Caution: Two Different Oil Filters on Buick Encore -- Not Interchangeable

[ThatsNotABuick!]

I highly recommend that if you are just slightly mechanically inclined, that you should change your own oil. I am on another forum and one person had the dealership to completely forget to put in the filter! He had another dealership do the next oil change and they informed him of this.

It is really easy to change oil on the Encores, don't even need to use ramps or jack stands. These have super tiny drain plug hex heads (10mm IIRC) which can easily strip out with too much torque. Oil can be cheap with rebates and sales ( I got Mobil 1 for $5 a jug a while ago). Even the filters with the built in bypass are pretty cheap when you buy in a larger quantity.

If you change your oil out yourself, you can avoid: wrong oil filter, no oil filter, wrong oil fill level, wrong viscosity oil/non-Dexos oil, stripped oil drain plug/pan, crushed filter from too much cap torque, etc. Unfortunately, there are more things that can go wrong with oil change than most vehicles if you have the LUV engine.

 

[DocBrown]

That cartridge is what I really liked about the 2.4 in my old HHR. It's on top and was the easiest oil changes I ever did.

 

[Again]

I prefer using filters specifically designed for synthetic oil made from hepa material instead of paper.

 

[DSMxTSi]

Just changed the oil on my mom's 2018 Encore with the LUV motor and UFI filter housing for the first time. She bought it new and has 15k miles on it now. The dealer did the first two oil changes, they were free (for warranty purposes I assumed). I haven't trusted dealers or quick lubes or most mechanics for many years and this experience reinforces that.

I knew a couple months ago that I'd be changing her oil so I researched just in case there was anything out of the ordinary. I quickly found this thread, many youtube videos, etc about the filter, so I made sure she ordered the right UFI filter and oil. Fortunately this motor likes Pennzoil Platinum as that or Ultra Platinum is what I use in my Ram and trust it as some of the best oil available today. So I pulled the old filter out and found the Hengst filter in there. At first I thought I was wrong about what I had her order but quickly realized the dealer put the wrong filter in. She is going to document with the dealer about the wrong filter, plus I kept the old filter just in case. I know the dealer or GM won't do anything about it, but if something bad happens to the motor down the line hopefully the documentation will help rectify matters.

It did have a slightly audible rattle under the valve cover, but it was barely heard over the injector pulse noise. It seemed quieter after the oil change but it was hard to tell for sure. Is this a common noise associated with this motor?

 

[G-561470]

Finally!!! How many years did it take to get it corrected in the Owner's Manual?

What I find more interesting is that GM can't seem to source enough of a single oil filtration assembly, forcing them into this mixed bag.

A bigger downside to this problem, is that those needing the UFI (PF2263G) filter have very few brands to choose from.

In fact these are the only UFI filters that I know of....

ACDelco (PF2263G)
FRAM EXTRA GUARD (CH12246)
Purolator (L29177)

Feel free to list additional brands that I may have missed....

wixwl10283 and napa Fil 100283

 

[Again]

Yeah my Trax sounds like a diesel but my Encore is quiet. Same exact engine in both.

 

[asdx1234]

I changed the oil myself for the first time a couple of days ago.

2013 buick encore with the Hengst oil cooler. When I took off the filter the little plastic tip was broken and the spring also came out.

You can see the difference in the two oil coolers below.





These two filters are the same, but one has a bypass valve(spring) on top. This spring on top makes the filter longer.

The system with the black cap marked HENGST or the system with the black cap.
(Note; There are replacement caps sold for these oil coolers which may or may not be color coded.)

The Hengst oil cooler has a little nipple on the end of the center. See number 4; at the top of that black shaft is a little nipple with a spring behind it.

See Number 1 and 2. Notice the little hole at the end. This is where that nipple fits into.



So when pressure builds up from a dirty filter or very thick cold oil then that bypass valve will open and let oil come out of the top of the filter. If that valve does not open, and oil cannot get out of the filter then the filter may burst or at the very least the oil may not circulate properly causing more wear on the engine.

Also as I have experienced and probably the real culprit with the whole wrong oil filter is this;

Putting the wrong filter on the Hengst oil cooler can break the little tip off or mess up the spring inside. (Picture Marked 4 above). You are putting too much strain on the bypass valve which may not be noticed until the cap goes on and it's more difficult to get it screwed down tight. The filter below is the wrong filter for the Hengst Housing.



The UFI oil cooler which has the brown cap stamped UFI on it uses the filter above, and has no internal bypass valve. Note what I said earlier about the cap being replaced/changed at some point and making sure which oil cooler you have.



If you put the wrong filter into the UFI oil cooler the one with the hole on top marked 1 in the first picture above. Basically you have a big hole in the filter.

Since my bypass valve in my Hengst oil cooler is broken, and I have now removed the spring and little nipple. I am going to use the wrong oil filter which is the one with the bypass valve on the top of the filter.

 

[Again]

You should really change the housing.

 

[froby]

Same here, just bought 2017 Encore Preferred from a good friend, they had the car serviced only at the Buick dealer in Cathedral City, CA.
Car had 12.5k when I bought it.
I did oil change yesterday in driveway.
Of course I did my homework and I have the brown "UFI" cap so I bought the Delco filter with the check valve built in.
And of course when I removed the old filter it was the WRONG ONE!
I hope due to low mileage and the fact the that the car had had 4 oil changes by the same dealer up until 11.9k miles, and possibly it had the correct filter installed at some point, well hopefully from the factory it was correct LOL
So I am thinking that many oil changes probably helped, but it's still disconcerting that the dealer does not know their ass from a hole in the ground.
Well, at least it has the proper filter and Costco Synthetic in it now!
Brian
Los Angeles

 

[TheLawnRanger]

Same thing happened to me . My dealer used the wrong filter. No problems so far. I've changed the oil myself 5 or 6 times using the filter for the cap marked UFI, the pf2263g.

 

[oregon_rider]

When using the dealer for oil changes i am going to tell my daughter to bring the correct filter with her....

Jeff

 

[Charzahm]

The gmparts direct had the wrong oil filter listed for your car. Does your encore oil filter cap brown or black and tell you what filter to use. I'm just trying to understand if yours was that easy to miss how many others have gotten an oil change elsewhere and wrong oil filter was used. Thank you.

 

[Again]

Same here, just bought 2017 Encore Preferred from a good friend, they had the car serviced only at the Buick dealer in Cathedral City, CA.
Car had 12.5k when I bought it.
I did oil change yesterday in driveway.
Of course I did my homework and I have the brown "UFI" cap so I bought the Delco filter with the check valve built in.
And of course when I removed the old filter it was the WRONG ONE!
I hope due to low mileage and the fact the that the car had had 4 oil changes by the same dealer up until 11.9k miles, and possibly it had the correct filter installed at some point, well hopefully from the factory it was correct LOL
So I am thinking that many oil changes probably helped, but it's still disconcerting that the dealer does not know their ass from a hole in the ground.
Well, at least it has the proper filter and Costco Synthetic in it now!
Brian
Los Angeles

99% of the time the check valve isn't needed anyway, so don't worry oil was still filtered by the look of that filter you pulled. The check valve only starts to work on the occasion that the filter is plugged up, obviously yours wasn't yet. Or if you floor it and engine stays at high RPMs for a long time which I assume this would never be the case ( not a race car ) So you're good.

 

[froby]

I disagree with you about "don't worry oil was still filtered" without that valve, the oil would take the path of least resistance and go through the hole in the top of the filter, where the valve is missing, no?
I think the HENGST filter installed in the UFI housing becomes "Passive" with no oil actually being filtered.

 

[Again]

You may be right but the engine never ran dry of oil. Was the oil dirty, maybe. Was it dirtyer than we'd like , probably, was it damaging probably not.

 

[froby]

On that we can agree, the oil did look kind of dirty but not horrible and it has been changed 4 times in 12.5k miles so thats 5 sets of oil so it never was with OLD oil.
I am assuming the car is fine, I love driving it and the CarPlay etc is fun, it's a cute little car and I got a GREAT DEAL from a friend on it.

 

[HotZ28]

Best filters are WIX!

More Information for WIX WL10283

More Information for ACDELCO PF2263G

 

[Riz]

I'm starting to think that the incorrect oil filter could be the cause of many of the early turbo failures. Bought mine used with 20K miles and yes dealer was using the wrong filter in the UFI housing with the previous owner. Turbo went out soon after purchasing the car from a clogged oil tube.

 

[ThatsNotABuick!]

I'm starting to think that the incorrect oil filter could be the cause of many of the early turbo failures. Bought mine used with 20K miles and yes dealer was using the wrong filter in the UFI housing with the previous owner. Turbo went out soon after purchasing the car from a clogged oil tube.

I think the wrong oil filter with 7500 mile oil changes can cause issues. Wix mentioned that their economy filters are only good fir 5000 miles. What year is your Encore? There may have a slight update 2017 or 2018 for the oil supply tube.

 

[Mamaw's Encore]

The bigger thing to worry about is the turbo oil line clogging. Common issue. Less than $30 fix. Turbo replacement at the dealer $3000. Change the line at least every 50k miles if not more.