Toyota OEM Air Filter: Warped Gasket Frame? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Threads
43
Messages
566
Location
North Alabama
Anyone looked at a Toyota LC (100) OEM Air Filter closely?

Specifically, the gasket & gasket frame.

Disturbed by the K&N filter thread, I bought a Toyota air filter today.

The plastic frame that holds the gasket which seals the filter to airbox joint, is warped. Significantly. There is no way this thing will seal properly when assembled into the airbox, because it is a very rigid frame, and the seal lip is too small to compensate for the warped frame. It's gonna leak like crazy at the seal, allowing ambient air to get sucked in bypassing the filter.

Anyone else seen this? (Take a look...?)
 
Pics!!!!
 
Side view, looking down the long side.

99_LC_Airfilter_Warp_sideview.JPG

The center piece is the rigid frame. The top and bottom lips are the flexible seal.

This frame is extremely rigid. It will not flex into a flat condition by airbox compression alone - it will remain warped when installed into the airbox "sandwich". The small lip seals are not enough to seal this piece of warped poop at the airbox joint.
99_LC_Airfilter_Warp_sideview.JPG
 
I buy the 4th generation 4runner air filters, they are the same filter only 1/2 the price. Dealer parts guy put me on to this. No I have never seen one warped like that. Take it back and get 2 4runner filters
 
SWUtah said:
I buy the 4th generation 4runner air filters, they are the same filter only 1/2 the price. Dealer parts guy put me on to this. No I have never seen one warped like that. Take it back and get 2 4runner filters

Is it the same part number, or is the LC one Japan-made, or is it just the luxury LC markup?
 
Jim_Chow said:
Is it the same part number, or is the LC one Japan-made, or is it just the luxury LC markup?

different part number but same filter. I looked at them side by side and they are identical just different numbers and different prices. I bet the Lexus one costs even more then the LC filter.
 
SWUtah, do you have the 4th generation 4runner filter p/n?

(Or, what year 4Runner is 4th generation - 2006? 2007? So I can tell the parts guy when ordering.)

I wonder how many LC/LX are running around with a warped filter leaking air around the seal...

Anyone look at their OEM filter to see if it is warped like the one I bought yesterday?
 
Air Filter part number is 17801-07010 retail cost at my local dealer was $17.17, CDan might be able to save you some off that price.
 
SWUtah said:
Air Filter part number is 17801-07010 retail cost at my local dealer was $17.17, CDan might be able to save you some off that price.

That's odd - the local Toyota dealer said the 2006 4Runner (V8) filter is p/n 17801-50040.

That is the same p/n as the warped piece of doo-doo that I was sold for '99 LC.

Same price, too - $28.58.
 
Tinkerer said:
That's odd - the local Toyota dealer said the 2006 4Runner (V8) filter is p/n 17801-50040.

That is the same p/n as the warped piece of doo-doo that I was sold for '99 LC.

Same price, too - $28.58.

I bought 2 since I have both a 4runner and a LC and they both fit great.
 
SWUtah said:
I bought 2 since I have both a 4runner and a LC and they both fit great.

Have you checked flatness of the seal/frame?

The warped one fit "great" too, by one definition: "It fit into the box, the box closed and latched up without complaining."
 
Tinkerer said:
Have you checked flatness of the seal/frame?

The warped one fit "great" too, by one definition: "It fit into the box, the box closed and latched up without complaining."

I think you just got a bad one???
 
SWUtah said:
I think you just got a bad one???

I went out and checked the new one I put in the LC and it is fine. I then checked the 2 others I have in the house one is the old LC expensive one and the other is the cheaper 4runner one and they are also fine. Take your warped one back and get a good one. Good thing the dealer didn't install yours and you didn't get a chance to ID the problem.
 
Took the warped filter back today. Gave them one more chance...nope, the next one I opened was also warped.

(Strike 2, youuuuuuuuuuur out!)

Next:

Wix? NAPA? Other recommendations?
 
Tinkerer said:
Took the warped filter back today. Gave them one more chance...nope, the next one I opened was also warped.

(Strike 2, youuuuuuuuuuur out!)

Next:

Wix? NAPA? Other recommendations?

I would of had them keep bring them out until I found a good one. That way you could get the manager over there and make sure he sent all of them back to Toyota, you might of saved a fellow Toyota owners engine from being screwed.
 
SWUtah said:
I would of had them keep bring them out until I found a good one. That way you could get the manager over there and make sure he sent all of them back to Toyota, you might of saved a fellow Toyota owners engine from being screwed.

Yah, my first concern was getting my refund - had paid cash for the parts, so I was out on a limb. (I don't trust dealers - wonder why?) After that I was out of time.

The Parts Manager was watching, along with 4 of the parts dept guys. They have the obligation to look into it. "Toyota Representatives Duly Informed Of Problem".
 
Concluding:

The Purolator filter I bought today has a fairly flat gasket frame. Should not leak at gasket, when installed. Problem solved.

Puzzling that a Toyota (Denso) part should have such a severe defect as the warped air filter. I might expect it from [insert name of your favorite long-time Big Three OEM parts maker], but not Denso. But seeing is believing.
 
Fast forward 2 years. I just picked up a filter and also did note the curvature of the frame. It seems to fit in there without a problem. This prompted me to search in this forum regarding this issue. Any more news regarding this?

BTW this is the first time I have changed the filter since I bought it 7k miles ago and found that it had the 4runner filter installed with part# 17801-07010 made in the USA. The new TLC filter I bought had part # 17801-50040 made in Japan.
 
Is the air box shaped the same way as the filter? Could be they both are "warped?"

Are the Made in USA filters Denso as well?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom