good choice as long as it does not have louvers. Or, you could go to RockAuto and buy the UPG64R for $4.45.
 
I've been running Ecogard X2500's on my 2021 Equinox LYX 1.5 and like them very much. They're a bit longer than the factory 64R, but not as long as the 63R. You can safely run 63R sized filters on these and not be in harms way at all. I've been alternating between Supertech 5w30 and Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w30, but mostly using Valvoline Restore and Protect with a 4500-5000mi OCI. I bought it with 32K miles and currently have 66K on it. I always get more carbon slurry in the filter using Valvoline Restore and Protect.

Not to go off in the weeds, but have you done some drain/fills on the transmission yet on your 2018? What about AWD?
 

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I've been running Ecogard X2500's on my 2021 Equinox LYX 1.5 and like them very much. They're a bit longer than the factory 64R, but not as long as the 63R. You can safely run 63R sized filters on these and not be in harms way at all. I've been alternating between Supertech 5w30 and Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w30, but mostly using Valvoline Restore and Protect with a 4500-5000mi OCI. I bought it with 32K miles and currently have 66K on it. I always get more carbon slurry in the filter using Valvoline Restore and Protect.

Not to go off in the weeds, but have you done some drain/fills on the transmission yet on your 2018? What about AWD?
I've done 3 spill and fills on the transmission. Valvoline Full Synthetic Dexron VI. Level garage floor....adding back in exactly the quantity that drained out. Was pretty nasty at first. Will formally check the transmission level when I start putting some HPL in there.

No transfer case or rear diff yet....that's next on the to-do list.
 
I've done 3 spill and fills on the transmission. Valvoline Full Synthetic Dexron VI. Level garage floor....adding back in exactly the quantity that drained out. Was pretty nasty at first. Will formally check the transmission level when I start putting some HPL in there.

No transfer case or rear diff yet....that's next on the to-do list.

I did the same on my 2021. Level surface and added back what came out. Just shy of 5qts IIRC. I've used either Maxlife of Castrol Universal ATF/CVT.

I think you'll find the rear diff fluid to look nastier than the T-case. There's a small heat shield you have to unbolt and shift out of the way to get to the refill on the T-case is all. Other than that, they're both super easy to drain/fill. I didn't touch the wet clutch fluid in the rear carrier on mine yet.
 
1st one to give the Purolator filters some love! Fun fact....they are on sale at my local Advanced for $3-4 each!
I would be running the Boss on an engine being cleaned up by Valvoline Restore and Protect, regardless of the OCI. Carquest Premium or MicroGard Select.
 
Considering you can get a Premium Guard filter for $4 or so (even less for the standard ones) I wouldn't run anything else.
This is my exact thought, highest quality for the lowest price.

I would like to add that their is no reason to run a high capacity filter. R&P is designed and formulated to slowly remove build-up, unlike a flush. It disperses the removed molecules in the oil, depositing the larger molecules that may be captured in the filter while keeping the smaller molecules that will not harm an engine in the oil for removal upon oil change. We have yet to see a filter, to my knowledge, that has gone into bypass due to R&P.
 
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