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-   -   Oil Filter: What matters and what doesn't (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/133450-oil-filter-what-matters-what-doesnt.html)

I have a 99 model type II Maruti 800 (carburettor) model, and am rather confused about its oil filter. Earlier I bought Puroralor filters specifically made for Maruti 800, now that is not available in the market. I had to fit a Lucas-TVS HD King filter (meant for Eichers) at the last oil change as the purolator one was not available. Now it seems that Purolator has stopped making the M-800 oil filters and the distributors at Kashmere gate are offering an identical looking filter for diesel (prob. tractor) application for the 800. The MGP people are offering a much smaller sized filter that comes with the MPFI 800, and are saying that it will work for the carb as well as the screw and gasket diameter are the same. Now I am in a fix. Shall I go for the Purolator one or the MGP (which is also of Purolator make)?

I don't think that the filtration charecteristics will be very different, the only thing that bothers me is the pressure at which the bypass valve is going to open. Is there a significant difference in the charecteristics of the filter used in diesel and petrol engines, esp. of the bypass valves? Is the filter of the MPFI 800 compatible with the carb engines? Also, I was told that the MGP filter fits all Marutis! So the final question will be:

How generic or specific are oil filters?

I'd be grateful if some one can give some technical insights into the working of oil filters, so that we can make an informed choice. Its worth noting that the HD King filter hasnt given me any trouble till now except that the oil pressure light stays on for about 5 seconds after a cold start if i dont use the choke. It goes off as soons as the engine hits a certain RPM, by application of the choke or the throttle. And this too after it has served for almost 7000 odd kms over a period of 14 months.

Buddy, you are over complicating things :)

With oil filters, always buy OEM; they work just fine. You should use MGP (confirmed with a Maruti techie as well) for your carb 800.

Thanks GTO. Another MGP dealership today showed me the correct filter for my car: its a large diameter thing which is only meant for the Omni and the carb 800. It's also cheaper by Rs. 15. :) So I guess its all about availability with the particular distributor. BTW, the gasket diameter of the two aren't exactly the same, but I guess it won't make much of a difference.

Hi GTO, sorry to reincarnate such an old thread. As you know, Nissan India doesn't sell parts in the open market so to do a regular engine oil or an air filter change from outside I've to use after market parts. I am planning to use Purolator air filter and Mahle [their website showed Nissan to be an oem partner] or Bosch oil filter. Is it ok to go ahead with these? please:

Should work. Check with the seller and the mechanic that the filter you are buying will work for your specific model/variant.

Most after-market part makers indicate the vehicle the parts are suited for, esp Bosch. All the brands mentioned are excellent performers (Purolator and Mahle are one and the same). You may add Lucas, Elofic and Wuerth to the list as well. If you are still unsure, ask a TRUSTED mechanic who works on Nissans. Make sure that the oil used satisfies both the SAE (viscosity) and API (quality) specifications. Last but not the least, buy from a trusted shop.

I think that godo brand like Purolator are also kosher. The OEM you buy will almost certainly a rebadged unit from a major specialised manufacturer. Here you are on your own so make sure.

Thanks honeybee, fighterrace and sgiitk for the information. I would double check with the seller and my mechanic on buying the oil filter. I'm planning to change the air filter as well.

Nissan recommends ACEA B1/B5 5w30 engine oil for 1.5 K9K dci engine but I could find only one Mobil Super 3000 X1 Formula FE, fully synthetic, which suits both the specs. One of the dealer in my city responded to my mail informing they use use 10w30 and two fellow BHP-ians have advised me to go for semi-synth 5w40. I'm a bit confused in choosing the engine oil grade and type as my car has been running on mineral till date for 84000+ kms.

I had mailed Mobil India with a similar query and got a call from someone who said he was calling regarding my query to Mobil India and suggested a shop in Kolkata. I hope that shop can be trusted.

I think EITHER B1 OR B5 should be enough. SG sir kindly confirm.

As SG sir said, even OE filters are made by specialist companies like Purolator. Just make sure you get a genuine article.

Look for a distributor, they are usually reliable. That or a shop you have a personal rapport with.

With viscosity, the idea is that if recommended xW-y and you have pW-q, make sure p<=x and q>=y.

In case of any doubt, then many ASCs now sell parts over-the-counter. Just get the right part. Else, if you have the old sample, get the identical one from makers like Purolator, Bosch, etc. They are anyway the OE suppliers for most car manufacturers.

In case your ASC doesn't sell parts OTC, then just get extra filters when your car goes to ASCs for a service. They are anyway inexpensive items and easy to store for long.

Regards.

The recommended is 5w30; so I might go for (0/5)w(30/40). Will keep that in mind while buying the oil.Thank you.
I need to check if Nissan ASCs in Kolkata sell parts over the counter. I don't have any old samples so I need to stock the replaced filters the next time I take my car to the ASC. Thanks.

Slightly OT.

How does one spring a leak from the oil filter adapter?

The vehicle in question in a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2014 in Qatar. I noticed small oil drops in my parking area for a couple of days. First I had brushed it aside, thinking someone else would have used my parking slot during the day, and hence the oil droplets.

After a few days, the patch on the ground grew in diameter, that is when alarm bells went off and I got down on my knees to take a better look at the underbelly of the Jeep, found it soaked with oil. With a racing heart I open the hood, pull out the dipstick to check the oil level. It was not bad; it had come down from the MAX marking, but still above MIN.

So I head to the dealer, early morning Saturday. Hoping that I could get a technician to take a quick look and conclude something small like the oil filter was not tight enough, hence the leak, we shall replace the o-ring and top up for free as it is just 2000 kms since the last service, where we had replaced the whole set….

However, nope, none of that happened. The service advisor says the earliest he can assign the vehicle to a tech is late evening on SAT or early morning SUN. I did not want to risk driving without knowing the actual location of the leak, even transmission oil was changed during the last service, so I had that too on the suspect list.

Now I got a call from the Service advisor who claimed that the oil filter adapter was the culprit and the leak is from that unit. The vehicle is still under warranty so that will get fixed without a cost, I might have to pay for the oil top up.

I tried conveying a point that, the vehicle has run only 2K kms since last service, so maybe the tech who worked on it last time had damaged the adapter, either tightening the oil filter a little too much or did not put the o-ring in place. But the Service advisor got all aggressive and said NO, these thing happen once in a while, you cannot blame service. He is a new chap, who I had not seen at the dealership earlier. Maybe he is under probation hence a little touchy about an unhappy customer suggesting the root cause.

I would be heading over to the service center in the evening to collect my ride. Before that, I just wanted to get an idea, what causes an oil filter adapter leak? I am also doing some reading online to get an idea.

The oil filter is located on the top, under the engine cover.



Source

The oil filter adapter housing.


Sorry about the rant, the call got me all upset. I tend to my jeep a lot, so a leak, if it is from shoddy work or a faulty part got me a little worked up. :) I feel a little better after typing this out.

It is very easy to screw up a filter replacement, by either under or over tightening. Wrongly set O ring can cause a leak too. Please let the higher ups know what had happened, so the technician who did the job gets a feedback. Please keep in mind that the objective is to prevent a repeat in the future, rather than having his head on a platter.

UPDATE:

Got my ride back, there was a day's delay as the SA said he wanted to do a foam wash at the oil dripping underbody of the car, keep it overnight for observation (... was he working in health care before?), and only then say QC passed.

I liked the foam wash and double check initiative by the dealer. But the time taken to do all this is something I could not digest. When the previous service had 2 types of oil change, zero-ing on the leak should start from there. Nor did I like the way the SA totally ruled out any fault happening at their end that led to this oil leak.

Anyway, I am happy i did not get charged for all the fix and the oil top up, i had to pay for the underbody wash as it is done at some 3rd party service bay, they do not have a vehicle lift in their wash area.