Newbie: Whats best for me?

[JasonVW]

Please accept my apologies before anyone yells in my direction. I understand we are all full of facts and opinions. Just a "simple" question for you all.

I have a 2005 Toyota Highlander 4 cylinder that has 5100 miles on it. I recenlty switched from Castrol GTX and a Toyota OEM filter to M1/M1. This car is drive about 10k miles per year and sees relative extreme seasons here in MN (100 in summer and 20 below in winter). I plan on 5k change intervals with mixed driving. If money were no object (I mean what is the cost of a few dollars more over the life of a vehicle?) which filter would you use? I have read here extensively that the Pure One may be a good filter but also heard maybe not the best for winter. I want to stick with one filter choice.

Whats it gonna be?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[kanling]

I'd probably use the Purolator Pure One except in the winter months where I'd use Wix/NAPA Gold.

And, while those filters are a few dollars more than the cheapest... they leave a lot of spare change in your pocket compared to many others. "Money is not object" or not.

I think I'm the only one that has a concern about Purolators (specifically) in the winter. My issue is with the typically high bypass pressures compared to other brands. A lot of smart people on this forum think the bypass pressure is a non issue since the car's pressure relief is much higher. They may well be right.

That said, though, most filters (including Purolator) have the bypass at the dome end. So, when the bypass opens, oil will flow over the dirty media to get to the bypass exit. General opinion is that the bypass operates on very cold startups (or if the oil filter is hopelessly clogged- which would never happen to a BITOGer.)

The Wix/NAPA Gold have a nice bypass unit on the threaded end of the filter so that the oil doesn't have to wash over dirty media to escape. Also has a silicone ADBV. Unfortunately the filtering element is smaller to accomodate the bypass valve. Thus my choice to only use it in the winter.

 

[JasonVW]

Interesting. So would you avoid the M1 filter mainly due to cost? It appears to hold its own in flow and filter media size, not to mention the silicon thinge (technical term!).

 

[KJA426]

The Mobil 1 was a good filter. I don't know if its still as good. Things seem to change all the time. I'll second the opinion of a Pure One in warm weather and a Wix in winter. You probably can't go wrong with any of the three.

 

[will1780]

Kanling, can you furthur elaborate on purolators high bypass pressures and the issues they may cause? Also, i assume that the AA total grip filters are in the same boat since they are manufactured by purolator?

 

[Gary Allan]

I'd go with a PureOne and not worry any further about it. I'd say it's about the best in the $6 range of filters ..slightly edging out WIX. However, for your 5k limited usage, there are more reasonably priced filters that will serve you just fine, IMO.

If bypass settings are in any way an issue ..they will be an issue for a filter with 8-11 bypass settings ..or 12=16 bypass settings. Your -40 winters will not see 4 PSID as being anything to differentiate about ..and will see either filter as near equal in terms of a resistance to moving oil. Your oil pump relief setting will probably be what is more important...and that you can do nothing about.

 

[kanling]

quote:

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Originally posted by will1780:
Kanling, can you furthur elaborate on purolators high bypass pressures and the issues they may cause? Also, i assume that the AA total grip filters are in the same boat since they are manufactured by purolator?

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Pick your filter. Go to pureoil.com and see what the bypass valve setting is for it. Then go to wixfilters.com or any other brand choice and see what bypass pressure they use. The purolator will almost certainly be several PSI higher.

Maybe a higher bypass pressure is good, because it keeps the filter from going into bypass too easily. But maybe it could be bad, if it doesn't go into bypass easily enough. If that is the case, your motor could be starved for oil in low temps where the filter won't flow.

There still is kind of a flow debate around here. Some say that since oil pumps are positive displacement, that they will flow the same oil no matter what the resistance (up until the pressure relief point, that is).

But then on just another thread today, there is an argument (for K&N) that flow is more important than filtering.

Well, I don't yet know the truth. But I do question why Purolators are usually much higher bypass pressure than other brands.

And also, a threaded end bypass is more desirable than a dome-end one, anyway. (The reason I would recommend Wix in the winter even if I didn't have questions about Purolator's high bypass pressures)

 

[T-Keith]

You will never have a problem with a filter not getting enough oil to your valvetrain. Filter flow rates and bypass valve settings only effect how much oil is bypassed and how much is filtered.

What you want in the winter is a good ADBV which Purolator has. I see know reason why not to use a Pure one year round.

-T

 

[ekpolk]

Toyota OEMs are also a fine choice. I'm currently using M1 on our Sequoia, but we used an OEM for the first six months of the 13 month OCI we completed recently. UOA in January 05 indicated outstanding filtration. Cut open, everythinig looked great. They are well made filters, unlike some of the Nissan OEMs which have gone the way of Fram. I don't see any problem. Use any of the good filters that you and the other posters have mentioned (just not the dreaded OCOD*), and your engine will not have filtration problems.

*Orange Can of Death

 

[Intrepid]

Wow good info guys. I thought there was no more room left on this site to learn anything else about the PureOne or Napa Gold filters. I've done many searches on these two filters, and never came across the winter/summer limitations on what filter is best.

But I will say this: I'm never using Mobil 1 filter again b/c it's anti-drain back valve is horrible! I recently switched over to Napa Gold, and my startup is great with hardly no coldstart ticking.

I'm running Mobil 1 oil & am waiting for my 5K interval to end before I try out the PureOne filter. But I have a garage & am in Texas so the winters are hardly existent so the PureOne is more of a test to see which filter is best for my car.........so far the Napa Gold is working great!

 

[SSQ]

I happen to run Pureone in my 05 highlander, it seem to be doing very well.

 

[JasonVW]

WOW. Thanks for all the help. It seems the consensus is a Pure One would be fine if I can stomach the thought of a little higher bypass pressure. The negative above is the first I have heard on the M1 and I am surprised.

Still have not made up my mind!!