Napa Gold Oil Filter - Not Good!

hl649 · Jan 23, 2006

Changed my oil the other day and installed a Napa Gold oil filter along with the usual 0W-40 oil. After this service whenever I startup the car cold I get a flashing oil light and alarm. After a few minutes the light goes out. This never happens with warm starts. Does anyone know what the filtration specs are for these filters? I am guessing that they are a little finer than stock and it was preventing oil flow at cold temps.

I changed the filter out with a genuine item and the cold start oil alarm is no longer.

Lesson: Nothing other than genuine oil filters for me from now on.

spoilsport · Jan 23, 2006

Yep, this one's a no-brainer for sure.

With so many good vendors out there (MetalNerd, Danix, DG, et al) selling the good baffled filters for around $6, why not just stock up?

ymz · Jan 24, 2006

Please don't take this the wrong way... but...

The Napa filters are made by Wix - not a bad maker - but lack the "Top/Oben" marking...

Could you have put the filter in upside down so that the baffle was on top ???

Yuri.

(BTW: I prefer Mann or Mahle to Wix, in any case... or should I have phrased that: "I don't take a candle to Wix...")

DrewD · Jan 24, 2006

I've used Napa Gold (wix) filters twice and never had a problem other than relying on memory to figure out the up end.

dieseldorf · Jan 24, 2006

ymz said:
The Napa filters are made by Wix - not a bad maker - but lack the "Top/Oben" marking...

They'd only have that indication IF they have the anti-drainback feature. Otherwise, there is no top/bottom indication.

mparker326 · Jan 24, 2006

DD: Not true, the Napa Gold's are not marked, even with a baffle. Picture of a used Napa Gold top.

To the original poster, others have had the same issue with the filter installed upside down.

dieseldorf · Jan 24, 2006

m, thanks for clarifying..I had not seen that brand before.

The better OE filters carrying the indication, I don't understand why people fool around with the aftermarket stuff.

hl649 · Jan 24, 2006

The first thing I did when I pulled out the Napa filter was check to see if it was in upside down. Nope, it was in correct.

The picture of the used Napa Goild filter does not look like the filter that I had. Mine actually looked quite good and in my opinion it should have been a pretty decent filter. Maybe I had a Monday filter...

DIESELprogrammer · Jan 24, 2006

The NAPA (Wix) filter is made in Poland and so is our TDI engine. Both are good. It has been my experience that NAPA is a good company that stands behind their products.

Are you sure your NAPA filter has the internal baffle? I always check before leaving the store. Twice in the last 2.5 years I have run across ones that didn’t – old stock from the back of the shelf.

ta79pr · Jan 24, 2006

confused

YMZ says: " Could you have put the filter in upside down so that the baffle was on top ???"

but dieseldorf's pic shows the baffle ontop.

I dont understand which side is up, the the side with the solid tube, or the side with the baffles like dieseldorf's pic? If so, is ymz's question above incorrect? Or am I just stupid?
thanks for the help.

ymz · Jan 24, 2006

>>Are you sure your NAPA filter has the internal baffle?<<

I've only used the Napa/Wix filter once (when I was "between shipments" from my main supplier, Brian Harrison), and it had the baffle.

ta79pr: I guess you're baffled by our use of the term... the part you're seeing in both of the pictures above is the part of the center unit that is slotted to permit the oil to flow through... the actual "baffle" is on the opposite (bottom) end of the center section - that part is solid, to prevent the oil from completely draining out of the filter when the engine's stopped for a while.

Yuri.

hl649 · Jan 25, 2006

Just to set the record straight, I have used Napa filters before without any troubles. I don't know why this one didn't work, it looked like quite a well built filter and it did have a baffle. It was installed properly as far as I know and I did not see any defects that were easily visible.

I am now going to retract what I said earlier about never using a non-VW filter (i.e., Mann, Mahle). I will just be trying a little harder to get an original model from now on.

ARBY · Feb 1, 2006

I've been using NAPA Gold filters for some time now and never had a problem. I've found them to be very high quality. The MIL may have been low initial oil pressure if you didn't pre-fill the filter housing? Just a thought.

TornadoRed · Feb 1, 2006

DIESELprogrammer said:
The NAPA (Wix) filter is made in Poland and so is our TDI engine. Both are good. It has been my experience that NAPA is a good company that stands behind their products.

I bought a dozen Wix filters from rockauto.com for about $6 each, versus about $9 at NAPA. Yes, "Made in Poland." They are of consistently excellent quality.

dieseldorf · Feb 2, 2006

mparker326 said:
DD: Not true, the Napa Gold's are not marked, even with a baffle.

M, all the filters from the mainstream OES do have the orientation marked. I have no idea what the aftermarket is doing with marking/orientation.

It makes no sense (to me) to go aftermarket when I can buy OES/OEM filters all day long for $5.50 - $6. What are people achieving when they spend $7 -$12 to purchase a non-OE grade filter

mparker326 · Feb 2, 2006

It makes no sense (to me) to go aftermarket when I can buy OES/OEM filters all day long for $5.50 - $6. What are people achieving when they spend $7 -$12 to purchase a non-OE grade filter

DD: For me it was the old s/h issue again. FWIW, I stocked up on several Hengst/Mann's that Purolater repackaged for $7.18 each. So now ala the Senator from your state, I have flipflopped back to the OEM side.

dieseldorf · Feb 2, 2006

I've been able to "negotiate" some great filter pricing from Adirondack. I was getting MANN B4 Passat filters for giveaway pricing when I commited to buy 6....well worth it!

eliotness · Feb 5, 2006

Has anybody tried the Purolator or the FRAM- filter ? I have the FRAM sitting right here, but so far were too afraid to put it in (it has some plastic endcaps which the OEM ones don't). I saw the Purolator one in a store the other day, it was "made in India" (!).

TornadoRed · Feb 5, 2006

eliotness said:
Has anybody tried the Purolator or the FRAM- filter ? I have the FRAM sitting right here, but so far were too afraid to put it in (it has some plastic endcaps which the OEM ones don't). I saw the Purolator one in a store the other day, it was "made in India" (!).

I don't know about the Purolator, but in general that is a reliable brand.

I examined a Fram oil filter for the VW 1.9 TDI engine when I was at W*lmart Saturday. It had the internal oil "dam," but it also had this flimsy cottony-fabric thingee sewn on both ends. I don't know what function it serves, the Wix filter has nothing like that. W*lmart charges over $12.00 for the Fram filter, but I wouldn't use it.... I'd rather postpone an oil change til I could get a better filter.

mparker326 · Feb 6, 2006

Fram/Purolater used to repackage Mann's/Hengst. Now they have a Made in S. Korea & Made in India filters. I think the flimsy cotton piece is a poor copy of the Hengst filter which has this.

Personally, if you are not going to buy online, I would keep looking for a repackaged OEM or go the Napa Gold route.

Napa Gold Oil Filter - Not Good!

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