Wix ecoLAST heavy duty oil filter

Wix Filters, a member of the Affinia Group family of brands, used the occasion of last week’s Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) to introduce ecoLAST - a “revolutionary line of heavy duty oil filters that has proven to double oil life and is projected to save fleets $100 to $200 per vehicle annually,” said company officials.

Wix ecoLAST oil filters capture dirt and soot like a traditional filter, while utilizing media to sequester the acids in the oil.

The new filter works to slow the Total Acid Number (TAN) rate of increase and the Total Base Number (TBN) depletion rate, helping to maintain oil quality and safely lengthen oil change intervals, said Edward Covington, a top engineer at Wix Filters. “Current extended drain technologies, such as time-release additives, sacrificial elements, on-board refining and bypass filtration are all limited by buildup of acidity levels, he explained.

“The proprietary filtration media in ecoLAST, which has no similar competition on the market, does not rely on slow-release technology.”

In addition, the ecoLAST “delivers measured improvements” to ZnDDP (anti-wear/anti-oxidant additive) life, oxidation and rubbing wear, Covington noted, and causes no adverse impact on viscosity or corrosive wear. Structural integrity of the filter is maintained throughout its life.

Savings

“Wix ecoLAST oil filters are the most significant development in filtration technology adaptation since Wix invented the spin-on oil filter in 1955,” said Keith Wilson, president of Affinia Global Filtration Group. “This new technology represents a significant breakthrough in helping our customers reduce the operating costs of fleets while also supporting a more sustainable environment.”

Typical fleets, which average four oil changes per vehicle per year, can save approximately $100 to $200 per vehicle annually using ecoLAST filters when compared to oil changes using standard oil filters, Wilson said.

A mega-fleet with 9,000 vehicles using ecoLAST oil filters can realize a potential annual savings of approximately $1,150,000 by eliminating the need for 5,400 barrels or 226,800 gallons of oil, 18,000 oil filters and approximately 9,000 man hours, he said. A medium-size fleet of 400 vehicles could potentially save more than $51,000, by eliminating the need for 240 barrels of oil, 800 filters and approximately 400 man hours.

Testing

“Wix has conducted significant real-world testing during the past 24 months with many of the most popular original equipment diesel engines, from small engines and generators to over-the-road and off-road heavy duty engines, in North America and Europe,” said Norbert Schuermann, vice president original equipment sales and new business development, Wix Filters. The performance of Wix ecoLAST oil filters have been third-party validated at MIT’s Sloan Auto Lab within Industrial Consortium.

Wix ecoLAST oil filters have been put through more than 1.7 million test miles during a 13-month time period with Cummins ISX equipped vehicles with CJ-4 and mixed use oils, he said. Oil drain intervals during these tests showed an average increase from 23,000 to 54,000 miles.

In a large front loader, ecoLAST extended the oil drain in a 6-cylinder 12.5-liter diesel engine from 500 to 1,000 hours. In a twin-cylinder engine dynamometer with LPG fuel, ecoLAST extended the oil drain from 150 to 300 hours. In a four-cylinder 2.2-liter Kubota diesel engine used on a trailer refrigeration unit, ecoLAST extended the oil drain from 3,000 to 7,077 hours.

“This new filter media was engineered to be the answer to the change from CI-4 to CJ-4 lubricants, because CJ-4 oils contain fewer additives and therefore have reduced acid neutralization capability,” said Schuermann.

“Filter media durability and all other components were tested and confirmed to meet these extended drain intervals.”

Uses

Wix’s ecoLAST oil filters are a direct replacement with no changes or modification required to the vehicle. The filtration media, which has no similar competition on the market, does not rely on slow release technology.

Fleets should conduct an oil analysis program when switching to ecoLAST in order to maximize oil change intervals, advised Covington.

Wix ecoLAST oil filters have proven effective with conventional and synthetic lubes, and works with biodiesel, LPG, gasoline and diesel fuels.

Initially, Wix plans to make ecoLAST filters available for heavy duty over-the-road applications. The first ecoLAST oil filters will become available between February and April 2011 for the following engines: Cummins ISX, Cummins M11, Mack MP8, Detroit DD60, Caterpillar C13 and Caterpillar C15.

The filters are being introduced to the market with a list price 2.5 times the cost of Wix premium heavy duty oil filters for the same application.

While no plans have been finalized, Wix is discussing with equipment manufacturers the possibility of ecoLAST oil filters becoming original equipment in the future.

Since 1939, Wix Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. Wix designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets.

Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment.

Wix is the number one filter in Nascar and an exclusive Nascar Performance Product.