Mann Ford's OE air filter supplier?

[Falcon_LS]

I recently bought a Mercury Marauder air box for my Grand Marquis, which is a popular modification in the Panther scene for the 80 mm MAF that comes with it. This is the factory air filter that came in the box:

You can tell this is a factory filter by the part number - 3W33-9601-CA instead of the service replacement, which is 3W3Z-9601-CA.

I remember reading about how different filters are installed at the factory, sourced from different suppliers. But I wonder if Mann also manufactures the Motorcraft filters for Ford? Ironically, there is no Mann air filter available for this application (2003-04 Mercury Marauder).

Call me crazy, but I'm keeping this filter. Going to put in a Motorcraft FA-1805 when it's installed on the car. Real shame a Purolator PureONE air filter isn't available for this application. That filter did an exceptional job of keeping dust away from the intake. With the other filters I used, there always used to be traces of dust in the intake tube.

 

[antiqueshell]

Mann and Mahle have been an OEM supplier for Ford in Germany for many years now.

 

[Texan4Life]

thanks for this pic... I'm in the middle of replacing a timing belt on a neon and I got the Gates kit. The old belt had Gates next to the chrysler pentastar logo. I was like cool - Take that OEM onlyers!

 

[zzyzzx]

Some Motorcraft filters are made in Mexico now? I guess that's better than China.

 

[hardcore302]

Never understood why there is a defferent part installed in the factory and than a different replacement part at the dealer.


Why is my oil/air filter from the Ford factory different than the Motorcraft part I replace it with? Just curious.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: hardcore302
Never understood why there is a defferent part installed in the factory and than a different replacement part at the dealer.


Why is my oil/air filter from the Ford factory different than the Motorcraft part I replace it with? Just curious.


So the dealer can tell when it has been changed. When you see a car with 30k+ miles on it with the grey filter and they are complaining of engine noise its a lot easier for the repair to not be covered under warranty.

 

[Stephen_G]

Just my $.02

It is easier to buy in bulk for a factory than to do it through retail channels, for example ford might get a way better deal for whitebox, non branded, or even marketed, filters from MANN, and purolator gives them a better deal for the store sold ones because they package it, and sell it through their retail channels, also it could be because of the bulk, Ford buys their OE filters in higher bulk numbers for the factory than they sell at retail and dealer outlets.

Either way, they are using a quality product.

 

[modularv8]

It seems that all brands of air filters Wix, Motorcraft, Mann, Fram, Purolator, etc are made in Mexico. I wonder if they are all made out of the same plant.

 

[Garak]

He he. My last sets of Frams were made in the USA, at least. With Manns, particularly, I suspect it would be highly dependent upon the application. The last Wix air filter I bought was from Mexico.