Toyota RAV4 OE vs Toyota RAV4 Replacement Oil Filter

This filter was removed from a 2007 Toyota RAV4 four cylinder engine at the first oil change (approximately 3000 miles on the filter). It is a very unusual filter. At the first oil change I installed a Purolator PureOne filter. I judged the PureOne to be the best readily available aftermarket filter for the RAV4. I looked at it carefully and based on the published specifications and outside appearance I believe the PureOne is a very good filter. However, after cutting open the OE Toyota filter, I decided I should use Toyota replacement filters in the future. I found the Toyota filters for a good price on the Internet ($3.25) and purchased several. I decided to sacrifice one. I was surprised by the relatively cheap construction of the Toyota replacement filters.

This filter was removed from a new 2007 Toyota RAV4 I-4 engine at the first oil change (3000 miles).

This is a very unusual filter with unique media. The media appears to be molded around the inner core out of some sort of hard but porous material. The inner core appears to be an elaborate plastic molding with channels radiating out from the center to support the media. I wish I had some idea of how efficient this media is. It certainly was ugly.

The base gasket was a "torque stopper" type gasket, identical in cross section to the gasket on after market Denso filters. Unlike the after market versions, it was silicone and held to the base by several small brackets riveted around the base. The base appeared to be a casting instead of a stamping as used by all the other filters I have evaluated. The relief valve was on the dome end and used a spring like the Purolator filters. The anti-drain back valve was silicone.

The construction is of high quality, but I wonder about the media. It is really weird. It is a Denso manufactured filter and made in Japan. It is available from http://www.mcgeorgeparts.com/PD-90915-10004.aspx for around $8.

This filter is nothing like the original equipment Toyota P/N 90915-10004 filter I removed from the 2007 four cylinder RAV4 at the first oil change. It reminds me of a current Champion Laboratories or FRAM low cost filter. I rate it behind the Purolator PureOne filter I installed when I changed the RAV4’s oil for the first time. I suppose it must be adequate for the job, but it sure looks like a design where cost was more important that design quality. I particularly dislike the relief valve, the nitrile anti-drain back valve, and the poorly sealed upper end cap. It was suggested to me (see link below) that the anti-drain back valve was not nitrile becasue it remained flexible at low temperatures. I suspect that it is ntrile. Nitrile is a type of synthetic rubber and the properties can be altered by choosing a particular formulation. This filter is cheaper than a Purolator PureOne for this application, so it might be worth considering.

This filter came off of a 2007 four cylinder RAV4 at the second oil change (4600 miles on the filter, around 7800 on the engine). It is a well made conventional filter with a silicone anti-drain back valve and base gasket. I'd rate it well ahead of the Toyota 90915-YZZF1 Oil Filter. I don't know where it fits relative to the OE Toyota P/N 90915-10004 Oil Filter. The 90915-10004 Filter is so different from conventional filters that any comparison made without the use of dedicated filter test equipment would be worthless. The Purolator PL14477 Filter can be purchased for around $6. This falls in between the Toyota 90915-10004 and 90915-YZZF1 Filters. If you are changing your oil at the recommended 5000 mile intervals, this filter is a better choice than the Toyota 90915-YZZF1 Oil Filter. Whether or not the 90915-10004 filter is worth $2 bucks more than the Purolator is an open question.

A viewer of my site E-mailed me with a link to this filter. Helmar Inc. specializes in parts for forklift trucks. Toyota is a major supplier of forklifts. Some of their forklifts use the same filter as a 2008 4 cylinder RAV4. This filter is a clone sold by Helmar Inc. It is identified with the original Toyota part number. However, it is definitely not a repackaged Toyota filter. From the outside it has a similar appearance, but the internal parts are completely different. It is a conventional filter with cellulose filter material and a nitrile anti-drain back valve. This filter is inexpensive - only $2.80 plus shipping from Helmar (see http://www.helmarparts.com/product_p/90915-10004.htm ).

There was nothing on the filter or filter package that indicated where this filter was made. My best guess is China. This filter is certainly no better than the Purolator filter. Unless you order a large quantity of these filters, it will be more expensive that the Purolator or Toyota 90915-YZZF1 because of shipping charges. I believe the filter is adequate, but see no reason to go out of the way to use this filter.