[Howard Khim Hong]

The point of this thread according to the OP is that there are two different types of cartidges, both of which fit the UFI housing but only one actually works while the other will lead to severe engine damage. Checking my oil filter cap, it says UFI on it, just like the OP’s. So my concern is that if there is no CEL to indicate that the wrong filter was installed, if I don’t do the oil change myself, I am only assuming that a mechanic changing my oil realizes that my Trax uses the pf2263g instead of the pf2257g. Should I pop off the oil filter cap each time I get an oil change to make sure?

 

[Traxy]

You can't tell just by removing the cover because the differences in the filter will be on the bottom unless you wipe it clean and can still read what was written on the top of the cartridge. Not sure you can insert a PF2257G in the UFI receiver but you'd have no back flow valve. The back flow valve seems to be part of the filter.

The UFI has the spring HENGST doesn't.

 

[Howard Khim Hong]

Well, I’m back at the dealer waiting room this morning, waiting for my oil to be changed. I was going to change the oil myself this last weekend, but the oil pan drain plug was over torqued to where I split a socket and bent a box wrench while rounding off the corners of the bolt. I asked the service advisor about the oil filter issue, if putting in the wrong filter would cause some sort of CEL and he said he was completely unaware of it and would get back to me on it. This is what worries me. What if the guy doing a string of oil changes just asks for a trax oil filter and gets handed the wrong one. Will he know this or also be completely unaware and just install it leading to the major damage mentioned in the service bulletin. I asked the service advisor to make sure the replacement bolt is hand torqued this time to the proper specs.

 

[Traxy]

Torque spec is 14N·m or 10 ft-lbs. The mechanic ( if he's not a complete dud ) should always compare the old with the new. Only a total idiot wouldn't see the difference. You'd have to be very unlucky to fall on one of those. I just did the oil change on mine just now and the oil that came out of it was still good for a Ford.

 

[Howard Khim Hong]

Finally finished with the service. Service advisor said they replaced the oil plug, check. They said they hand torqued it to the proper spec this time, check. As for the oil filter, the service advisor said he spoke with his “heavy line guy” who told him that there were two different types of filters used on the trax, check, and that they could not be accidentally interchanged because one is a canister and the other is a cartridge, BULLSHIT. So I calmly explained to him there were two different types of filters and both were cartridges with the difference being the overflow valve. I showed him the photos on my iPad. Thanks Traxy. He said he would go back and ask them about it. When he came back he said the one they put in had the valve. So I’m taking their word for it. I don’t mean to sound paranoid but, it just seems too easy for the switch to be made at some point and for them to blow it off like they did with the BS excuse. I did not at anytime go in with accusations or raise may voice. I just expressed my concerns and asked for reassurance and left it at that. I just feel the reassurance was poor since I seemed to have more information about it than they did.

To top it all off, I made the appointment through the Chevrolet app. It gave me an opportunity to list out the services I wanted a la carte, but there was a button that listed a special which included the oil change with full synthetic oil, tire rotation and a multi-point inspection. I clicked that. The special was also being displayed on the televisions in the waiting room. When I went to pay, they over charged me, cause their regular special was $10 more than the one on the app and displayed in their waiting room and I had to wait for them to call the service advisor back to correct it.

 

[Traxy]

You can always pull the oil cartridge cap off and pull the filter to make sure, then put it back. I haven't tried if it was physically possible to mix these up. Maybe this would be a good experiment to put everybody's mind at ease.

 

[beeguz]

Both filters fit I tried both filters in my Buick to see if there was any difference in the way the filtered the oil.

No difference was seen, in as far as how long the oil stayed clean.

The last filter I used was the Pureolator Gold, but I didn't have the car long enough after I changed the oil to see any difference.

The filter I installed seemed to be a better quality filter, it had a more sturdy feel to the material, I do believe it would filter much better than the stock level filter that was being sold here in parts stores.

It had a premium price also, it was around 12 dollars, alot of money for a paper filter.

 

[southplank]

I think dealer put wrong oil filter in

Hi guys! My daughter recently bought her first new car, a Trax LT. As much as I hate dealer service, I encouraged her to go to the dealer for her first free oil change. What could go wrong? So she got it done today. I looked over the invoice and wrote down the oil filter part number for future reference. What they put in was GM 19324430. I Looked it up online and saw that was also known as PF2257G. Then I saw there are two possible filter configurations for this engine. I looked at the cap. It said use filter 25195775 and the cap is marked 'UFI'. I couldn't track down that part number, but all indications are if the cap says 'UFI', it takes a PF2263G filter. Not feeling good at this point, I opened it up. Sure enough, there is a PF2257G filter in there. No spring on filter, no valve on the housing post. I'm pretty sure they put the wrong filter in. Before I go in and raise ****, I just want to make sure this is still a real issue? These two filters are in no way interchangeable, correct? Since there is no bypass valve in the housing or the filter, the oil is not forced through the filter, correct? She only drove about 10 miles after the oil change.

 

[5457]

Hi guys! My daughter recently bought her first new car, a Trax LT. As much as I hate dealer service, I encouraged her to go to the dealer for her first free oil change. What could go wrong? So she got it done today. I looked over the invoice and wrote down the oil filter part number for future reference. What they put in was GM 19324430. I Looked it up online and saw that was also known as PF2257G. Then I saw there are two possible filter configurations for this engine. I looked at the cap. It said use filter 25195775 and the cap is marked 'UFI'. I couldn't track down that part number, but all indications are if the cap says 'UFI', it takes a PF2263G filter. Not feeling good at this point, I opened it up. Sure enough, there is a PF2257G filter in there. No spring on filter, no valve on the housing post. I'm pretty sure they put the wrong filter in. Before I go in and raise ****, I just want to make sure this is still a real issue? These two filters are in no way interchangeable, correct? Since there is no bypass valve in the housing or the filter, the oil is not forced through the filter, correct? She only drove about 10 miles after the oil change.

I checked the ACDelco online catalog and a few aftermarket catalogs and they all have the same warning about UFI or HENGST marked caps. I'd call them before starting the engine again. If they did indeed put the wrong filter in and don't think it did any damage, I'd demand at least a sample of the oil to be sent out for testing, and an extended warranty on the engine.

 

[southplank]

I checked the online catalog and a few aftermarket catalogs and they all have the same warning about UFI or HENGST marked caps. I'd call them before starting the engine again. If they did indeed put the wrong filter in and don't think it did any damage, I'd demand at least a sample of the oil to be sent out for testing, and an extended warranty on the engine.

Thank you. This looks like a serious screw-up. At least its documented on paper. The invoice shows the wrong filter was installed and the UFI filter housing speaks for itself. Even if they won't give my daughter an extended warranty, I think the documentation would hold up in small claims if there is an early engine failure. I was hoping to retire from changing my daughter's oil, but its going to always be a problem getting the right filter as the UFI seems less common.

 

[netfish5]

That's exactly my fear. If the dealer could screw up the filter, then you know every third party mechanic or lube shop will most likely use the Hengst style filter because they seem to be the most common. The only way they wouldn't, would be if the person working on your Trax/Encore just happens to be a Trax/Encore enthusiast who knows about this particular quirk. How likely is that?

Did the car give a CEL to indicate anything was wrong?

Eventually, a large majority of GM cars with this particular quirk that uses the UFI filter will have a much higher failure rate. I'm assuming that the percentage of people who own this vehicle, are affected and are aware of the issue is very low. I guess if you have a Trax with a UFI filter housing, then you will have to verify the correct filter is used every time you get an oil change or just do the oil change yourself.

 

[southplank]

That's exactly my fear. If the dealer could screw up the filter, then you know every third party mechanic or lube shop will most likely use the Hengst style filter because they seem to be the most common. The only way they wouldn't, would be if the person working on your Trax/Encore just happens to be a Trax/Encore enthusiast who knows about this particular quirk. How likely is that?

Did the car give a CEL to indicate anything was wrong?

Eventually, a large majority of GM cars with this particular quirk that uses the UFI filter will have a much higher failure rate. I'm assuming that the percentage of people who own this vehicle, are affected and are aware of the issue is very low. I guess if you have a Trax with a UFI filter housing, then you will have to verify the correct filter is used every time you get an oil change or just do the oil change yourself.

No, no cel or any indication of a problem. If I didn't look up the part number and start digging, I would have never known. I was hoping to get my daughter used to paying for her oil changes, but I'll never be able to trust it's done right. You would pretty much have to ask to see the oil filter to be used before handing the keys over.

 

[southplank]

I checked the ACDelco online catalog and a few aftermarket catalogs and they all have the same warning about UFI or HENGST marked caps. I'd call them before starting the engine again. If they did indeed put the wrong filter in and don't think it did any damage, I'd demand at least a sample of the oil to be sent out for testing, and an extended warranty on the engine.

Thank you. I wrote a longer reply early, but it said it went to be approved by a moderator. Maybe I wasn't logged in. But yes, this is a serious problem. If they won't give me an extended warranty, they will hopefully note it in the record. Even if they don't, I have the service invoice showing they installed the wrong filter. I think I should probably call GM and get something noted.

 

[Rlittle650]

If the oil pressure light did not go on it is probably fine.

That spring looks like a pressure relief valve.

it would probably keep oil pressure with no filter in at all.

Of course they should replace the incorrect filter.

 

[southplank]

If the oil pressure light did not go on it is probably fine.

That spring looks like a pressure relief valve.

it would probably keep oil pressure with no filter in at all.

Of course they should replace the incorrect filter.

Yes that valve is the bypass valve. Basically a pressure relief, it opens if the filter clogs. Maybe cold oil conditions too as others said. Having the wrong filter in there looks like the oil free flows around the filter. Apparently there was no problem with oil pressure in that condition. No failure light.

 

[southplank]

Just an update. I stopped by the dealer on Saturday. Spoke to a service advisor. He immediately told me I was wrong. He would not let me get a word in edgewise. I was just wrong, period. He did get a printout from parts dept after the other SA suggested he do so. But he still didn't have the will or understanding to see there were two possible filter choices depending on the cap. He eventually got frustrated and danced around waving his arms that he could not deal with me anymore. Very frustrating for me. Other service advisor called me over. He also started to tell me I was wrong, but unlike the first, he stopped speaking when I asked him to and he listened to what I had to say. He looked at the printout from their parts catalog and I showed him a picture of my UFI cap. He agreed that on paper it looked like the wrong filter was issued. He was hoping that maybe the mechanic actually caught the error and just did not adjust the paperwork. I assured him the wrong filter was installed. He offered to send the roadside truck to the house and bring the car in. I don't trust that they understand the problem I knew that it would be a several day event. I said I just want the right filter so I could go home and be done with it. He went back to parts and got the correct PF2263 UFI style filter. He said "all the guys back there say this won't fit because of the spring on top. Please call me and let me know how it goes." It fit fine as expected and I let him know. He said he or the manager would call me on Monday. We'll see. I plan to complain further about the mistake, but more so about the arrogant service adviser. This service adviser's attitude was totally unacceptable. These guys are apparently trained to blindly defend the dealership.
I hate dealerships. Free oil change = free aggravation.

 

[Traxy]

To act like that, that guy had to be on something. You should get the dealership tell him to personally apologize to you and tell you he was wrong and you were right. I know if it was me that guy would apologize or lose his job.

 

[southplank]

To act like that, that guy had to be on something. You should get the dealership tell him to personally apologize to you and tell you he was wrong and you were right. I know if it was me that guy would apologize or lose his job.

I didn't give a thought that he might be on something, but to stereotype, he was a young man in his 20's and that could have been the case. He was a bit wired and kept saying I was putting him down. I don't want to humiliate him with a forced apology that he doesn't feel, but I have no issue working to get him fired or at least ruining his day with a reprimand

 

[adamjeeps]

I am glad the other adviser stepped in and showed some form of reason.

Speaking of "free" oil changes, I had a Lincoln dealer put 5W 20 oil in my 2013 MKT EcoBoost and I proceeded to tell them it called for 5W 30. He told me "We put 5W 20 in all newer Ford products now". I said well the oil fill cap and manual call for 5W30 so please redo it with the correct oil and if you are putting 5W20 in all the 3.5 EcoBoosts then you are potentially ruining all those engines. He wasn't too happy when he looked up the spec in the computer and decided the customer was correct after all. This was after he told me the CPO program didn't cover the 4 free oil changes because "It does not show up in my system". A quick call to Lincoln and they sent me a refund check a week later. On the way home, the plastic cover under there came loose and began dragging the road because they did not properly fasten the tabs. Pitiful.

I do not trust dealer service further then I can throw them.

 

[Traxy]

I get you, I forfeited all 4 free oil changes on my new Encore. I'd rather do it myself and do it right, that way I'm sure all the fluid levels have been checked, hood latch and hinges have been lubed, etc ..... By the way I suggest you move down that little foam protector on the prop rod so it's at the level where it may chip the fender if it slips out of your hands.