Spent 6 months using the wrong oil filter because the parts guy swore it fit

Was working on a 2005 Freightliner Cascadia at the shop in Phoenix and kept having oil pressure issues after every change. Finally had an old timer come over and point out the filter was about half an inch too short, letting crap bypass the media. Turns out the parts store gave me a filter for a different Cummins model and I just trusted their computer system. Has anyone else had a parts counter guy lead them totally wrong like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_carr265d ago

Half an inch? That's a massive difference for a filter. I would have been circling that parts counter with a wrench in my hand after the second oil change. Six months of chasing a phantom oil pressure gremlin because some kid trusted a screen instead of looking at the part. I would have been tempted to drive the truck right through their front door after the third rebuild.

leewood5d ago

Wait, half an inch on a filter? @fiona_carr26 I thought you were joking at first! That's not a screw-up, that's almost a whole different part number. Honestly I'm impressed you didn't lose it completely after the third rebuild.

willowr965d ago

The thing that gets me is that half inch gap probably changed the bypass valve timing too. Those filters are engineered with specific clearance for a reason, you know? One of my old crew guys had a similar issue with a Ford van where the wrong filter let the oil drain back overnight. Took him forever to figure out why it was rattling on cold starts. The parts counter kids mean well but they just look at the computer screen without thinking about the actual application. Three rebuilds is brutal though, I would have been bringing the old and new filter to the counter and making them explain the difference to my face. That kind of mistake can wipe out an engine in no time flat especially with modern oil pressures.