Hey BITOG'ers...my first oil filter autopsy. I hope you don't mind my first try here...
Subject is a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. I brought her in at the OEM indicated range of about 9K miles for her first free oil change. She was due this spring for her second oil change at roughly 18K miles. Since they are no longer free, I decided to do them myself - like every car I have EVER owned. Here is the results of the filter dismantle I took off...
Interesting notes...
There is a double thick base plate. I tried to capture it the best I could...but it was very odd. Never seen anything like it before. There was literally two different pieces of stamped steel for the base plate.
There was no bypass valve it be found...maybe that is built into the engine to save $$$?
Filter endcaps were both some felt/cardboard material. I tore apart a [censored] from my Nissan at the exact same time, and the filter media and cardboard endcaps felt of more quality than this POS.
This filter literally fell apart in my hands...the media was paper thin, and the endcaps were just junk.
The ADV felt like plastic...not compliant at all...almost brittle in nature.
Funny thing...I took it to the dealership last Friday, just 4 days after I changed the oil, and asked them to re-set the oil monitor. I showed pictures of the oil, filter, receipt, WIP, etc...and the reluctantly charged me $29.99 to reset the meter and made several comments about the filter not being OEM and "up to spec"...I chose a K&N equivalent.
Anyways...happy to answer any questions you may have. Basically the worst filter I have ever seen.
Subject is a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. I brought her in at the OEM indicated range of about 9K miles for her first free oil change. She was due this spring for her second oil change at roughly 18K miles. Since they are no longer free, I decided to do them myself - like every car I have EVER owned. Here is the results of the filter dismantle I took off...
Interesting notes...
There is a double thick base plate. I tried to capture it the best I could...but it was very odd. Never seen anything like it before. There was literally two different pieces of stamped steel for the base plate.
There was no bypass valve it be found...maybe that is built into the engine to save $$$?
Filter endcaps were both some felt/cardboard material. I tore apart a [censored] from my Nissan at the exact same time, and the filter media and cardboard endcaps felt of more quality than this POS.
This filter literally fell apart in my hands...the media was paper thin, and the endcaps were just junk.
The ADV felt like plastic...not compliant at all...almost brittle in nature.
Funny thing...I took it to the dealership last Friday, just 4 days after I changed the oil, and asked them to re-set the oil monitor. I showed pictures of the oil, filter, receipt, WIP, etc...and the reluctantly charged me $29.99 to reset the meter and made several comments about the filter not being OEM and "up to spec"...I chose a K&N equivalent.
Anyways...happy to answer any questions you may have. Basically the worst filter I have ever seen.