Volkswagen Atlas Oil Filter 03H115562

[crashz]

Just heads up, I changed the oil in the wife's 2019 Atlas yesterday. All went well and pretty routine. Except for the filter. I generally use factory VW filters because I like the quality and endcaps. These are filter elements with a cap that unscrews from the bottom of the housing and the element snaps into the plastic cap. The cap has a drain in it so that you can drain the housing before pulling the filter, a nice feature for not covering yourself in oil.

So the first weird thing I noticed was the when the drain plug was removed, very little oil came out. Hmm.

When I removed the filter a gush of oil came from the housing.

Then once I drained and removed the filter, I grasped it to unsnap the filter from the cap, and the media pleats crumbled in my fingers. I grabbed it firmly, so no surprise it deflected, but it torn and crumbled. The pleats are stiff and easy to tear, similar to the feeling of tearing oil soaked cardboard. No noticeable debris caught in the filter. I've never seen any of this behavior before from these filters in the 10 or so changes I have done on this car. They always drain properly, and the pleats are pliable but resilient.

Oil used in previous and this change is Amsoil Euro 0w-30. A Microguard went back in (was my emergency back-up filter).

 

[DannyM]

A Microguard went back in (was my emergency back-up filter).

Did you get the VW filter from the same place you always do ? Also.. was that a Micogard Select or basic Microgard ?

 

[Kira]

So,
1) The "very little oil came out" drain plug was the oil pan's drain plug, yes?
2) When you "removed the filter a gush of oil came from the housing", its wee rain plug had not been removed, yes?
3) A filter element you believe to be VW OE crumbled away feebly.

Real odd.
You do all the oil changes so it's unlikely you underfilled...but it is possible, no?
Could you have purchased a "counterfeit" oil filter element?

 

[crashz]

The oil filter was from the VW dealer I think. I honestly can't remember where I got the VW filter. I usually get them at the dealer, but I have bought one or two from FCP Euro and the Jungle website.

Microguard basic I think. The red and black box. It fit OK and certainly looked better than the crumbly filter.

1) No, the oil pan plug drained fine. It was the little plug in the oil filter cap (wee plug) that drains the oil filter housing that did nothing. That typically dumps a half quart or so.
2) Yup, wee plug was removed. Nothing. I put wee plug back so that I wouldn't loose it, then removed the filter cap. Sploooosh!
3) Yes - and now that you guys bring it up, I'm wondering if the VW filter was counterfeit. It was in the usual VW box, looks identical. I still have it so I will clean the end caps and look to see the markings. I believe the VW Audi symbols are stamped into the plastic surface.

 

[Chris142]

Is it the one underneath with a 36 mm nut to remove the plastic housing? If so I hate those. I always get an oil bath. Even after removing the 6mm Allan to drain the filter.

 

[crashz]

Yup - that's the one. Its Ok. I like it better than the housing on my 2022 Canyon. That one comes up from the top, leaving the dirty disgusting dregs in the bottom. You just couldn't clean that out. And you had to carefully pull the filter out without dripping all over the engine and fender.

 

[TiGeo]

Not seen that on our Atlas. I use Mahle filters from FCP. I agree that the little drain plug is great and I typically get a bunch of oil out that way before removing the cap/filter.

 

[Andyd95]

Not seen that on our Atlas. I use Mahle filters from FCP. I agree that the little drain plug is great and I typically get a bunch of oil out that way before removing the cap/filter.

We use Mahle filters in these as well, no issues

 

[crashz]

So I looked at the filter yesterday and the VW Audi symbols are embossed in the top cap, yet in yellow print it says "Made in China", which I don't recall seeing before.

I think before I condemn the OE filter I'm going to get one from the dealer to compare. I wonder if I have a well disguised knock-off? I will also look into the Mahle filters from FCP.

 

[Andyd95]

Wouldn’t surprise me if the OE filter is a made in China UFI