Mann-Filter Cross Reference: Reading MANN and MANN+HUMMEL Part Numbers

A MANN-FILTER part number tells you what kind of filter it is, not what it replaces. The letters are a type code (W for a spin-on oil filter, HU a metal-free oil cartridge, C air, CU cabin), and the digits never translate into a US brand's number. You cross a MANN filter through its OE number.

How Do MANN-FILTER Part Numbers Work?

Every MANN-FILTER number starts with one to three letters that name the filter type, followed by digits and often a slash and a second number. MANN publishes the letter codes itself, in a part number prefix explanation that lists every prefix from BF to ZR.

These are the ones a car or light truck owner will meet:

The same table rules out a common mix-up. HU is not a heavy-duty or "high-performance" grade; MANN defines it only as an oil filter element with no metal parts.

What the Letters at the End Mean

A lowercase letter after the number, as in MANN's own example PL 270/7 x, means a gasket is included in the box. MANN's brochure lists the endings n, t, x, y and z as "gasket enclosed" without separating them, so treat them as packaging variants, not different filters.

Two other suffixes matter. -2 means a set of several filters sold together, and KIT means the filter comes with a non-filter installation part, such as a housing cap or a bracket.

What the Digits and the Slash Mean

MANN does not say. The prefix brochure explains the letters and the suffixes and is silent on the numbers, and I found no other MANN document that decodes them.

So I tested one family in MANN's own catalogue. Every W 712 variant I opened shares the same 76 mm can, and on the four pages that list a gasket, the same 62 by 71 mm gasket. What the number after the slash changes is the thread and the height, which are exactly the two dimensions that decide whether a filter fits.

The W 712/75 and the W 712/83 are the clearest warning. Same can, same gasket, same 79 mm height, and they will not swap, because one has a metric M18 thread and the other a 3/4-16 UNF thread.

On a MANN number, the stem before the slash names the can. The number after the slash names the filter. Never cross on the stem alone.

Is MANN the Same as MANN+HUMMEL?

MANN+HUMMEL is the German company; MANN-FILTER is one of its brands. The company's own brand list puts MANN-FILTER, WIX Filters, PUROLATOR and FILTRON side by side in its transportation segment, alongside its original equipment business.

That is why the search terms "Mann filter" and "Mann Hummel filter" lead to the same catalogue. It also means a MANN filter, a WIX filter and a Purolator filter can come from the same parent while carrying three unrelated part numbers, because each brand kept its own numbering when it joined the group.

How to Cross Reference a MANN Filter to US Brands

There is no rule that turns a MANN number into a WIX, FRAM or Purolator number, the way a NAPA Gold number turns into a WIX number. You have to go through a number both catalogues recognise, and that is the vehicle maker's OE number.

1. Open the MANN catalogue page for your part. MANN's product pages usually list the OE numbers the filter replaces. The US page for the W 712/75, for example, lists General Motors 55352643 and 93178952.
2. Search the OE number in the other brand's catalogue. WIX catalogue pages carry an OE-Numbers block of their own; the WIX 57060 page lists Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Suzuki OE numbers, and a match there is a cross that both manufacturers stand behind.
3. Compare thread, height, gasket and valves. Two filters that share an OE number should match on all four. If one catalogue lists a bypass setting and the other does not, check it before you buy.

Going the other way is easier. MANN runs a digital cross-reference list that, by its own count in 2020, held more than 210,000 recodifications from competitors' and original manufacturers' part numbers. That list sits behind the search in MANN's online catalogue, so a FRAM, WIX or OE number is the quickest way in.

Use the Catalogue for Your Own Region

MANN runs separate regional catalogues, and the application list for one part changes with the region. The US page for the W 712/75 shows only the Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac ELR; the Indian page for the same part lists the Chevrolet Aveo, Optra and several Opel models instead.

Neither list is wrong. Each shows the vehicles sold in that market, so a US owner should start from the US catalogue, and an owner of an imported car may need the catalogue for the country it was built for.

What MANN Publishes About Each Filter

MANN's product pages are strong on dimensions and weak on performance. Every W 712 page I read gave outer diameter, height and thread, and most gave the gasket dimensions, but none published an efficiency percentage or a micron rating.

Valve data is patchy. Some pages list a bypass valve opening pressure and the number of anti-drain back valves; the W 712/75 page lists neither. When a valve specification matters, take it from the OE filter's documentation rather than assuming the aftermarket can matches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HU mean on a MANN filter?

HU is MANN's code for a metal-free oil filter element, the cartridge type that sits inside a plastic or aluminium housing on most modern European engines. The plain H prefix is an oil filter element that may contain metal. Neither letter says anything about filtration grade, only about construction.

What does the x at the end of a MANN part number mean?

It means a gasket is included in the box. MANN lists the endings n, t, x, y and z together as "gasket enclosed", so an HU element ending in x is the same element supplied with its sealing ring. The suffix does not change the filter itself.

Can I use any W 712 filter on my car?

No. All the W 712 filters I checked share a 76 mm can, but the number after the slash changes the thread between M18x1.5 and 3/4-16 UNF and the height between 79 and 97 mm. Two W 712 filters can look identical on the shelf and still not thread onto the same engine.

Is MANN-FILTER the same company as WIX and Purolator?

They share a parent. MANN+HUMMEL owns the MANN-FILTER, WIX Filters, Purolator and Filtron brands, but each brand uses its own part numbering. A MANN number never converts into a WIX or Purolator number by rule; you cross between them through the vehicle maker's OE number.

Where to Start

Read the letters first to confirm you have the right type of filter, then the full number including the slash, then the OE numbers on MANN's catalogue page. Cross on the OE number, confirm the thread and height match, and the brand on the box matters far less than those three checks.