"Toyota" oil filter

Based on previous PC discussions I use Mobil 1 double oil filters. I purchase them in quantity (no shipping charge). Beats the local source for supply and cost. Fits the Prius exactly.

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The filter from the factory has a different part number.

The Toyota Factory Filter Part Number is
90915-10003

The Toyota Filter they sold me at the dealership part number is
90915-YZZF2


Also your A2 filters will work check out this PDF from john1701a
http://john1701a.com/prius/documents/Prius_Maintenance_Changing-Oil.pdf


Both are made for Toyota by Denso.

 

Just an FYI: the OEM filter, the 10003, is made in Japan. The YZZF2 that the dealer sold to me is made in Thailand; hmmmm. Not very comforting. However, I recently bought a shirt at Costco which was made in Thailand and it seems OK. I wonder where the Fram oil filters are made??

 

Plenty of high- and low-tech items are made in Thailand, China, etc.

$37.80 for 10 filters and drain plug gaskets from here:
New Site Sponsor of OEM/TRD Parts - Toyota Matrix Owners Forum

 

Toyota does a pretty good job of controlling quality wherever they have factories. It was one of the biggest points of contention when they began building factories in the US. Guys like Lee Iaccoca bitched that although they were assembling the vehicles in the US, they were using parts made in Japan. So, Toyota just began manufacturing their parts in other countries with the same level of quality control as the Japanese parts.

The bottom line is that although it might not seem like it, OEM Toyota parts made in Thailand are likely going to be just as good as those OEM parts made in Japan. At least I've heard of no negatives about the Thai oil filters.

 

There was one obvious difference between the "made in Japan" original equipment oil filter and the one that was made in Thailand: the former made its seal with an o-ring gasket, the latter with a flat gasket. In my humble opinion, the o-ring system is better, but installed correctly (i.e. lubricate the gasket before installation and don't over-tighten the filter) the flat gasket shouldn't pose a problem.

Just a note from my memory archives: I recall that back in the 1960's, in the US at least, anything made in Japan was sneered at and seen as undependable. Of course today quite the opposite is true. Maybe in a few years we'll be driving energy efficient cars made in Thailand, Vietnam, or Ghana???

 

I don't have a Prius filter in front of me, but I have a spare filter for my FJ Cruiser. It's a #90915-YZZD3, made in Thailand. It's made by Denso, painted black.

The oil filter has a clear plastic wrapper over the business end. There is clearly a o-ring, prelubed with what looks like vasoline

 

I buy the filters and drain plug rings from Toyota, 6 at a time. They are cheap and I never worry about using a junk filter that way.

 

The YZZF2 is a direct replace for the original factory filter. The factory filter's o ring is usually orange colored while the F2 is black and is prelubricated. The A2 is the older design filter, but I don't have any real data as to why they changed. You can also get the YZZF1 filter which is slightly longer than the F2. The F1 and F2 are the standard filters used on most of our four cylinder engines. The D3 filter mentioned earlier is the new filter for the six cylinder engines used in the trucks and FJ Cruisers. It is also used on the V-8s (except the newest 5.7 liter which uses a paper cartridge type like the V-6 in the Avalon, Camry and Sienna). I now use D3's on my 97 Tacoma with a 5VZ-FE V-6 due to the slightly larger capacity and the fact that the o ring is prelubed.

 

I use the longer F1, not so much for the added capacity (which is minimal - it's about an inch longer), but more for the accessability factor. That extra inch makes it a bit easier to get to.

Of course, I suppose I also run the risk of having Toyota disapprove any warranty claim for major engine damage due to using the incorrect oil filter for my application, but I'm not particularly worried about it.

 

Actually, since the F1 and the F2 both fit perfectly on the Prius, you have no risk of loss of warranty coverage. Provided of course that you can demonstrate proper maintenance intervals, either through dealership services or receipts showing your oil changes.

Back when there was an issue with "excessive oil gelling" (Lack of oil changes IMHO, but Toyota stepped up and did THOUSANDS of repairs under warranty) Customers with sludged up engines were required to show proof of only ONE oil change per year!!

 

Was the same motor that was used in the EU - with 12 month or 10,000 mile intervals - also subject to gelling? No, because the ACEA oil specs forbid oil gelling

Even the current API SM/GL-4 spec allows cold stuck rings, ring land fill, crown land fill, cold black sludge, and a gellation index of 12.

The engine makers consider a gellation index of 6 a "pass." An index of 12 is "warning" and 15 is FAILURE

I find it ironic that a car company that purports to be "green" should have among the shortest oil change interval in the industry. The same Prius operated in the EU, running ACEA oil, has a 12 month or 10,000 mile interval

There are cars in the EU that have a 24 month or 30,000 mile interval.

 

Upon what do you base this assertion? Is there an official Toyota TSB or parts supplement that says the F1 is an acceptable alternative for the F2? AFAIK, the F2 is what all Toyota literature call for as the replacement, not the slightly longer F1.

Although it's highly improbable that any Toyota rep would decline the warranty coverage based on usage of an F1 oil filter, it's not a complete impossibility. Technically, the F1 is not the OEM oil filter specified to be used for the Prius application. With that said, that possibility is so low that I personally use the longer F1 on my Prius.