Premium Guard PG111 Cut Open

[Pyrotechnic]

This is a Premium Guard PG111 (Made in Korea) that was run for 8,000 miles over 19 months with 15W-40. I decided to try this brand after seeing positive cut open results posted here. This filter cost me $1.25 Can is very clean inside. The ADBV and element seal was not centered when the filter was crimped together. I can see where the center of the rubber seal was being pressed into some of the oil flow holes on the top plate due to it being off center. This element was barely sealed to the top plate because of this. The seal is still pliable, but you can see circular cuts on the ADBV umbrella. The cuts in the ADBV umbrella are from the holes in threaded plate not being de-burred. Sharp shrapnel hanging off of every hole. Coil spring. Some collapsed pleats. And we have tearing. Lots of tearing on both ends. Media wavy all over. See through! All this explains why there was no dirt in the can... The media in this filter feels thin and weak, compared to what I've seen in other filters. I was able to rip the media out with my fingers using very little force. Despite the weak media, the center tube and end caps are very solidly glued together. Needless to say, I won't be buying or recommending Premium Guard after this. Luckily, the car is an old beater and it is still running good after an oil change and a new filter. In hindsight, it seems absurd to use a $1 oil filter on any car, even for a cheap beater. I'll be more than happy to pay for quality filters with a proven track record after this experience. I guess I needed a refresher of the classic "you get what you pay for" lesson.

 

[dogememe]

This filter would likely be OK for 3 months/3k miles with a 5w-30 oil application. That said, thanks for the warning and I will not buy any of those haha!

 

[Pyrotechnic]

Unfortunately, I bought a dozen of these from RockAuto and I'm outside of the return period. They are headed to the trash, but before that happens lets cut one open. Looks good out of the box, and the threaded end has a piece of plastic wrap over it to keep out debris. Seems like a nice touch. Looking good so far. No rust or debris in the can. very clean. Element seal shows the same evidence that it was not centered when the can was crimped shut. Same oil flow holes in the top plate that are not de-burred. Same sharp hanging shrapnel. Pleat spacing looks really even and the glue job is neat. Filter media was very easy to cut and again, seems too thin. Looks like what I usually see in gasoline filters. If I hadn't seen one of these fail first, and I was still excited that I bought a dozen nice looking oil filters for $1.25 each, I probably have thought this was a good filter for the price. Good looks out of the box doesn't always translate to proper function.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

It definitely did not hold up well.

 

[demarpaint]

Thanks for sharing. Those pictures explain why the filters were so cheap,

 

[Sayjac]

No sugar coating it, an ugly one for sure. Excellent follow up with the virgin anecdote, as noted pleat spacing there looks respectable. And adbv indentions explained. Just speculating but I'm thinking for 3-5kmi ~6month oci/fci, these likely ok. Basically a jobber tier filter. Curious, any kind of date code on the can? Assuming this run on a GM vehicle? I'm not sure who is making the AZ STP line now but the XL looks very similar to PG XL. Thinking this one equivalent to the blue STP. However, locally all STP now made in China. Thanks for c&p.

 

[bullwinkle]

First (& second) bad Premium Guard I've seen-these show that some filters can go factory OLM distances, and there are definitely some that can't.

 

[wemay]

I think 8k miles/19 months may have been too long for this filter. 5 months is probably the max. What does the filter mfc say the intervals should be?

 

[bullwinkle]

Adding that in TX this filter didn't see any of the cold weather/cold starts that add moisture to the oil that we northerners see, so that's another strike. Not good, at least as bad as the Puro Classics & other low end filters.

 

[Jimzz]

Yea 19 months and that many miles is to much for a cheap jobber filter. Even they say its only good for 5000 miles. https://www.pgfilters.com/oil-filters/

 

[toneydoc]

The construction of the filter looks good but they may have cheaped out on the filtration media Or it may just not hold up for long service

 

[blupupher]

Filters should be able to last past some magic mileage and time, but agree this filter was on too long. The virgin media does look weird, dare say cheap. The other made in China filters I have seen here and in person look different than this one. The ADV also looks horrible with those slits, even in the new one. No attempt whats so ever was done to remove the sharp edges. What vehicle was this used in and why 15w-40? Not sure if the thicker oil played in to the issue.

 

[Pyrotechnic]

Originally Posted by Jimzz

Yea 19 months and that many miles is to much for a cheap jobber filter. Even they say its only good for 5000 miles. https://www.pgfilters.com/oil-filters/

I did push this filter beyond the what the manufacturer recommended, and I knew that ahead of time. The manufacturer has every right to say they "told me so" and that's fine. The fact is, a 5000 mile OCI doesn't define a very specific set of operating conditions. A 5,000 mile OCI in one case could be gentle on a filter. A 5,000 mile OCI in another case may be brutal. They also don't specify any sort of time limit for how long the filter can stay in service. That is a HUGE set of variables where one could use this filter, and still be perfectly in line with the manufacturer recommendations. I did this test because I felt like it represented a very typical situation where an oil filter must remain intact. I wanted to see if a $1.25 filter could last through those conditions. I wanted to see if it was too good to be true. -A ~7,500 mile OCI is pretty standard these days. -This is a cheap jobber filter, which means quick lube shops use them. -Many people go to quick lube shops with a newspaper clipped coupon in hand, and get a $1 filter screwed on and bulk 10W-30 dumped in, even if the engine doesn't spec 10W-30. Happens all the time here in Texas. -The kind of people that pick the lowest bid in town for their oil change, are also the people that get busy with life or simply forget, and the next oil change may not be EXACTLY on time. -Even outside of quick lube shops, there's a lot of thrifty people here on BITOG who look for opportunities to save money if evidence can support doing so. API donut stamped on a cheap jug of oil? SOLD! Post of a new $1 filter cut open that looks better made than the famous big name blunders? SOLD! The point is, oil filters must have some safety margin when it comes to durability in order to cover a wide variety of operating conditions and variables. If a filter can't stay intact through what I've described above, it is completely worthless to the consumer (though probably quite profitable for everyone else). I would not trust this filter for a 5,000 mile OCI. I would not trust this filter for 3,000 miles over 3 months with 5W-20 in the summer. I would not even trust this filter for a one mile OCI, because that might have been a cold morning where I woke up a little late for work.

 

[Pyrotechnic]

Originally Posted by blupupher

What vehicle was this used in and why 15w-40? Not sure if the thicker oil played in to the issue.

Engine is a GM 3800 Series II V6. Oil cap says to use 10W-30. I use 15W-40 because it is durable oil with a strong additive pack, for an excellent price.

 

[Pyrotechnic]

Originally Posted by Sayjac

No sugar coating it, an ugly one for sure. Excellent follow up with the virgin anecdote, as noted pleat spacing there looks respectable. And adbv indentions explained. Just speculating but I'm thinking for 3-5kmi ~6month oci/fci, these likely ok. Basically a jobber tier filter. Curious, any kind of date code on the can? Assuming this run on a GM vehicle? I'm not sure who is making the AZ STP line now but the XL looks very similar to PG XL. Thinking this one equivalent to the blue STP. However, locally all STP now made in China. Thanks for c&p.

Forum rotates the image for some reason but here it is:

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Please don't blame poor oil change intervals on that cheap filter. The used oil looks like a mess and hasn't been changed more regularly. I'll bet your oil is black within a few hundred miles of your last, most recent oil change. Get that engine cleaned up, then test an oil filter for performance. This Premium Guard would have been declared a loser, a few hundred miles after been installed - only because that engine was dirty, prior to the filter installation.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Yuck that is a cheap filter Does your car have the OLM? If so, it should be able to support whatever the OLM suggests as an OCI.Every oil filter should be able to survive the factory recommendation. You're better off with a ST

 

[kstanf150]

Another example of a cheap filter screwed onto an expensive engine. Why, just to save a few dollars

 

[Pyrotechnic]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en

Please don't blame poor oil change intervals on that cheap filter. The used oil looks like a mess and hasn't been changed more regularly. I'll bet your oil is black within a few hundred miles of your last, most recent oil change. Get that engine cleaned up, then test an oil filter for performance. This Premium Guard would have been declared a loser, a few hundred miles after been installed - only because that engine was dirty, prior to the filter installation.

Please don't make assumptions about a car you've never seen or touched. This engine leaks/burns some oil, about a quart every 1,000 miles. New oil was constantly being added, about 8 quarts of it over the duration of the OCI. The oil looked good for most of the OCI, but then I noticed it getting black like this towards the end of the OCI. I really hope the turning black of the oil is when the media failed. Otherwise, this engine has never shown oil as black as what I'm seeing here. I'll be happy to cut open the new filter I just put on after it hits 100 miles. It's a Performax, another jobber filter that also cost me $1.25. Intact media means that my engine isn't a dirty nasty filter murderer. Deal?

 

[sw99]

I wonder if it has something to do with the thicker HDEO. I use these all the time with zero issues, Here is one of mine with over 9k miles- https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...4615-with-9212-miles-on-it-subaru-23-psi