do you need to buy A SPECIAL FILTER WHEN USING SYNTHETIC OIL OR CAN JUST USE ANY TYPE I WANT?
Any kind you want.
I KNOW THAT FRAM SELLS OIL FILTERS DESIGNED FOR SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGES. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A MARKETING THING ONLY. THANK’S FOR YOUR ADVICE. I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE.
I know others will disagree but I don’t use Fram if I can help it and only use OEM filters, Honda and AC. I use the filter specified. Whether its dino oil or synthetic doesn’t matter.
Oh boy, another oil / oil filter thread. I’ll bet this draws 50 cpmments and lasts 25 days:)
The filter doesn’t care if it is dino or synthetic, and neither does the oil care about the filter. Use whatever your comfortable with. The important choice is that the oil meets OEM spec.
Beat that horse, just beat it !!
@Bing…I used Fram oil filters for many years including the years that I was a drag racer. I no longer use them because they now use cheap construction internally. I use Wix or Purolator and have had no problems so far. They would be perfect oil filters for synthetic oil.
I was so curious about a filter that claims to be for synthetic oil that I went to have a quick look. I didn’t see anything said about the filter that means anything at all with regards to a connection to synthetic oil. What I think is that Fram has a longtime reputation for being a cheap/low end product (like Bing, I won’t buy them). They came out with the “Tough Guard” and I don’t know what it did for them, but my guess is that this “Ultra-Synthetic” filter is some continued attempt to hit the higher end market - ?
That ‘cheap internal construction’ complaint about Fram filters has been around for years.
Funny, I can’t remember a single post over those years regarding a problem caused by that cheap construction. Closest is the lack of a drainback valve in the cheap ones allowing some clatter on startup.
Don’t say “cheap”. Instead say “cost effective”. Fram works good for me; has for many years and no, I don’t own stock in the company.
@texases…Look in your auto parts stores sometime and you may see a display of oil filter cross sections. The one at my locally owned auto parts store is still on the counter and Fram looks bad when compared to the others. In Fram’s defense…they do sell high dollar versions that probably are OK but once you look inside a regular Fram…doubts may arise. Check out this video:
I’ve seen that picture (or other versions) many times. If it actually caused a problem, then why aren’t we flooded with questions and reports? The most popular aftermarket filter would seem to be pretty reliable, cheap insides or not.
I agree with @texases.
Anyone can assemble and post a youtube video on any subject and there is no requirement the content be valid. Yet millions of vehicles use Fram filters every day without a problem.
A couple of things. First, one important thing about oil filters is not with reference to catastrophic failure. Many oil system problems are long term, not short term.
Second, how would “the world” know if Fram filters did or did not fail a lot? What are the mechanisms by which these things would be verified and reported? Obviously we are not under the impression that oil changes and engine failures all come with full forensic investigation to verify the exact cause. I’ve had engine failures. Never once have I had a shop even care about the “root cause” of an engine failure. I’ve had a lot of oil changes. No one does oil analysis or filter inspection at each one to find out how well a filter is doing. Obviously there are times when an oil filter does, in fact, have some kind of defect or other problem that is identified. But that doesn’t mean - by any stretch - that all oil filter problems are identified.
In any case, I would rather go with build quality which is why the investigation of filter construction is meaningful to me. And I’ll pay the extra $1-3 for peace of mind.
@texases @JoeMario…I agree with you both but when you compare the construction of the Fram filter to other filters…I prefer other filters. I am going to buy a Fram filter just like the one in the video and cut it open. I think the video is valid because the Fram insides looks just like the cross section in the auto parts store. The construction may be suitable for filtering oil in today’s vehicle but you have to agree with me that it looks very flimsy. I don’t want “flimsy” filtering my oil but that’s a personal choice.
Yes, the dead horse has risen from the grave.
This thread reminds me of a man checking out ahead of me at a McParts store with a new oil pump for the Ford pickup that was parked outside with the front wheels up on the curb, obviously with plans to R&R the pump there. The owner said that the oil pressure was dropping as RPMs increased and he was hoping to save the engine. I suggested that he first replace the filter and check the pressure before giving major surgery. Replacing the filter took care of the problem.
Here’s some interesting information
Mercedes-Benz’s 112 V6 and 113 V8 engines use 10K oil change intervals
If you use synthetic oil and go the whole distance, you need to use these
However, if you choose to use conventional oil, or not go for the extended oil change intervals, this is what you use
http://www.rmeuropean.com/Part-Number/Oil-Filter-Kit-(Paper-Filter)-__0001802209_MAN_8DF8FDD7.aspx
Note that the regular paper filters sometimes break apart if you go the whole 10K
Also note that many parts stores only stock the regular paper filters
Also note that the polyester filters are more expensive
Also note that the dealer only stocks the polyester filters
They did a pretty extensive (and still ongoing) debate over at Bob’s The Oil Guy on the validity of the complaints about the orange can fram oil filters, they even interviewed and engineer from Fram. The issue of the cardboard endplates (or engineered media as Fram calls it) came up, the engineer insisted that there was nothing wrong with cardboard endplates, then someone asked if that was the case then why do Fram’s higher end oil filters had metal endplates? To which the engineer didn’t really have a good answer other than that they offer different products to meet different consumer’s expectations.
Personally I use OEM oil filters or K&N oil filters since they frequently come bundled with the oil change specials at Advance Auto.
More expensive has to come from somewhere, like metal end caps. I have no problem with using more expensive filters. I have to admit, if I was dropping the $$ for synthetic oil, I’d probably drop some extra $$ on a filter, ‘just because’.
All the oil filters in the video had by-pass valves. Which makes them by-pass type oil filters. This means not all the oil passes thru the filter media. Some oil goes thru the by-pass valve and isn’t even filtered. So if there’s a small opening in the filter media big whoop.
And if the filter has cardboard end caps so what? All the end caps do is hold the filter media in it’s cylindrical shape.
Tester