We Had To Swap Out All The Oil Filters In Our Shop! 

A shop owner that takes the time to ensure hes getting what hes paying for, respectable. Ive always like mann filters but usually go with oem

Nearly a century after inventing the oil filter, Purolator continues manufacturing to the high standard maintained by American workers in Fayetteville, North Carolina. You'll find those filters protecting engines on every back road, main street and highway in communities like yours around the country. MANN+HUMMEL Purolator Filters LLC, more commonly known as Purolator, is an American manufacturer of oil and air filters, based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Since 2013, it has been a subsidiary of German filter manufacturer Mann+Hummel. You'll notice most NAPA stores are in areas with less competition and their prices are generally very high. In our small town we have 3-4 parts stores and NAPA is always my last choice especially on filters due to price. I try to purchase filters on the net mostly, from a trusted source because of knock offs. Last time i bought filters in town for my Jetta TDI they (carquest who claim their filters are wix) stuck me for $90 for a fuel and oil filters, never again $54 for a cartridge fuel filter is ridiculous, the same filter from Mann is like $14 to $18. I keep at least 2. filters on hand for all my vehicles now and lots of oil. Tractor Supply and Bi-Mart stores here carry Purolator Filters and that's what i have been using. I've always been partial to Baldwin but their filters are made all over the world now. Hard to get anything American made these days.

I’ve been running napa gold filters for years on my farm equipment…. Well no longer . I got an oil filter from napa for my John Deere 4100 tractor . Changed the oil and started the tractor . It blew the oil seal out in 5 minutes and pumped all the oil out . I was dumbfounded never had that problem, thankfully I was there and was able to shut the tractor off before any damage could be done . I took the filter off and the gasket felt like a rubber band … put it back on got it really tight … thinking it wasn’t tight enough put more oil in it and it blew again…. Went back to napa they gave me a new one . Put it on and it blew out in 5 minutes….. started to do some investigating… the napa gold was no longer made in the USA but Vietnam. So I knew suppliers had changed. . Went back to Napa got my money back and put a John Deere filter on. No problems since … that pice of junk napa filter could have cost me an engine . And the old filter was a Napa gold , I examined the two filters and found out the new red spongy gasket on the new filter is noticeably smaller in height than the original one. So it must have been able to blow it out from under the filter . That was my conclusion. Unfortunately I do not trust napa anymore … so I’ll ether go wix or John Deere for now on.

Alright, I’ll bite on this. As a NAPA store manager I’ll try to clarify this. As most everyone knows NAPA filters were made by Wix up until September 2023 when we introduced Premium Guard as our new supplier, as both Man+Hummel and Premium Guard both supply our filters now. The eastern US is supplied by Premium Guard and the western is supplied by Man+Hummel. NAPAs reasoning for bringing in a new supplier was because during/after the pandemic Wix was not able to provide NAPA with sufficient stock. I remember not being able to get common filters for Ford/GM trucks for over 6 months back in 2021 from Wix. As well as supply issues we also were experiencing major QC issues from Wix, such as mislabeled filters, filters with incorrect threads and even filters with no threads.

Hello, 35 years ago I worked at an airport on all ground support equipment. We proved time and time again WIX was the clear winner by miles by doing what you just showed with every company that wanted our business. More than 25 manufacturers participated. Thanks for holding up to a GOLD, (pun intended) standard.

Mann Hummel purchased Wix years ago. Mann Hummel has factories all over the world. Wix has their regular line and their Wix XP. I’ve seen Wix filters made in the US, Mexico, China, Slovakia and Poland.

I own a NAPA store & it depends on where you are, Western US is still supplied with WIX filters for NAPA Gold filters. Eastern US NAPA Gold filters are supplied by Donaldson/Baldwin Filters. This is because WIX could not supply enough filters. When they told us about it they said they prefer WIX & would change back if WIX gets in the position to be able to keep up with the demand. WIX has manufacturing facilities all over the world & they are not all made in USA, a lot are from Mexico now. In Utah though I can confirm they still say WIX Mann/Hummel on the filters & boxes.

I like this. No fooling around and no half measures.

I just bought a couple of dozen Napa Platinum filters for multiple makes a few weeks ago. I just checked all of them and they are Mann-Hummel filters, made in USA. Blood pressure is back to normal... for now.

This business cares about the quality of his parts for his customers.

Great video .I personally use MAHLE, MANN!

Wow! I was not expecting this information. Looks like I will be changing which brand of filter I will be buying.

Thanks for the Info. I thought the same on Napa and Wix filters...thanks man.

Thanks for the content, didn't expect Napa to switch away from Wix. Another brand of filters to consider is Purolator, they are also Mann-Hummel.

Thanks for this video! I use napa gold filters and did notice that at one point the o-rings werent sealing very well anymore causing oil to leak from the filter/housing. This explains why. I will no longer use napa gold. Sad day for Napa Auto Parts.

Thanks for the post. Wix is and was a good brand. Mann will see their quality is maintained. I have had the good fortune to tour their manufacturing facility. 👍

Thanks for doing this video, closed my business in 2011 and always used wix oil filters!

Im from Germany and i can tell that Mann-Hummel Company is goin together with the Wix-Filtron Company now. I only buy genuine MANN for maintaining our 3 Volkswagens in the family.

I worked As the filter salesman for Big A, in the early 90,s! I’ve used Wix for all my vehicles for over 30 years! Yes, back then, NAPA, and Big A were Wix filters! The owner of Car Quest is an old parts guy, that I worked with at Big A. So dumbly, I presumed they were still Wix! Really super glad you posted this! I’m very narcissistic about my maintenance! Preventive maintenance I like to call it! I saw Wix filters at O Riellys, so that’s where I’ll be getting my next filters! Again thanks for this valuable info!

Great info, thanks! Always used Wix on my big trucks as an owner/operator doing my own service work. Have been using NAPA on my pickup the past few years for convenience, (they're close by) I will make sure to purchase Wix from now on. Thanks for the heads up.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Just about an hour ago I was placing a large filter order on the NAPA online site. There was a problem and their site failed. I was mad and placed the order with O'reillys. Now I see this and I am glad that happened. NAPA was my go to for filters for well over 25 years. I want WIX, so I guess I will change my supplier.

Purolator and wix, my go to filters

Great job, thanks for the heads up!

Good to see Mann filters still on your shelf. I use it on a 20 yr old bmw 6 cylinder.

Cheers to you for taking care of your customers!

That's dirty pool. Thank you for letting us know. Shame on NAPA! Subbed.

It's good to see that the Toyota filters are still on your lower shelf. I'll keep buying them.

Interesting!! I did not know this. From coil spring to stamped steel release valve & on & on. I'm running currently and amsoil full synthetic filter or sometimes a Purolator boss. Great video !!👍🏼

Thank you. What a WONDERFUL OWNER OPERATER. humbled bud. Keep going string my friend. Thanks tons

Great video! Really easy for someone to miss this! I have a 2021 CRV and I always use a Honda filter.

Thanks for the intel 😊

Love the professionalism you show and your great detailed explanations of stuff. Thank you 😊

That is very interesting I have been using napa gold filters for years, I am going to check it out I have that same part number on my shelf right now, thanks for the video.

Glad you guys posted this, thanks for the education.

Thanks for the clarification!

Thanks for the information. I was getting napa gold thinking I was getting a wix filter. It's time to go out of my way to get wix.

Thanks. You must do good work.

Thank you for the updated information. I use a Wix filter in my Challenger that is made in Poland. It's the same filter that Dodge brands as the SRT filter for Dodge Vipers.

For a typical street car application, any filter that fits well is more than sufficient. Changing it regularly is far more important.

I appreciate this video, i was a Gold fan for years, I’m going to use Mann on my Honda which i have always used on my VW’s.

For sure great info, it’s amazing that even the OEM’s will change filter manufacturers, having seen some of the back to back comparison folks have done the quality difference is huge. I personally will only use Amsoil’s EA filters in my own vehicles, but I have to order those!! Should I need to change oil on a customer’s vehicle either that comes into my home workshop or I travel to for diagnostic testing, pre tuning vehicle health checks/fixes, engine installation and proper break in, or any specialty part installations. I’ll only use or recommend Wix Gold, Puralator Boss, or K&N oil filter as those are the only decent filters obtainable at the local chain parts stores. PS: I see that Topdon Topscan dongle sitting in the Amazon box back there. It’s a brilliant little tool compared to many others out there that cost more. To have All Systems Scan, Full System Bi-Directional capability and not just a couple service resets that other companies claim to be bi-directional control. This guy will do real system component active testing, all from a phone app and Dongle you can toss in the glove box or your pocket for $100. Best part is it’s not locked to one vehicle or vehicle make like other companies. Just a small yearly subscription fee after the first year or two is peanuts compared to some tools yearly subscription costs. 👍

Thanks for the intel

So Wise , Thank You . Thank You for maintaining quality

Fantastic video ... thank you! ❤

Thank you!!!! I always knew i could interchange wix and Napa. Bummer!!! I totally appreciate this video

GOOD Information Dude..........................A clean shop as well.........................Well Done !

I use Baldwin filters on everything. No issues!

I use MANN filters in all of my cars. My W221 Mercedes had them as oem filters and I think if they are used there then they are good. I also use them for engine and interior filters. They are a little bit more expensive then other filters here in germany but it isn't that big difference - quality is more important. Hengst Mahle and MANN are from germany :) I have never seen WIX here in a shop.

In my shop, I use wix gold or wix protec because we could get them in bluk. When I took over I inherited a bunch of no name crap. If I knew then what I know now, I would have never took over someone else's shop. I would have just started my own. Love your videos, I have learned a lot, thanks.

Thanks for the video. Great knowledge to have.

Nice breakdown. I use Amsoil filters on all my vehicles simply because I have had great results. Wix was my backup during the great filter shortage.

I admire your dedication to delivering a quality product to your clients. The degradation of the quality of parts in recent history has really taken a toll on customers' experience with repair shops. Mine too. I paid a bunch of labor to have a fuel tank dropped only for the shop to put in a low quality fuel pump and lets just say the quality is nothing like OE and it still bugs the heck out of me with its hissing heard from 30' away. The one time I let them source their own parts and that is what I get. OE only for me from now on. They might be made in a foreign country now, but I hope that they care about their reputation and have quality control standards. This is more likely with OE parts.

It's infuriating that it takes this much effort to stay informed on ONE part for a car. Thanks for the help!

Great info. Thanks for sharing!

I have settled on using the WIX XP. Just an easy choice when I go the parts store.

Thank you ! ! !👍👍👍

Good work. I appreciate it very much. Thank you.

Just saw a post where a 40 year old fram “ same #” was compared to the new version. The old was as you implied, significantly better.

Excellent video, totally agree with everything. Own-brand labels like NAPA buy from whatever manufacturer gives them the best deal, and this can change over time. Similarly, ownership of companies also changes - as you said, Fram are no longer the same firm they were in the past. Cheaping out on parts is always a false economy - Mann is my preferred filter supplier, but I also use Bosch and Delphi when appropriate.

Thanks for the update 😇

Thank you for the great information! I've used Wix Gold for many years on my 93 Chevy Astro and 06 Tahoe. Then the "switch" happened, and I knew because the metal cap wrenches I've used no longer fit. For my last oil changes I've had to stuff some paper towel in to get a hold on them to remove and tighten them up and it still was a challenge. And no, I don't tighten like crazy. I have psoriatic arthritis in my hands and on my 93 4.3, the inspection cover is so close to the filter, I can't get the palm of my hand and fingers on the filter. And on my 06 5.3, the oil pan is shaped that I can't get the palm of my hand and fingers in there also. I don't have the strength nor pain tolerance to just use my fingers in these situations; I used to years ago. But now I need to be able to use either a tool or be able to use the palm of my hands to help my fingers as well. I'll definitely have to get to O'Reilly and measure any new filters I buy for these cars and purchase the proper metal cap wrenches. So they did change even the Wix Gold in that perspective.

It appears you mixed up where the flat leaf spring shown on the Napa Gold came from. The "Wix labeled" (never been a Wix "gold") had the flat stamped spring, not the Napa Gold as you showed. Premium Guard made filters use a coil compression spring, so it would/should have been placed on the new supplier Napa Gold.

Thats why its important to always change the oil filter during the oil change, cheap or not, customer got a new one.

I used to use NAPA Gold all the time when I had a business. Since retirement I’m down to 2 vehicles and I just buy the OEM filters.

I have been using Purolator BOSS filters for years now and love them.

Very informative.Thank you! I've been using Wix XP filters for years; glad to know their quality won't be compromised.

Thanks for the update. Helpful.

Thanks for making this video.

Thumbs up on video. Been using Fram Ultra for past 7 years. Before that, I used Wix or OEM oil filters.

It may be a regional thing but I started to see Napa Gold filters coming from Mexico about 10 years ago here, at first it was air filters then around the time we started to see the Waltrip/Nascar commercials the oil filters changed to Mexico, then various other countries and then China. Depending on what its for i don't worry much about the air filter so long as it fits but the oil filters have been a real issue for some applications, enough so that I quit using them altogether. It wasn't so much a quality of assembly issue as a fitment issue. They seemed to be grouping applications together without checking to see if it was anything more than a thread or gasket diameter match. The first issue I found was a filter that was spec'd out for a tractor with a stand pipe inside the filter, the filter which was the same number as the old one, didn't have enough depth inside to clear the stand pipe. On most cars I just use the OEM filters whenever possible.

As someone that changes oil at home, I approach oil filters with the costco mentality, buy a box of 20 and not worry about the supplier changing hands until it's time to reup on the filters. Not the best solution since storing filters would mean a low humidity area but a plastic bin with some silica packets achieves that. This really sucks when brands change hands and now you're getting lower quality or even supposed lower quality on a consumable that's pretty important to engine life. I'd be curious if you could dig up an old napa gold wix built filter and compare the insides to the new chinese made one.

Toyota,Lexus & Honda I go to the local dealer and buy OEM Oil,Air,Cabin & Fuel filters. Fluids by quart or gallon. Cudos and respect to Royalty for cutting filters and caring enough to buy the tool.

Thanks for that info. Here’s some info for you. Made in Vietnam “can be” a euphemism for Made in China and reboxed in Vietnam to beat the USA tariffs.

Thank you for the video, and advising of the change in NAPA filter quality having changed - as well as the manufacturer. I had not realized that. I always felt that would be my thrid best choice for oil filter, where Motorcraft and Wix Platinum or Gold premium filters are the top brands I prefer to use. If I happened to come across an AmsOil oil filter I would be fine with that also.

I just use OEM filters. Our VW OEM filters says made by Mann in Germany on them, and for the Nissan OEM filter for our truck, Not sure who makes them doesn't say, but says made in Mexico. I just stick with OEM oil filters, but I do use Aftermarket Engine air and HVAC filters. To each their own I guess.

Good catch. This happens constantly and it’s hard to catch them before they cause issues. If our vendors can’t tell me the manufacturer we won’t buy the parts. Some are really on top of that while others look at you like you’re nuts 😂

Thank you for this information.

Good information I just shared it with the buddy of mine

Thanks again guys, for watching our backs! Yep, (some these companies today) only see the "bottom line" $$$😡, and a "good name" has gone by the way side! I've been using Wix and Mobil 1 for 50 + years, and you used to get what you paid for, today......your video is a prime example! Hats off to ya 😊👍🏻

First rate auto shop! Thanks for taking the time to alert us about the changes. It is a shame that brands are switching their manufacturers of their products to save a dime. I'd rather pay more for the best than save 50 cents on the purchase cost for something that is subpar from what I have been using! Beauty of youtube right here! Just subscribed to your channel as a result.

Thank you for the heads up!!!

Thank you for a very good video showing how times have changed in the service/repair business. All the decades we had our shop we used NAPA filters and they were made by Affinia Group in the WIX factory in N. Carolina. I retired before the purchase by MANN+Hummel. Like you said NAPA probably couldn't reach a deal with M+H and went somewhere else. We never had issues with NAPA. We used M+H and Bosch filters for the European vehicles we worked on (Audi, VW, Porche, BMW, SAAB and Volvo). Never had issues there either. For the domestic stuff we used Motorcraft and AC Delco also if the customer wanted them. Right before I retired we switched to O'Reilly parts because the new owner (from Czech Republic) got a killer deal from them regarding warranty issues and delivery times were cut in half. The shop is no longer a NAPA service center and the new owner has stopped servicing and repairing anything domestic or Asian. Strictly Audi, VW, BMW- Mini, and Porsche. Times have indeed changed!

I bought a Napa Gold this weekend, thinking I was buying a Wix Gold. I got my old filter off and went to put the new filter on. I thought it didn’t seem like a Wix gold and I found it was made in Vietnam. Thanks for sharing this and confirming my suspicions.

Good video - I have always used Wix for my small shop, followed by Fleetguard and Baldwin. Mostly I'm doing marine diesel stuff. I've always "known" Napa was Wix, but didn't know they had changed up.

Great work! Thank you.

Thank you, this clears up a few things i been seeing lately. New subscriber because Made in USA. ❤🇺🇸👍🏻

Royalty’s videos have been super informative! Appreciate ya!

Thanks- very helpful!

Thanks so much for sharing all that the details between a different filters there. Since I started with Wix filters call me that's the only one I accept. In fact, I use Wix XP for my synthetic oils. The only time I had to skip on using Wix filters was during a shortage of covid. Keep sharing Bible content like that!

Thanks for sharing this information. 👍

great video, some years back i ran a buddies forklift parts and service department , I've always owned Volvos for 40 yrs and always used OEM filters, in the shop we always used Wix filters on everything ,absolutely everything ,we did theft open test with a Volvo filter that fit my car and a Wix filter and they were surprisingly close in style and quality, at the time the Volvo filter was 3 bucks more and then i found out i could buy the Wix filters cheaper if i bought 6 at a time which meant they were 6 bucks cheaper than the Volvo filter, so i bought a case, then 2 flats when i went to the local supplier that one Saturday morning, i just had to comeback in a hour to get them from the warehouse, i had enough oil filters for the next 5 years and its simply true Wix makes very good quality filters and i do use Mann filters also extremely high quality, cheap oil filters shorten engine life, this much i have seen in the heavy machine industry 👍

Your right about the Fram filters from the 80's that we loved. But times have changed considerably! I also have broughten the WIX GOLD from Napa thinking it was the top tier filter. Now that I've seen your video here it tells it all. So where does a normal guy like me find this particular WIX GOLD filter?? Thx so much for this update. ❤

I had no idea , THANKS !

I noticed the switch several months back, and kept some of the old ones. Thanks for taking the time to investigate and share.

This is great to know. Thank you for the heads up.

Thanks for the info 👍 appreciated

Napa Gold manufacturer varies by location. My store in Illinois is still made by wix however some locations are made by Premium Guard. Unfortunately, when Mann Hummel bought wix their supply chain suffered and they couldn’t keep up. To take the pressure off of wix, Napa now has split territories and the supplier is different depending on where you live.

Thanks for the video.

WIX XP Purolator Boss and , Mann are top also Amsoil filters are all my top choices.

Mine I bought to restock a month ago are all wix gold.( In Canada) I will watch with a close eye the next I call . Thank