> Upon further inspection last night the Mobil 1 filter does 
> not have the anti drain back valve,... The K&N filter (#2005)
> Since they were less than a dollar apart , I'll buy the K& N 
> for this spring's oil change.  $11.65 on sale plus tax

I'm in the parts business and would be happy to sell everyone $12 oil
filters instead of the $4 OE ones - more money for me!  But on what grounds?
In a sense aren't we solving a problem that doesn't exist? The correct OE
filter is inexpensive, and is widely acknowledged to meet VW's specs for the
Vanagon and do it well (that is, filter your oil without impeding flow
during the recommended interval between changes). By comparison, aftermarket
filters are widely known to be an inconsistent lot, with significant quality
and design variations between brands (and even sometimes within the same
brand). Some are good, some are awful, and some expensive ones may (or may
not) let you safely extend the time between oil changes if you're willing to
take that chance with your engine. (I'm not. I see no downside to erring on
the side of caution, and therefore always follow the recommended factory
maintenance schedules on my vehicles.)  Why even bother taking chances on
alternatives to a product that is only four bucks and easy to get?  The
risk/reward ratio is not exactly compelling.

- Ron Salmon
� The Bus Depot, Inc.
� www.busdepot.com
� (215)� 234-VWVW

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