A couple days ago my mother-in-law went to start her '03 Isuzu Ascender to go to work. Everything seemed fine until she went to turn the wheel, when she discovered she had no power steering. Upon further inspection we realized she had no fluid left in the reservoir.

Today I filled the reservoir and was surprised to find still no power assist. Got out and found the reservoir empty again and a puddle underneath the car. This was the cause:









The Magnefine filter a shop had installed in her power steering system blew apart, presumably because it got brittle with the cold weather.

These filters are commonly used for transmission fluid filtering as well, an the brand is known for it's quality products. I'd suggest caution when using these filters in cold weather!

 

Tom,

Did you ever peel the Raybestos label off of that failed filter to see what may have been embossed on the lid body under that paper label?

Do you still have that broken filter saved somewhere? If so, could you peel back the label to confirm whether or not the word "Magnefine" is embossed on the lid body?

Here is why I ask...

Other people have discovered similar failures with similar filters. One particularly vigilant fellow has even used your picture as an example to explain his findings. He annotated your picture as follows:




The links to his very interesting threads on the subject of knock off Magnefine filter failures, as well as genuine Magnefine filter issues, are here:

COMMENTS – MagneFine Filter & Defective Chinese Copies - AcuraZine Community


PROBLEMS with DEFECTIVE/ BAD MAGNEFINE FILTERS - S-10 Forum


Please have a quick look at those threads, seeing as how you (or your Mother in Law) experienced a failure with one, and let us know what you think. Many of us with Ford trucks have similar filters from Magnefine with Ford part numbers on them, like

XC3Z-7B155-BA
YC3Z-7B155-BA
1C3Z-7B155-BA

And/or the Motorcraft equivalents:

FT-116
FT-115 (with Installation Kit, fittings, and measuring beaker)


Ford issued a Special Service Message 21035 advising dealers that Engineering tests found that these very same Magnefine inline transmission filters that Ford used to require with transmission repairs/replacements, and used to ship with remanufactured transmissions, were found to be "ineffective" and thus discontinued.

There are multiple issues to be sorted through here.

1. Is the Raybestos branded "Magnefine" STYLE filter actually a Chinese knock-off, without the Magnefine embossed branding under the label?

2. Did Ford discontinue inline transmission filter recommendations before or after Ford transitioned from rebranding genuine Magnefine filters, to instead rebranding other (smoothed bodied) inline filters by SPX Filtran?

3. Are the inline filters that Ford found to be "ineffective" in 2009 the SPX Filtran style, or the original Magnefine style that Ford found to be effective back in 1998? Or are both now deemed to be equally "risk prone" and ineffective?

4. Since 1998, has there been any change in the production process or quality of the genuine Magnefine filters? Or is the sticking bypass, the leaky oring seal, the brittle nipples, the brittle housing, the overrun glue, and all the other problems... only found on the cheaper rebranded knockoffs sold by Raybestos?

5. What about the Napa rebranded versions? Or the Wix 58964?

6. Ultimately, are any of these plastic bodied inline filters worth the risk of sudden steering, braking, or transmission failure on the road? Or are the failures found here over blown? Or can they be isolated to a particular brand or batch process?

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

Interesting. At the time I always assumed that Magnefine was the only manufacturer of these things. I don't remember peeling back the label, but I remember being surprised to not find the "Magnefine" brand anywhere on it. Perhaps it was a knockoff?

It's curious that they noted that they are ineffective, at the time the literature on them showed that they were very effective at removing both ferrous and non-ferrous particles. I don't remember seeing any appreciable amount of particulates on the magnet of this one though. Of course it was a couple years ago and my memory is awful!

 

Thank you for what you remember.

The "real" Magnefines remain thus branded via an embossment of the plastic, even under the Ford labels.

According to the author of the "expose" links above, the fake, or knock off, or Chinese made filters that look exactly like Magnefine filters do not have that embossement under the label. Apparently, those branded by Raybestos are these cheaper, non embossed variety.

I was considering restocking Magnefine filters for my applications, but your post, and other posts of failures, have given me pause.

I'm still trying to narrow down some answers to the 6 questions above.

In my experience with Magnefines (from Ford exclusively), I have found no failures. My first filter did have a VERY FINE and thin coating of ferritic clutch sludge on the magnet, proving it's effectiveness at capturing and retaining that type of material from the fluid stream. The cylindrical pleated paper filter was also darkened, which indicates that it was able to filter even more contaminants from the fluid once it flowed over the magnet.

What remains unclear are the risks... the bypass not working, the housing cracking and leaking... and whether it is only the knockoff or ALL of the Magnefine inline filters that expose one to these risks.