HEMI Oil Pressure Issues (Oil Filter Related)

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In a technician group, there has been some recent discussion about Amsoil oil filters causing a P1524 fault and/or cam phaser noises on late-model HEMI 5.7/6.4 engines. I did some searching and found these Amsoil announcements:

AMSOIL EA15K50 Oil Filter Temporarily Not Recommended for Select Ram and GM Applications​

March 4, 2021 - Announcement


AMSOIL EA15K50 Oil Filter Temporarily Not Recommended for Select Ram and GM Applications
We are no longer recommending the AMSOIL EA15K50 Oil Filter for 2007-2013 GM vehicles with the 5.3L engine and 2013-current Ram vehicles with the 5.7L or 6.4L engines. There is no cause for alarm if you or one of your customers is using the EA15K50 Filter with one of the listed vehicles; we are acting out of an abundance of caution. We have sold thousands of AMSOIL EA15K50 Oil Filters to customers with one of the GM or Ram engines listed above. A very small percentage of those customers have reported gauges or check-engine lights indicating slightly lower than normal oil pressure.

Our industry-leading high-efficiency media removes more particles of smaller sizes than most competing filters to better prevent engine wear. In the GM and Ram applications listed, the EA15K50 Filter is capturing a large number of deposits and reaching its holding capacity before the end of its recommended service life in a small number of instances. This can result in reduced flow and overall oil pressure, but in no way harms the engine. AMSOIL Oil Filters include a bypass relief valve to ensure appropriate oil volume is always delivered to critical components.

Rather than cause some customers unnecessary concern, we are recommending the WIX 57060 or Donaldson P550794 in place of the EA15K50 in 2007-2013 GM 5.3L engines and 2013-current Ram 5.7L and 6.4L engines. They are high-quality filters, but will not capture as many small particles as the AMSOIL Oil Filter does, and they are designed for shorter service intervals.

Watch the Dealer Zone for updates. If you have questions, contact Technical Services at [email protected] or (715) 399-TECH.

FAQ

I used the EA15K50 Oil Filter with one of the affected GM or Ram engines before. Can I continue to do so?

Yes, but it should be changed at the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended change interval. We no longer recommend this filter for up to 15,000 miles in these engines.

Did using the EA15K50 Oil Filter harm my vehicle?
No. The filter includes a bypass relief valve to ensure appropriate oil volume is always delivered to critical components.

Can I still practice extended drain intervals with Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil in these engines?
Yes, but only if you change the WIX or Donaldson filter at the manufacturer’s recommended service interval and top off the oil after the filter change.

Is there any benefit to using Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil if I don’t want to change filters to get extended drain intervals?
Yes, Signature Series contains a robust package of detergents and dispersants to protect against the deposits produced by these engines.

What can I do to combat these oil deposits?
We recommend using Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil and changing the WIX or Donaldson filter at the manufacturer’s recommended interval. We also recommend using AMSOIL Engine and Transmission Flush (FLSH) every-other oil change.

Will AMSOIL offer another extended drain filter for these engines?
We are conducting additional research and development with the goal of once again supplying a high-efficiency, extended-life filtration option.
Source:
and

EA15K50 Removed from Lookup Guides for these Vehicles

· Ram with 5.7L and 6.4L = 2013 to current



· GM with 5.3L = 2007 to 2013



Some customers that have used the AMSOIL Ea15k50 oil filter, with the identified vehicles listed above, have experienced low oil pressure indicators while operating their vehicles. Typical symptoms include check engine lights and visual loss of oil pressure on the gauges. This situation does not affect all these vehicles, but some vehicles are affected more than others.



Through AMSOIL testing and research with technology partners, we have learned the problem occurs with any oil filter but is exacerbated by high-performance filters like AMSOIL Oil Filters. Our high-efficiency media filters out more particles of smaller sizes than most other filters, reducing flow and overall oil pressure. In no way will this oil-pressure reduction affect the engine; AMSOIL Oil Filters include bypass relief valves to ensure appropriate oil volume to critical components.



Because AMSOIL Oil Filters provide higher efficiency than OEM and other aftermarket filters (WIX, FRAM, Mobil, Donaldson), they capture more deposits, helping reduce engine wear. Unfortunately, due to the large amount of deposits being captured by the AMSOIL Ea15k50 oil filters, the filter is plugging before the end of its recommended service interval. For these vehicles, we are recommending using a WIX or Donaldson oil filter in place of your AMSOIL Oil Filter. WIX and Donaldson filters are designed with the OEM service interval in mind and are better suited for more frequent changes.
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The Amsoil EA oil filter is a high-efficiency oil filter. If this issue is affecting aftermarket high-efficiency oil filters, I would expect the Fram Ultra (and others) to be equally affected. Has anyone observed oil pressure issues from running high-efficiency aftermarket oil filters on the 13+ HEMI 5.7/6.4 engines?
 
I would run a K&N Gold to be completely safe but service intervals might need to change. If that's not possible, run one of the recommended filters. I run 5w-50 on a high powered turbo car and any of the super high efficiency filters would be in by pass a lot of the time especially at full throttle and start up.
 
This raises a question about those engines: what's going on to clog the Amsoil filter? That seems to be the real issue. I seem to recall talk here of oil analysis results implying premature bearing wear as a common problem in Hemis some years ago. Just as some engines are sludge monsters, maybe others are "wear monsters"...?
 
On the GM 5.3, what would make a difference between the 5.3 & other LS engines? Do they mean AFM equipped ones? Or all LS ones? My LS 6.0 LQ4 non-AFM definitely has different oil pressure with different filters, and 2012 was the year that bypass PSI was increased (due to the new 2-stage oil pump), and it does seem to launch some carbon. Maybe "rock catcher" cellulose filters changed at shorter intervals (5K or so) are a good idea when dealing with V8s using tiny oil filters!
 
This raises a question about those engines: what's going on to clog the Amsoil filter? That seems to be the real issue. I seem to recall talk here of oil analysis results implying premature bearing wear as a common problem in Hemis some years ago. Just as some engines are sludge monsters, maybe others are "wear monsters"...?
The MDS Hemis have a bad track record with Chineseum roller lifters, that's where a lot of the iron in UOAs comes from, and GM AFM ones just seem to sludge up in general. Maybe DON'T drive a truck if one wants good MPGs?? :unsure:
 
Maybe, but if you look at the thread I linked - there were numerous reports of P1524 faults shortly after the Amsoil filters were installed.
I didn't see the part about the issues coming up shortly after install of the filter. It seems that if you've been using good oil and good filters you wouldn't have much 'junk' running around in the crankcase to plug the "high efficiency" filter so soon. Makes me wonder if these issues arose after someone just switched to the Amsoil filter for the first time.
 
Wasn’t there discussion a while back about AC Delco filters causing lower oil pressure on GM 5.3 pickups? I wonder if the two are similar issues.
 
The MDS Hemis have a bad track record with Chineseum roller lifters, that's where a lot of the iron in UOAs comes from, and GM AFM ones just seem to sludge up in general. Maybe DON'T drive a truck if one wants good MPGs?? :unsure:
GM has the exact same lifter problem actually, lol. And while it only affects a small number of vehicles in the big scheme of things, nobody wants to be the guy who has it happen.

My takeaway from the TSB is don't try and run a super high efficiency filter for a wickedly long drain interval on these engines because the filters plug. I'm running a FRAM Ultra on both, but they are changed at the OEM interval. I also run the larger SRT filter on both.
 
In a technician group, there has been some recent discussion about Amsoil oil filters causing a P1524 fault and/or cam phaser noises on late-model HEMI 5.7/6.4 engines. I did some searching and found these Amsoil announcements:


Source:
and


Source:
The Amsoil EA oil filter is a high-efficiency oil filter. If this issue is affecting aftermarket high-efficiency oil filters, I would expect the Fram Ultra (and others) to be equally affected. Has anyone observed oil pressure issues from running high-efficiency aftermarket oil filters on the 13+ HEMI 5.7/6.4 engines?

I expect folks (like me) running the FRAM Ultra probably aren't pushing the extended drains that AMSOIL recommends. I run M1 EP, but I only run the OLM, not extended drains. Also, I use the larger SRT filter on both vehicles (XG2).

The GM engine is probably producing DI soot and the big bore HEMI is a pretty dirty engine in general (hence the need for dual ignition) so they both likely produce more carbonaceous material than other designs.

The OE interval on the HEMI, even by the OLM, has never been spectacularly long, this is probably why. Some engines work great with extended drains, others? Not so much.
 
The Amsoil EA oil filter is a high-efficiency oil filter. If this issue is affecting aftermarket high-efficiency oil filters, I would expect the Fram Ultra (and others) to be equally affected. Has anyone observed oil pressure issues from running high-efficiency aftermarket oil filters on the 13+ HEMI 5.7/6.4 engines?
FWIW Amsoil is now selling the EAO11 filter for the Hemi and it's working great. It's made by Champion Labs and shares the same design as the RP 20-820. They both work great from what I hear. I am now using the RP 20-820, could't get the XG2 to easily fit in there (A/C lines).
 
FWIW Amsoil is now selling the EAO11 filter for the Hemi and it's working great. It's made by Champion Labs and shares the same design as the RP 20-820. They both work great from what I hear. I am now using the RP 20-820, could't get the XG2 to easily fit in there (A/C lines).
When I checked 6 months ago, they were recommending the WIX for the 6.4L Hemi IIRC. So they're recommending the EAO11 instead of the EA15K50 filter now, hmm.
 
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When I checked 6 months ago, they were recommending the WIX for the 6.4L Hemi IIRC.
I wouldn't run the Wix filter. It's MANN-HUMMEL and they have switched the internals of the Wix XP filter to that found in the Purolator BOSS. The FRAM Ultra is a better filter. AMSOIL may have recommended the Wix, but now they are also recommending the EAO11. I am not putting much stock in the online recommendations databases as they can contain errors. They are only as good as the human(s) who plugged in the data. Or run a RP 20-820, also a very good filter. I'm running my last Puro BOSS filter on the Santa Fe, then I'm switching to FRAM Ultra.
 
I wouldn't run the Wix filter. It's MANN-HUMMEL and they have switched the internals of the Wix XP filter to that found in the Purolator BOSS.
If that's the case, then that's how the XP got a bump up in efficiency.
 
When I checked 6 months ago, they were recommending the WIX for the 6.4L Hemi IIRC. So they're recommending the EAO11 instead of the EA15K50 filter now, hmm.
Screen Shot 2021-08-26 at 1.14.28 AM.jpg
 
For what it's worth. I've run every Fram oil filter in the book in my 2015 5.7 HEMI. Along with the white K&N, with the spot welded, sheet metal "Hex" on the end. I've used nothing but Pennzoil Platinum 5W-20 Full Synthetic. I change oil and filter every 6 months. (Very low mileage changes). I've NEVER had an error code.

Oil pressure is around 60 PSI at startup. And around 50 PSI with an oil temp of 212 F or slightly lower.
 
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