mtnman82

It's time for an oil change and since we can't get the fleece filters I decided to get the Mann, Hengst and Mahle filters all at once to see the difference. Soooo, here you go:







To me, the Mann seems inferior to the other two. The paper seems a bit 'cheesier' than the other two - not as stiff and not as dense (if I had to guess, the pic's floating around of the filter that disintegrated are of a Mann filter) and the other two have plastic cages inside for additional support. The Mann has 34 pleats, the Hengst 45 pleats, and the Mahle has 54 pleats. The Mann and Hengst were made in Germany, the Mahle in Austria. The Mahle filter material is a tad shorter than the other two due to the end construction, but the end construction on the Hengst & Mahle seem more stout. Looking at the inside and the amount of light passing thru them, the Mann is the brightest, and the Hengst and Mahle are pretty close with the Mahle being slightly darker. There seems to be considerably more material in the Mahle filter so I think I'm going to give that one a try this time...

For posterity's sake, it's been 10, 000 miles and 15 months since I did the service B. Presently have the Hengst filter in there. I have a note that I had to dump a full 6 qts in to get the display to show 5.3 qts (in dyno mode). I haven't added a drop since and it presently reads 4.3 qts (no messages about needing to add or anything). So it looks like I've burned 1 qt in 10K miles (including at least 3 extended length high speed runs - living in the middle of nowhere can be fun sometimes). I just turned 70K miles. Thinking about doing the Blackstone labs analysis thing... If I do I'll add the info here.

Not trying to irritate anyone with their personal preference in filters, just trying to add to our collective wealth of information on this site. Cheers -

splinter

Been shopping the field? You’re still young. :) Nice work, mtnman82.

Sometimes it’s the ungainly gal that works her magic best when the lights are off.
UOA’s will ultimately tell the tale..

mtnman82

- Just curious and to add to the info LILBENZ230 has shared with us. Not planning on getting rid of this car for a long time.

Also, just glanced at Taiwanese's oil change thread and I believe the MB filter (in his thread) is a Mahle filter.

Utahkompressor

I have Mann in my M271 right now...I don't think i'll use this brand again!

It looks so cheap and does not fit on the canister as tight as the OEM filter.

Great thread BTW...I think i'll buy MAHLE next time!

LILBENZ230

Interesting. Definitely do the Blackstone Labs thing. You're just a couple grand off my analysis and I'd like to compare!

Glyn M Ruck

This is very interesting. Uniformity in hole size is what really matters & the thicker the media the less the chance of debris pump through loosely speaking unless the media is junk - one of the reasons the fleece is so good. I'm interested in the apparent difference in media area. Are the Mahle & Hengst pleats of the same depth as the Mann? Hard to see from the pics. We could have a winner with that Mahle filter here although it will take longer for a greater area filter to become as efficient as a smaller area one but it will last longer before clogging. We also have to take into account that some media swell takes place with cellulose filters.

Other than the fleece I have no preferences in Brand. All are reputable companies. What is most important is best filter for the engine life of the M271. Thanks for the effort!!

I curse the fact that the automotive world do not state the spec of their filters. I had to get Donaldson to check what the fleece can do in a single pass to extrapolate it's approx values.

mtnman82

Matt - how much oil do I need to save for the analysis? I just go to blackstonelabs.com? Haven't looked into the details yet, but I'll save a quart to send off and post results here (your thread too, if that's OK with you and the mod's).

I agree Glyn, uniformity & longevity is what's most important, & the bottom line is what's best for our engines. Yup the brands are all reputable - wasn't trying to bag on one or the other, just reporting the differences. The pleets are all the same depth, just the Mann material seems to be more 'poofier' for lack of a better description. Really wish we could get fleece for the m271's...

BTW, I was probably in error when I said there were no reports of the oil being low. For some reason I was thinking I would get an 'idiot' warning if I got 1/2 qt. low. Over the past year I never checked oil level using the standard display, only in dyno mode...

Edit: just sent off for the Blackstone kit...

LILBENZ230

Yeah it's $22.50 and worth it. Feel free to post your result in my thread, as well. Where do you live? Is it dusty? As you can see from my report, it's okay for me to run the full 13,000 intervals. The oil sample I had analyzed was filtered by a Hengst filter. There's a Mann in there now. I plan to have it analyzed again.

Just a few ounces are needed.

Nokiemon

Could you please post a part number for the Mahle filter?

Thank you,

mtnman82

I live in the middle of the Mojave desert (S. California) - extremely hot/dusty in the summer and cold enough to snow in the winter, so I would guess I'm in an 'extreme' climate. I saved a quart and will send off a sample when I get the kit (and post).

Nokiamon - the part # for our oil filter is 271-180-01-09, but that part # works for all three of these filters. If you go to rmeuropean.com and select your model, it will come up with all three choices.

LILBENZ230

So here we go Glyn.. here's your chance to see oil analysis on a car that's in an extreme climate and very dusty. Thanks for doing the analysis, mtnman - looking forward to learning more about the wear on the M271 with the paper filters and extended drains.

Glyn M Ruck

Yes - I hope Greg drives on dirt roads now & then.

mtnman82

Yep, sure do Glyn. Almost unavoidable from time to time in this town... I'll let you guys know when I get the kit, and I'll have the TBN done too.

Glyn M Ruck

Also ask for a TAN if it's not expensive. I would like to know if the oil is oxidising at 13,000 miles. Matt's sample thickened a little & I'm sure it's a NOACK evapourative loss issue rather than oxidation.

mtnman82

Got the kit this week and just filled the sample bottle. I'll send it off Monday. I've asked for TBN + TAN in addition to the standard tests. Will post the results when they get here ...

Glyn M Ruck

Oh great - this will be interesting.

LILBENZ230

Shouldn't take them long!

chetoc230

where did you buy the mahle filter?

how much shipped? i cant find that one anywhere.

mtnman82

Got them all from rmeuropean.com

BTW - if anyone is interested, my oil analysis is now posted in LILBENZ230's oil analysis thread...