1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Oil Filter: OEM vs TRD Synthetic media

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by davekro, Nov 6, 2016.

  1. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Currently the TRD (#PTR43-52090) is $18.65 on Amazon Prime and $19.50 on Ebay. Anyone find better pricing on the TRD? Up until now I have used Mobil 1 M1C-154 & Bosch 3313 which run about $13, but do not have synthetic media like the costly TRD (and Wix XP). I was considering going to OEM and buying a 5 pack for $24.50 on Amazon, but now thinking of going the other way to the more expensive TRD synthetic media. I just wish it didn't cost $5.65 per unit more than the Bosch & Mobil one 'premium' filters (vs. ≈ $5.00 for OEM's)

    I run Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15,000 mile full synthetic oil and change around 10,000. But since it is my wife's high mileage commuter, sometimes I am alerted at 11,500 miles. So just looking for added insurance for a super long engine life as we will keep this car a looong time and would like to see 300K +++ miles. ;o)

    EDIT: (& edited above)
    I bought a TRD filter and a Wix (57064XP $14.65 Amazon Prime, has synthetic media just like TRD).
    Seeing both side by side, I like the Wix better. It has many more pleats and the edge of the media looks more securely attached via a metal crimp the full length of the seem and Wix has a great filter reputation. I used the TRD this time and will use Wix for all my future oil changes.

    Wix & TRD oil filters.jpg
     
    #1 davekro, Nov 6, 2016
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2016
  2. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2012
    1,555
    660
    0
    Location:
    Central MO
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    II
    Just stick to oem and change your oil every 5k miles, my oil turns dark after 5k miles.
     
    Toppcat and Mendel Leisk like this.
  3. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Since my wife hits 10,000 miles in under 6 months, I prefer a longer OCI.
     
  4. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2006
    5,963
    1,981
    0
    Location:
    Edmonton Alberta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    So the title is about oil filters and you're actually talking about oil?

    The standard Toyota oil filter is very well made and works fine. It also burns to -no- residue. If that's how it's dealt with.
     
  5. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2012
    477
    302
    6
    Location:
    Tropical Buffalo NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    I feel the OEM filters are excellent for the 10,000 mile OCI.
    I wouldn't expect an additional 1,500 miles would be a problem.
     
    davekro likes this.
  6. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I only mentioned oil as reference that my choice is 'theoretically' good for well past 10k miles.

    What does 'burn to no residue' mean? When filter is recycled?
     
  7. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2006
    5,963
    1,981
    0
    Location:
    Edmonton Alberta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,673
    38,211
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Someone here (@friendly_jacek maybe) was having problems removing oil filter, ended up going 20,000 miles on one filter. It survived, looked really dark though.

    I can't get too excited about oil filters, the trivial cost savings, and have concerns about compatibility. Accordingly I'm a Toyota chauvinist, just put in a fresh Toyota filter (purchased at dealership), every 6 months or 8000 km's (Canadian schedule).
     
  9. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,673
    6,492
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I use a 5000 mile OCI, but I'm thinking that there's no appreciable difference in the filter media.
    I'm seeing OEM units for less than $5 each delivered from Amazon, so that's probably the way I would go. (my Prius is a work car so I don't change the oil. My company pays it done every 5,000 miles.)

    Toyota makes cars, NOT oil filters (or oil) but whoever makes their filters does at least an acceptable job at the lowest bid price, since they have to keep the car running for about 100,000 miles, and for all that their filters are pretty good.
    However (comma!) the dirty little secret (pun almost intended) is that any oil filter or no filter at all won't prevent the car from reaching extended warranty miles, and after that Toyota corp reaches diminishing returns on their super premium media investment.

    So.....the OEM filter is good 'nuff....and at less than $5 every 5,000 miles, it's cheap enough.

    IMHO, most people who use a 10K OCI aren't that anal about checking their oil level DURING those 10,000 miles which is why you have 1235 threads in Prius Chat about Priuses "suddenly" burning oil.
    I also personally think that a 10K OCI is a little too long, but I'm thinking that if you assiduously check your oil volume you'll be OK, since the second dirty little secret is that VERY few people actually keep their Priuses past about 150,000 miles.....and so if you remember the first dirty little secret, what filter you use or how often you change your oil isn't very predictive of whether or not the car will get past 200,000 miles.

    Reader's Digest Version: It mostly does not matter. ;)
    YMMV
     
  10. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I'm going to splurge $18.65 on a TRD hi mile filter this time. I'll see if I can tell if the oil looks any cleaner after 10,000 than the Mobil 1 filter's oil that I am removing at this oil change. I'll decide later for future changes.
     
  11. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2010
    3,524
    981
    8
    Location:
    US
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    you got that right.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  12. Joele3

    Joele3 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2010
    118
    189
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I'm hard on my prius. Oil changed from 7-8k miles. Started out using OEM filter switched to the TRD filter looks nice but some quality control issues on their filters made me switch. Glue was coming out of the top all over the paper media. Been using the WIX XP filter for the last 3 oil changes at 10k OCI. I get them for around 15$


    WIX Filters - WIXXP Filters
     
  13. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    What were the quality control issues for the TRD? Did you see them in your use or read about the TRD quality issues?
    I see the Wix #57064XP ($14.64 Amazon Prime, $17.99 at local O'Reilly's) has synthetic media. And the 'rim' at both ends is smaller than the TRD. Not sure if TRD's wider rims lessens surface area or not. This Wix looks good & for $4 less than the TRD. Only ≈ $1.65 more than Mobil 1 M1C-154 which does NOT have synthetic media. To late to cancel the TRD. I will use the Wix next time. Thanks for the Wix tip!
     
  14. Joele3

    Joele3 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2010
    118
    189
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I would order 2-3 TRD filters from my dealer. I would pop them open and glue would be falling onto the paper media from the end caps. I can live with some glue coming down but not when its covering one side of the paper media. Would scare me thinking it would melt/mix with the oil.
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,673
    38,211
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Never had problems with the regular Toyota filter. Just googled TRD, it's Toyota Racing Development? Sounds like hype in this case: pay more for a filter that's coming apart? o_O
     
  16. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I have a TRD & Wix. I plan to install the TRD for this round, use the Wix next time. But one confusing thig about the TRD... It has a red O-ring one one end. Anyone know if that end should face the engine or face out? When I stick it over the engine post or the post in the lid, they wiggle back and forth equally. It seems that either way oil could travel around the non o-ring side. It probably does not matter, but the TRD even came with instructions, but no mention of the o-ring or it's orientation. I'll post a side by side pic of Wix & TRD later. Wix has many more pleats And a better seal of the ends of the media.

    EDIT:
    Only thing I can figure is that because some Tacoma TRD trucks have an oil drain plug at the end of the filter cap and some youtube's showed an extar o-ring for that drain plug, maybe this one just has that o-ring incorporated into it.
     
    #16 davekro, Nov 11, 2016
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2016
  17. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    UPDATE: (I also copied the below info to my first post.)
    I bought a TRD filter and a Wix (57064XP $14.65 Amazon Prime, has synthetic media just like TRD).
    Seeing both side by side, I like the Wix better. It has many more pleats and the edge of the media looks more securely attached via a metal crimp the full length of the seem and Wix has a great filter reputation. I used the TRD this time and will use Wix for all my future oil changes. These are the only two filters I have come across that have synthetic media. Synthetic media reportedly has ≈99% filtration vs 75%. They both filter to 20 microns.

    Wix & TRD oil filters.jpg
     
  18. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2009
    691
    151
    41
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I've used TRD oil filters for 80k miles. I'm pleased, and I'm not burning any oil.

    I remember the dealership said the stock filters wouldn't last more than 5K miles, but that was back when the 5K => 10K oil change interval change was announced. That was one of the reasons I've used the TRD filters. The metal end caps are much better than the plastic ones on the Wix. Go read up on oil filter tests on "Bob is the oil guy" and elsewhere in the Google universe.

    From the picture of the Wix filter along side the TRD filter, I'd predict that the Wix will get crushed when used in the Prius filter holder. Note how muc taller the Wix filter stands. How that affects the pleats and whether some then get broken is a question in my mind.
     
  19. davekro

    davekro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    478
    66
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, East Bay
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    The TRD has an embedded red rubber ring on one end with no mention in instructions if this is to face the engine or away from it. How do you orientate this o-ring? I suspect it does not matter and it there for applications that have a drain plug on the end of the oil filter cap.

    Height: to my eye, they look the same height. The oem filter has no end caps at all, so I that part is not a concern to me. Interesting comment on the 5K for the oem filter. I just feel better using a high mileage filter with synthetic media like the TRD or Wix XP.
     
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,673
    38,211
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    That's not exactly an edict from Moses though.