The 2011 Cruze is filled with GM “good ideas”!

[xcel]

Simple to change and far easier to recycle drop-in cartridge oil filter.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - May 10, 2010

Who here has not been under the car and had oil all over their arms (after the oil is drained of course ) when removing a std. steel can type filter? No more with the upcoming Cruze.

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze will make proper oil filter disposal and recycling easier. The Ecotec 1.4L turbo and 1.8L four-cylinder engines will use a cartridge style oil filter which is easier to recycle and service compared to the conventional steel canister-style oil filters.

Recycling canister style filters requires that the metal housing and other elements, like the rubber seal, be cut away or separated, whereas the compact cartridge style is made of only paper and plastic. Because of this, proper disposal of the oil filter is easier for recycling centers.

Another benefit of the cartridge-style filter is that it can be changed easily and is virtually drip free from the top of the vehicle. This lessens the chance of oil dripping to the ground or driveway and possibly making its way into the water system when performing oil changes.

The housing for the cartridge-style filter is part of the engine and reused for the life of the engine. It never needs replacing. The housing also has a screw-on replaceable cap that eliminates the conventional canister-to-engine mating surface that is a potential source of leaks.

[ksstathead]

I like the cartridge concept, and I like Chevy's apparent top-mount of it better than the underneath mount of my Prius3. Even the Prius3 will drain if aligned properly during removal, though.

Been awhile since I had a positive GM comment.

[ALS]

I can't believe it took this long for someone to come up with a better way to do it.
I guess the engineers win one over the bean counters.

[Mendel Leisk]

This car keeps hitting all my buttons:

First, with the concept of a hybrid-like vehicle without the hybrid, ie: small displacement coupled with fuel saving innovations and performance enhancements (See my recent thread on the subject of Honda Civic Hybrid without the hybrid).

And now: with a solution to something that's been an irritant to me for some years: the "disposable" oil filter, one of the more odious objects on our planet.

[GardenWeasel]

Cartridge filter by GM is kinda a recycled idea...
I've changed many a cartridge filter inside the metal container under the motor. I cannot visualize how this filter is going to not drip oil everywhere when changing it.

[PaleMelanesian]

Well, I can visualize one place it will NOT drop oil, and that's ON MY FACE!

Certainly better than my Civic, with the filter on the side of the block that faces the firewall. The only access is from underneath the car, lying on your back, reaching past the exhaust pipes. It is almost guaranteed to spill, and unless you're careful, you are lying right underneath it.

[atlaw4u]

This is very similar to BMW's cartridge setup which has been in place for decades. It also is at the top-front of the engine - very convenient for those of us that change our own oil.

[EVuser]

What is old is new again. If you're old enough you will remember that this is how it use to be if the memory parts still work . Although I don't recall many filter housing actually being cast into the block. Anyhow the screw on disposable was considered a vast improvement.

That certainly looks like a very basic filter.

[saturnsc2]

This looks very easy to change! Yes it will be somewhat messy to a point but probably no more so than how it is now. The size is obviously bigger, but the design reminds me alot of the way motorcycles and atvs have had their filters for years. With those though they are usually side mounted instead of top.

[CFinCS]

I hope it is a more user-friendly design than the Mazda 3 cartridge filter. Special (and costly) tools are needed.