Hyundai 26350-2M000 Cartridge (Kona 1.6T Smartstream) Quality

[AJW001]

So I'm getting to know how to do oil changes on a Kona 1.6T Smartstream motor and I headed to my local dealership to get an OEM filter as a baseline. Refer to pics below. So it seems that the oil filters for my car use the cartridge type format; this is my first experience in familiarizing myself with a cartridge type oil filter.

The filter media appears to be paper/cellulose-based and a cardboard endcap. the bottom side is plastic and the insides are all plastic.

As I'm obviously used to metal screw-on filters I've used in all my previous cars, my first impressions of Hyundai's cartridge is that it's very unimpressive. Is this typical for cartridge type oil filters these days? I'll admit, I was kinda shocked at the seemingly cheap build and quality compared to the NAPA golds and even Ford Motorcraft filters I've used for my other cars. Am I out to lunch here re the Hyundai oil filter?

My car is at 1300 km odometer and I am planning a first oil change to get rid of the wear metals and break-in oil. Is there an alternative filter I can use instead? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of options out there for this style of filter.

Thanks kindly.

 

[PimTac]

Looks fine to me. The end cap is fiber. The box is cardboard.

 

[Hyundai Respecter]

I don’t have any experience with cartridge filters either, all my H/K’s have used the blue spin on filter, but the construction seems typical to others cartridge filters I’ve seen. It’s fine.

I don’t like the design of this filter though, with that little plastic donger sticking out. It adds another possible place for oil leaks, (like from an inexperienced quick lube worker)...

Just make sure you put the included o-rings in the correct groove or it will leak.

Not sure why Hyundai switched from the spin on..

 

[AJW001]

Looks fine to me. The end cap is fiber. The box is cardboard.

It just seems so underwhelming and Fram EG-like. This, when we've been beaten on the head with metal endcaps, synthetic media, metal mesh filter backing material etc. etc.

 

[nthach]

Mercedes, BMW, and Mopar have been using similar filters for decades. The Toyota cartridge filter is just a naked folded paper filter. You’ll be fine.

 

[PimTac]

It just seems so underwhelming and Fram EG-like. This, when we've been beaten on the head with metal endcaps, synthetic media, metal mesh filter backing material etc. etc.

I think there is more to filters than we know. On another thread I made the comment that my oil filter has no end cap at all, no ADBV, and the media is cellulose with no backing. I haven’t heard of any problems nor have I had any myself.

 

[AJW001]

I think there is more to filters than we know. On another thread I made the comment that my oil filter has no end cap at all, no ADBV, and the media is cellulose with no backing. I haven’t heard of any problems nor have I had any myself.

Indeed, the little I know is that the cartridge housing is where the other parts of the filter reside (ADBV, spring, etc.). Yeah I get what you're saying. If it's good enough as OEM then it should be fine.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Welcome to the world and initial shock of cartridge type oil filters. That one looks to be built like a typical cartridge filter.

 

[AJW001]

Welcome to the world and initial shock of cartridge type oil filters. That one looks to be built like a typical cartridge filter.

So then, is the reverse possible? Maybe we should all have stuck with Fram EG (and similar) and that should have been enough?

 

[gregk24]

It looks good to me.

 

[wemay]

Looks just fine

 

[AJW001]

Did the first (early) oil change at 2100 km. So the process was not too difficult at all. I did find a decent smear of metal shards/filings at the bottom of the oil cartridge container (not shown).

So for future reference I took a picture of where the cartridge screws on underneath the car. See below.

Compared to a metal canister-stye oil filter, it's hard for me to consider this a bypass-proof system. I don't see any rubber seals where the inner cylinder of the filter cartridge interfaces with the bottom of the socket in the car. No surge/bypass valves. Referencing one of my earlier pictures, I don't see any rubber seals on the bottom of the oil cartridge or in the plastic screw-on canister.

My neighbor who works at Porsche told me that the industry is moving towards cartridge type filters as they are easier to recycle (just press/crush, and all the remaining oil comes out. Then recycle/dispose the media itself).

Oh well, I guess I have to rely on OEM filters, at least for now. The OEM filters just seem Fram Extra Guardish.

 

[sw99]

Have that filter on our Rio and I'm not a fan. I can see how easy it would be to get the o-ring placement misaligned. Not sure why they had to change from the simple can design. KISS

 

[PimTac]

It looks like you get a lot of water and dirt spatter underneath. Is the splash shield intact?

 

[AJW001]

It looks like you get a lot of water and dirt spatter underneath. Is the splash shield intact?

No not at all; no dirt and splatter. Hyundai is nice enough to have hole cut-outs in the splash shield so that you can access the oil drain plug and oil filter without needing to remove the entire splash shield. The cartridge housing that screws into the engine has a plug (secured with a pin) that you pull out to drain out the remaining oil in the oil filter area (after you've drained the oil from the main compartment). Once the cartridge has been drained, then you unscrew the oil cartridge housing, replace the cartridge itself, and then screw the housing back onto the engine along with the new cartridge inside. The rest is as usual.

See image. Oil filter cut-out. Visible is another cut-out for the main oil drain plug. That small plug on the oil cartridge is what I was talking about above. The hex pattern is just a mating surface for a 24 mm socket.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

The OE filter seems to be the Mahle OX1344

It looks like a typical Mahle cartridge, well-made

This application is probably too new to have that many aftermarket alternatives, but more should become available in a year or two