I'm glad my car uses a cartridge filter

Finklejag · Mar 5, 2005

I have a 03 SAAB. It uses the same filter as these cars.

CHEVROLET CAVALIER L4 2.2L 134 CID
CHEVROLET CLASSIC L4 2.2L 134 CID
CHEVROLET COBALT L4 2.0L 134 CID SC
CHEVROLET COBALT L4 2.2L 134 CID
CHEVROLET MALIBU L4 2.2L 134 CID
OLDSMOBILE ALERO L4 2.2L 134 CID
PONTIAC GRAND AM L4 2.2L 134 CID
PONTIAC SUNFIRE L4 2.2L 134 CID
SATURN ION L4 2.2L 134 CID
SATURN ION RED LINE L4 2.0L 2000cc
SATURN L SERIES L4 2.2L 134 CID
SATURN VUE L4 2.2L 134 CID

My local SAAB dealers charges $7.00 for the filter. It did cost $12.00 for the first year my car was out. I found out Chevy used the same filter. So I started to buy them from my local Chevy dealer. Both the GM and SAAB used the same part number, and they were both Hengst filters. The filter was $2.00 cheaper from Chevy.

So I just went to buy another from the Chevy dealer. The parts guy goes in the back and comes back with a filter in a plastic bag. They allways came in a AC Delco box. So I look at the filter. It says Made in Korea on it. I tell the guy no thanks, and walk out. I drive down the street to the Saturn dealer. Saturn also uses the same part number. He hands me a box with the Saturn logo on it. I ask him if I can open the box. He says yes. I open the box, and its a Hengst filter. So I buy it. It was $.25 more then what the Chevy dealer charges, but still $1.75 cheaper then SAAB.

So I was browsing the Wix site. It looks like they make a filter for my car now. I will take a drive to my local autoparts store that carries Wix. I want to see how much they are, and if they are made in America.

I guess I like having a cartridge style filter. You can see what kind of filter you are getting. I have seen the Frams for my car. They are just like the can ones. They aren't put together that well.

BlazerLT · Mar 5, 2005

I own a Cavalier and I don't use that filter.

eljefino · Mar 5, 2005

Have you looked at walmart's ST9018 yet?

Chriznat20@msn.com · Mar 5, 2005

Good for you for actually paying attention and buying a product thats made in USA!!

Islander · Mar 5, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by BlazerLT:
I own a Cavalier and I don't use that filter.

I suspect it's only used on the Ecotec motors found in some 2002 Cavaliers and all 2003 and newer models. It's terrific for changing. It's on front of the engine near top, easy to reach in from above and unscrew the plastic cover. Once you unscrew the cover you just lift it up and out with the cartridge attached. The only thing that make me a little uncomfortable is that when you lift it up, all the oil has drained back into the motor. As a result, I contacted GM by email mentioning my concern that it seems to have no anti-drainback mechanism and the reply was as follows:

"The anti drain back valve is used only on engines that require instant oil on strartup and without the valve would knock due to a 'dry' engine. The Ecotec engines are able to supply oil throughout the engine very quickly due to an efficient design of oil paths and the pump itself resulting in not
requiring the anti drain back valve."

Regarding the original poster's information about where his filter was made, the last one of these cartridges I purchased was an AC Delco and it was labelled as Made in Germany. Also, I know that Carquest sells a replacement filter in this area and at least the convention (can type) Carquest Blue filters are a top quality Wix product.

Finklejag · Mar 6, 2005

I just returned from the store. The Wix filter is made in South Korea. It was $6.29 also. So I wonder if this is the same filter that you can buy at the Chevy dealer?

I will continue to buy the filter at Saturn. I would imagine Saturn will be switching over to the Korean filter when their Hengst stock in gone. So I better stock up.

2KBMW · Mar 6, 2005

Islander. I just bought a new Pontiac
with a ecotec engine and this type of
filter. It's the same type as my BMW
and other Euro cars. Are you saying
all the oil is drained back when you
open the cap or drains back when the
filter is removed?

labman · Mar 6, 2005

I have an 02 with the Ecotec and cartridge filter. I have checked it a little. The little tip with the O-ring on the bottom is an ADBV defeat. When you pull the cap off, the filter comes too, pulling the tip out, allowing oil to run down to the pan and out. Put the filter in, and you can fill the housing with oil before putting the cap on. I have decided it is more important to make sure the filter is correctly clipped to the cap, than prefil.

I am using the Purolator L 15436. I have found them as low as $3 on sale, and usually can find them for $4. I even considered Pep Boys 3 Frams for $10 deal last week, but concluded I wasn't going to drive that far to find out that it didn't apply to the CH 9018. I don't think the Frams look that bad. If the price was right, I might actually buy one. I did use several Purlux 264's that came in the orange box for a while. The exact filter that came in a Hastings or AC box 3 years ago.

The element was a rude shock to me. Maybe people that buy $30,000+ cars are used to paying the stealer $10 for a filter. I had been paying $3 at Wally's for a PF 52. Suddenly for a car I got for much less than $20K, I am paying the stealer $8 for a filter with plastic end caps, no steel shell, no base plate, and not even an ADBV. Nobody else in town had them. The dealer even had to send for one.

AC Delco PF2244G
Hastings LF548
Purflux L264A
Purolator L 15436 Pep Boys
Baldwin P1445
STP S9018R Auto Zone
Fram PH9018
WIX 51365, 57082
MANN HU 69/2

Islander · Mar 6, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by 2KBMW:
Islander. I just bought a new Pontiac
with a ecotec engine and this type of
filter. It's the same type as my BMW
and other Euro cars. Are you saying
all the oil is drained back when you
open the cap or drains back when the
filter is removed?

Regarding labman's subsequent message, I didn't realize that the O ring at the bottom of the cartridge tip acts as an ADBV. As soon as I unscrew the cover and lift it out with cartridge filter attached, the oil has already drained back into the motor.

The GM person who replied to my email inquiry about this matter must have been a customer relations person - as opposed to a technical person, who really didn't know what she was talking about; otherwise, she probably would have mentioned it in her email reply rather than saying that due to the efficiency of the engine design the anti-drainback valve is not needed. (I quoted the GM reply in my previous posting on this topic.) (It's not the first time I had such an experience where the person who answers my inquiry obviously didn't know any more about the matter than I did.)

brianl703 · Mar 6, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by labman:
I even considered Pep Boys 3 Frams for $10 deal last week, but concluded I wasn't going to drive that far to find out that it didn't apply to the CH 9018.

Since I don't have to drive that far to get to Pep Boys, I'm going to try using that coupon on the CH 9018. There's no fine print on the coupon, and it says "Extra Guard" which the CH 9018 is.

labman · Mar 6, 2005

The Tip isn't an ADBV, it just plugs a hole bypassing it.

brianl703 · Mar 6, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by [email protected]:
Good for you for actually paying attention and buying a product thats made in USA!!

Wal-Mart's Supertech 9018 is made in Thailand.

Purolator's 9018 equivalent is made in the USA.

Advance Auto sells the Purolator for 50 cents less than Wal-Mart sells the 9018.

So here we have a case of a store brand, foreign-made product being more expensive than a brand-name, US-made product.

Herfnerd · Mar 7, 2005

Labman is right - that o-ringed tip is not an ADVB.

Also, our version comes from S. Korea an Poland.....

burnout · Mar 7, 2005

The Fram Cartridge ones are the same filter as many other brands. STP is one, I believe Hastings maybe too?

I had a 2.2L Vue briefly, and studied up on these filters excessively. I've found that the best one available for this engine, with the most surface area, is the filter with a zigzag pleat pattern. Supposedly it can only be found at saturn dealers, or under the ACDelco name. All other filters are almost exactly the same.

Finklejag · Mar 7, 2005

Yes, that was the Purflux made in France. The first time I bought the filter from the Chevy dealer. It was the Purflux one. I guess GM switched vendors. Now GM is getting the filters from Korea now.

labman · Mar 7, 2005

Not what I have found.

code:

Brand P/N Length width area, sq. in

AC Delco PF2244G* 46 3 138
STP 9018 57 2 1/2 143
Purolator L15436 52 2 1/2 130

*Purflux, also found in Fram and Hastings box

code:

TitaniumGT · Mar 7, 2005

most aftermarket retail filters seem to be made by Champion anyways, some AC Delcos, STP, Bosch and Mobil 1.

AC Delco filters switch country of manufacture quite often, cheapest bidder sort of thing. thats what happens when a company refuses to make their own stuff anymore.

nascarnation · Mar 8, 2005

The latest Supertechs I've seen are from Bulgaria and Frams from Thailand.
The Purolator is USA mfg and looks pretty nice.

Finklejag · Mar 8, 2005

I just got back from Autozone and Schucks. All these filters are not made the same.

Schucks had the Fram PH9018. It was made in the UK. The pleats weren't uniformed at all. It had glue running down the media also. They wanted $12.99 for this filter.

Autozone had the STP S9018R. They had three on the shelf. The first two had a strange brown media I have never seen before. The pleats were better then the Fram though. They didn't do a great job with the glue either. Both were made in Thailand. One had Thailand stamped on it, the other had Thailand molded on it. It had raised letters. The third one had a vanilla white media and was made in Bulgaria. They wanted $5.99 for the filter.

Out of the Wix, Fram, STP, GM made in Korea and GM Hengst. The Hengst is the better filter of all of them. The Hengst is also cheaper then the aftermarket ones. I been using Mann/Mahle/Hengst filters on my VW/Audi's for years. Nobody beats their quality. Nobody sells Purolator's around here. Were can I buy the Mann HU 69/2 filter online?

Islander · Mar 12, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by labman:
Not what I have found.

code:

Click to expand...

Brand P/N Length width area, sq. in

AC Delco PF2244G* 46 3 138
STP 9018 57 2 1/2 143
Purolator L15436 52 2 1/2 130

*Purflux, also found in Fram and Hastings box

code:

Click to expand...

Here in Canada the AC Delco filter for my 2004 Cavalier with 2.2 Ecotec is a PF456G. I have just puchased one and changed my oil and filter today. Both the one I removed and the new one were Hengst made in Germany. The one I removed had approx 3000 miles on it and I was disappointed to see how distorted some of the pleats had become with huge spacing between some folds.

I'm glad my car uses a cartridge filter

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