Does size matter?

[TropicalCat]

First oil change to my new to me 2019 Mazda CX5 and I wonder why the oil filter is so small. It just looks exceptionally small. Why?

 

[2019 CX5 GT]

I noticed that too and again today in garage as i got one oem and one aftermarket waiting for me to change in march.

I dont ask why as much as i age, just produce but i hear u

 

[SparkYellow]

I have seen bigger filters on bigger cars and thought the oil filter on ours is adequate. Those who use after market oil filters are usually familiar with the larger size that still fits.

I have used all sorts of after market filters and while they all look about the same size on the outside, the inside is a different story.

 

[Boland01]

Both our CX70 and CX5 oil filter dimensions are almost if not identical. I have both boxes clearly marked and double check every time I do an oil change. The CX70 is the Turbo S 3.3 L too. So a bigger engine.

 

[Mazdiod2]

First oil change to my new to me 2019 Mazda CX5 and I wonder why the oil filter is so small. It just looks exceptionally small. Why?

It's small but I have never heard of one completely filling up with crud, so the small size probably doesn't matter.

 

[zx10guy]

There's a balance with what oil filter is used in a particular engine. It's not all about size. The car manufacturer has a specification as to what the oil pressure needs to be once the oil is passed through the oil filter. Putting too large of a filter could result in a significant pressure drop. Conversely, the filtration media has to be able to properly filter out most particulates down to a specific threshold. Having high filtration capacity is good to prevent lots of particles through but can adversely affect oil flow.

I just did the first oil change on my car to get out the factory oil at 672 miles. I didn't go OEM with the filter. I went with a Purolator Boss filter. The filter is slightly smaller in diameter than the OEM filter but slight taller too.

 

[minnesotaart]

I always go with OEM. As someone pointed out to me many, many years ago, if you have an engine failure due to an oil filter failure, who do you want to be on the hook for repairs; the car manufacturer or an oil filter company?