is there any advantage to the oil filter design?

[fourrunner1]

I'm curious, is there an advantage to this design over traditional oil filters? My buddys' new Sienna has the same type filter, so does the Highlander. Is this just more service business for Toyota or is it better for the engine in some way?

 

[1engineer]

I'm curious, is there an advantage to this design over traditional oil filters? My buddys' new Sienna has the same type filter, so does the Highlander. Is this just more service business for Toyota or is it better for the engine in some way?

Yes. For passenger vehicle application, there are basically two types of oil filters:
1. Spin on canister (fiter element and housing all in one)
2. Replaceable element

Why would Toyota use the replaceable element style?
You, as a consumer, expect oil filters to be "X" price. In my world $900.00 filters are common but in 99.9% of vehicle owners that would be insane! We want to pay what we have always paid. As consumers, we will spend a few bucks more but we want to know we are getting our money's worth. Unfortunately, in the filtration world you can sit two filter elements side by side and one can cost $100 and the other could cost $5.00 and you couldn't see the difference because it is all in the construction of the filter media itself. This brings us back to Toyota.

Toyota has a reputation of reliability and durability. A good oil filter is key to those points. A spin on canister filter costs more to produce than just the filter element itself. Building the housing, valve and element into one piece of course is more costly.
Now, manufacturing replaceable elements vary in cost depending on quality and the media itself. You can use a higher quality replaceable element for a similar price of a canister and inferior element. So, for the same price, you can get a higher dirt holding capacity and finer filtration media for about the same as a spin on complete assembly because you don't have to manufacture the can again.
Is this the sole reason Toyota uses this design? I can't say for sure because I am not a Toyota engineer that designed it. What I do know however is this is how it's done in most off highway mobile equipment design, both for their engine and hydraulic systems. I personally am much more comfortable with the replaceable element as I know the media quality is usually better.

 

[fourrunner1]

OK, that makes sense. Thanks for the detailed answer!
I guess the "better" filter is the reason for the 10k oil change interval.

 

[1engineer]

OK, that makes sense. Thanks for the detailed answer!
I guess the "better" filter is the reason for the 10k oil change interval.

If you have a synthetic fluid that can go 10K miles you had better have a filter with enough dirt holding capacity to go the same. Otherwise the filter will get dirty, clog up and will bypass which means that bypassing oil will not get filtered.

 

[philsey]

Very interesting 1E. Being old school, this 10K OCI (I remember when 3K was the norm) seems pretty remarkable.

I've done 3 now, and I have been visually checking the color of my oil as it nears time for an OC. Very surprised at how clean it always appears, even after 10K.

 

[perkdog258]

To go along with what [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] said above there is also the fact that Toyota along with some other car makers run higher oil pressure. You will find a lot of German designed cars use the same filter design due to the higher pressure run.

Instead of having to buy a beefy filter canister and filter element the company can have you just replace the filter. There is also the side benefit of stating that the company is greener since it is easier to recycle a filter instead of the filter and canister.

In the end [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] is right in that you get better flow through the bearings and engine due to the higher pressure. You also gain a higher filter capacity due better quality filter.

 

[vicpick58]

Not to hijack, but while on the subject of oil filters, has anyone changed their plastic housing to the metal one used on a Camery or Avalon?

I also have an Avalon and it has a metal lower filter housing that with the exception of the element being slightly shorter looks the same as our plastic ones.

I have seen that there is a guy on ebay selling the metal ones along with a fancy $20.00 wrench that actually seems like a good product, but a little pricey.

Anyway he claims that the housing can be used to replace the plastic ones on the 4Runner but you have to change the tubular screen thing in the middle for our longer elements.

Of course he wants more money for the housing than we could just order one from one of the online Toyota dealers.

I just changed oil last night and am always careful, but could see that the plastic housing would be possible to accidently crack or damage.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Lexu...73?pt=Automotive_Services&hash=item3382ada135

 

[1engineer]

Not to hijack, but while on the subject of oil filters, has anyone changed their plastic housing to the metal one used on a Camery or Avalon?

I also have an Avalon and it has a metal lower filter housing that with the exception of the element being slightly shorter looks the same as our plastic ones.

I have seen that there is a guy on ebay selling the metal ones along with a fancy $20.00 wrench that actually seems like a good product, but a little pricey.

Anyway he claims that the housing can be used to replace the plastic ones on the 4Runner but you have to change the tubular screen thing in the middle for our longer elements.

Of course he wants more money for the housing than we could just order one from one of the online Toyota dealers.

I just changed oil last night and am always careful, but could see that the plastic housing would be possible to accidently crack or damage.
Toyota Lexus Scion Special Oil Filter Wrench Tool V6 V8 Filter Cap 15620 31060 | eBay

Here ya go sir: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...-looking-oil-filter-housing-removal-tool.html
I believe this is the same thing. As you read through the link you can see the arguments. I am just fine with plastic. In many cases plastic is a much better material to spec than metal.

 

[vicpick58]

Here ya go sir: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...-looking-oil-filter-housing-removal-tool.html
I believe this is the same thing. As you read through the link you can see the arguments. I am just fine with plastic. In many cases plastic is a much better material to spec than metal.

OK somehow I missed that thread, it seems the plastic one is just fine and the socket style wrench that I already have is fine too.

Why waste any more money.

Thanks 1engineer.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Can't add much more to what [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] and [MENTION=83211]perkdog258[/MENTION] mentioned, which is pretty much what I was going to say.

I also believe one of the reasons has to do with cost/recycling as well because disposing of paper elements is easier than mixed metals, rubbers, oils, papers.

Fun fact, the filter elements you put in the car are almost identical to what's inside most filters. i.e. cut open a YZZD3 filter and the element looks near identical to the one used in canister style units.