Econmancer

This is really disappointing. I just got done changing my oil and I’ve had an unpleasant surprise. At some point between oil changes the FL400-S oil filter by Motorcraft has been reduced in size. I’d say there is about 3/4 of an inch less filter material than previously. That’s a big reduction in surface area inside the filter.

My car is turbocharged and these engines have a tendency to get oil sludge. I want as much protection as I can get so I use the FL400-S size filter. I’ve sent my concerns to Ford and will update with any information they care to provide about this.

I’m assuming it was done to keep the price from going up, but I personally don’t buy Motorcraft brand filters to save money and I’d bet there many who are with me on this. It’s one of those things I’d rather pay more for and get the best I can instead of having the potential for increased engine wear so I can save a few cents.

So for anyone who has been using the Motorcraft FL400-S filter on their car, take a ruler along with you next time you’re in the oil aisle and be sure you’re getting the most filter for your car by checking out the other brands available. I’ll size these up as I have time and post my results.

Alternatives filter brands to check out-
Fram (xx)3600
STP S3600
Bosch 3422
Mobile M1-209
K&N HP 2009

-P. Econmancer

Open air intakes are a common modification on the SAAB 9-5. Removing the cold air box really releases the sound of the turbo. The one complaint people have about having an exposed filter is the threat of water soaking and possibly entering the air intake.

Many people fabricate splash guards to help prevent the bulk of puddles from spraying the air filter. I personally have been driving around with an exposed filter for a year and a half with no issues.

I do have some protection from water. I installed a “Drycharger” from K&N. It is a mesh cover that fits over the filter and repels water using its treated material.

K&N says the addition of a drycharger only decreases airflow by 10% over an uncovered K&N filter, not too bad for the piece of mind and of little worry on a forced induction vehicle like the SAAB 9-5. It is actually more translucent than this image shows.

It fits snugly over the air filter and also helps to keep dust and larger particles out.

From Amazon:
K&N Drychargers

I replaced my cabin air filter as part of my 90k mile service. The cabin filter is not part of the standard 90k service, but I had a feeling (which seems to be proved) that my filter was original to the car. Now was a good time to correct that issue.

I won’t go into great detail about the removal process because there are several good sites that explain in detail how to replace the cabin filter in the SAAB 9-5.

Old filter, possible from 2000 with 90k miles on it.

Brand new filter from TheSAABSite

I was shocked how large the filter is, it’s about has the width and length of a sheet of paper. I always imagined it to be maybe 4×6 inches. I thought they had sent me the wrong filter when I opened the package and saw how big it was.

You start by removing the carpeted cover on the passenger’s side foot-well, there are a few plastic rivets holding it on.

Then the plastic dash panel and glove box are removed, around 6 or 7 Torx screws are holding them in place. The glove box has an air duct and two wires that will need to be pulled off before the entire box can be removed.

There are about eight Philip head screws holding on the black plastic panel that seals the cabin filter. The panel is in the lower right side of this image

Once the panel is gone, remove the old filter by moving the cable bundles to the side and sliding the filter out. You might want to put something down because my filter was host to a handful of tiny leaves and damp rotten foam chunks.

The new filter is installed in reverse, the supplied foam goes in first, at the top with the holes fitting over the two pipes. The new filter can then be slid in with some delicate pressure. The black plastic panel is reinstalled, the wiring and ductwork for the glove compartment is reattached and the box is installed, the dash panel is returned into place and the carpeted cover is riveting back. That is all there is to this project. It was easy to do and only took about twenty minutes to complete.

While not exactly common knowledge, this “secret” is hardly unheard of in the SAAB 9-5 community, but I figure it doesn’t hurt to give more coverage to the “enhanced” alternative to the stock oil filter.

The oil filter for a 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo fits on the SAAB 9-5 and the filter extends about two inches longer than a stock 9-5 filter. That is two extra inches of filter material to help guard against oil sludge.

Here is proof that the filter fits, taken right after installation. Ignore the oil drip, that’s just from the oil I primed the filter with before installing.

The filter is a Motorcraft FL-400S or Fram 3600… or you can just look up the oil filter part number for a 2003 PT Cruiser Turbo. The precise year of PT Cruiser isn’t critical, but it must be a turbo model to get the extended filter. I suggest the 2003MY because I know looking up that year will get you the correct part number… because that is exactly what I did.

I love physics and I am a big fan of Dean W. Armstrong’s blog. In a post from 2005, Armstrong attaches a coffee filter to a running vacuum cleaner and then takes a reading of the coffee filter with his Geiger counter to see “the decay of radioactive daughter products of radon-222“.

Graphic of radon decay 

Last week, being inspired by Armstrong, I decided to put my Geiger counter on the air filter of my 9-5 to see what would happen. I had just returned home from work when I did this experiment.

The Geiger counter on the stone fireplace mantle after running for five minutes.

The Geiger counter on top of the old filter after running for five minutes.

The Geiger counter on top of some Uranium ore (just for fun).

Visit Dean Armstrong’s blog for the real information about what is going on. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic than five additional μRem/hour. I can get 17 μRem/h with the counter sitting on our kitchen table, but usually it is around 8-10 μRem/h in the house. The Uranium ore photo was right after I placed the counter on the sample, no real need to wait five minutes.

I previously tried the coffee filter experiment in our basement near the sump pump. Sadly (or luckily), I didn’t see any noticeable jump in radiation.

My next experiment will be with the cabin air filter on the SAAB 9-5 when it needs replacement. I will also try testing the used oil filter at the next oil change.

NanoSense has some background information on radioactivity.
How Stuff Works article on Radon.