Oil filters quality decline

[DamirGTI 358]

Anyone bought canister oil filters for XU engines lately?

If you go for the Purflux one thinking it will be the best and the OE-type filter — not anymore !

Purflux seems to have started selling some dodgy items.

There is no more “zig-zag” filter paper inside, just straight paper, and an odd-looking plastic bypass valve and central tube .

So either there are a lot of counterfeit filters around, or Purflux quality has seriously gone downhill.

There’s also a plastic protective film on top of the new ones — I’ve never seen that before.
Clearly made in China, and there are loads of identical ones on Alibaba.

The box is also a bit different — colours and font size differ from the old original box.

So I ordered the Fram variant, because before it used to be the identical Purflux filter just sold under the Fram brand. The Bosch *261 was also the same before — Purflux inside the box and made in France.

I ordered two Fram filters. One came exactly like the old made-in-France version with the “zig-zag” paper, while the other one was different — the Chinese one.
Same story with the box: the made-in-France filter came in an orange box, while the Chinese one came in a more orange/red box, with different font as well.

I tried Mahle too, as I remember them being very good for years and made in Austria. Not anymore — the same Chinese stuff.

It also seems like OE filters are no longer coming from Purflux. I’ve seen a lot of boxes marked “Made in TN (Tunisia)” and some Renault ones with the same marking.
So it looks like PSA switched to Mecafilter and Misfat, since those are made in Tunisia along with Valeo. Most likely reboxed Mecafilter/Misfat.

 

A few pics of wasted money (only the first Fram on the left is the correct Purflux-type filter) :

[petert 630]

Purflux is now unobtainable here. I changed to 13/16" so I can use Ryco Supercars Gen3 control oil filter, Z160ST.

 

https://rycofilters.com.au/part/z160st

 

https://rycofilters.com.au/articles/how-ryco-protects-the-gen3-supercars-engines

 

Their regular 205 M20 size is also now available in Syntec:

 

https://rycofilters.com.au/part/Z543ST

 

 

Edited March 10 by petert

[DamirGTI 358]

Seems like it'll be hard to find genuine Puflux nowadays , here in EU they all seem to be the "counterfit Chinese type" at least the canister spin on filters for older engines .

 

We do not have Rayco brand filters here , so i think i'll switch to Mecafilter as it's what PSA uses now as OE supplier .

 

Seen some tests and filter cut outs , and Mecafilter brand looks promising .

Oil filters contain double the size/lenght of the filtration paper compared to Purflux and other known brands , paper quality is said to be better too .

This Chinese Purflux version failed miserably on filter tests , it's on top 5 price wise expensive filters but nearly on the bottom filtration and quality wise !

[Ozymandis 103]

 

 

 

 

 

I got 20 from Autodoc approx a month ago they are all the zig zag type, I tend to use the later LS923, but they were low on stock of those hence these earlier types.

 

Maybe Your local shop is not getting them through official supply channels and is being scammed?

 

I decided not to use Mahle oil filters mebbe 20 yrs ago, a quick suck and blow on a new filter showed the valving was useless back then, nothing to do with China they were European crap back then.

 

If I cant get Purflux I use Mann as a second choice.

 

Peugeot have been supplying Tunisian filters for a goodly number of Years, when the Tunisian ones showed up in the bulk packs we sent em back and have been getting Purflux from Autodoc since.

Edited March 12 by Ozymandis
omission

[DamirGTI 358]

Holly c**p ! you bought the lot of them that's the reason we can't get them anymore !! 

 

I tried odering from the three different local parts suppliers , one of them being quite big Eastern EU supplier which does direct import and wholesale too .

And they all shift the same Chinese Purflux  with the condom .

 

Most of the spare parts here arrives imported from the Poland , maybe they have few variants od the same aka grade 1 , 2 , 3 to pick & chose at the warehouse i really don't know ?!

 

Only managed to get one real Purflux in that second Fram PH9599 box .. so seems like a gamble ..

Apart from the Fram , Bosch 0451103261 and CoopersFiaam FT5656 where also identical Purflux LS876B filters , haven't tried to order those two .

 

I agree , some of the filters from Mahle are crap but people stick with them cause they used to the brand .

 

Why sent back the Tunisian ones ? 

No good or ?

 

 

[Duroc 2 1 Cars]

Yes. An old school LS867 or LS923, if you can get

[welshpug 1,722]

I think purflux still make the oem filters for Sevel, its M22x1.5 is a different thread to the old M20x1.5 on older engines,   I serviced a late 2024 Boxer 2.2 last year,  its an FPT engine now, not a PSA DW12 I believe.

 

probably a lower call now for the older parts hence moving production to cheaper factories.

 

Fram dont seem to have a very good name in the states, a lot of euro stuff used to be made in Wales but those factories are long gone.

 

forgot to add, Stellantis spare parts are mostly branded Mopar now, the filter was Made in france, as was the Air filter, which is now a weird rectangle with a corner chopped off rather than the long tube they have used for the last 20 years  (still the same bodyshell!)

Edited March 15 by welshpug

[Ozymandis 103]

I sent the Tunisian ones back because they were not Purflux, I have no idea about them.

 

Any peugeot dealer stock You come across , 1109T0,  has my favoured LS923 in the boxes.

[DamirGTI 358]

4 hours ago, welshpug said:

Fram dont seem to have a very good name in the states, a lot of euro stuff used to be made in Wales but those factories are long gone.

 

forgot to add, Stellantis spare parts are mostly branded Mopar now

 

Yes ! Fram orange spin on canister filters seem to be really bad but those make and sell in US only .

Fram EU is entirely different , Sogefi makes Fram filters here in EU , i've heard there's factory in Italy .

Basically they're rebranded Purflux filters . 

 

Indeed , for a while now parts from Peugeot have Mopar logo ! 

[DamirGTI 358]

3 hours ago, Ozymandis said:

I sent the Tunisian ones back because they were not Purflux, I have no idea about them.

As it seems , Tunisian Mecafilter/Misfat filters are very good ..

Fitted a few of those during the years , mixed oil/cabin/fuel , but also as it was unkown brand to me and in a bit "booring" boxes i thought they're at best some mediocre quality filters . Seems i was wrong ! 

 

Some Mecafilte filters cut open and tested : 

http://www.oilchoice.ru/viewtopic.php?t=1038

(Not the labaratory level testing , but still good enough for rough estimate ..) 

 

 

And here is  the Chinese Purflux cut open too : 

http://www.oilchoice.ru/viewtopic.php?t=289&start=60

As expected , it is some kind of counterfit .