Canadian Tire vs. AC Delco

[john_ertw]

Just wanted to give my observations.

I've used Canadian Tire air filters in my 2002 Grand Am GT since the first change, but last week I decided to see if there was any difference between it and an AC Delco. The Delco filter had 101 pleats compared to about 75 for the C.T. brand filter. As far and the rubber sealer, I found that the C.T. brand varies from filter to filter. The one Delco I saw (and bought) was good quality. As for fit, they both seemed to fit the same in the air box. It's hard to compare the paper since the C.T. I had was old and dirty. The only other observation I can give is that the original factory filter was much dirtier when it was changed than any other filter I've taken out of that car (all filters had about 20,000km on them). Unfortunately I don't have it on hand to do a side by side comparison. I will keep the C.T. filter I took out to compare next year when the Delco comes out.

Overall, for the $5 difference, I think I'm going to keep using the Delco brand filter due to the # of pleats and knowledge that it filters as well as GM designed (I'm not saying the C.T. doesn't filter well... just saying I don't know how well it does).

 

[Patman]

FWIW, CT filters are made by Fram

 

[Marlin]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
FWIW, CT filters are made by Fram

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Another Fram product.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Marlin:

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
FWIW, CT filters are made by Fram

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Another Fram product.

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Fram air filters are very good though! My wife's Honda always shows only 4ppm of silicon in 5000 miles.

 

[T-Keith]

Patman, all your cars show low silicon, do you drive in a clean room?

-T

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by T-Keith:
Patman, all your cars show low silicon, do you drive in a clean room?

-T

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True, it is not too dusty around here, so that has to be taken into account.

 

[Mike_dup1]

He changes filter every week

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike:
He changes filter every week

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Nope, I like to leave them in for a long time! The Fram in my wife's Civic has been in there since March 2002 and has over 25,000 miles on it now. I have no intention of changing it for a lot longer. My 95 Firebird didn't get it's OEM air filter changed for the first time until it had 80k on it!

On my 98 Corvette the K&N which came with it looked pretty new when I first checked it out, but still put up low silicon numbers in my first UOA (7ppm in 5k) I won't be cleaning it ever. I'll probably run it for 50 or 60k (depending on if my performance drops off or not) and then chuck it and go with an AC Delco.

 

[T-Keith]

Wow. Around here I have to change my filters around 15-20,000 or I have a huge drop in performance and efficiency. My GA's filter was terribly dirty at about 6-10,000 miles.

-T

 

[Islander]

quote:

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Originally posted by T-Keith:
Wow. Around here I have to change my filters around 15-20,000 or I have a huge drop in performance and efficiency. My GA's filter was terribly dirty at about 6-10,000 miles.

-T

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Last weekend, I changed the air filter on my Cavalier for the first time at 23,900 kms (15,000 miles) and it still appeared to be fairly clean. Since I had already purchased the new filter I changed it. Also, I think I will probably follow a 20,000 to 25,000 kilometer schedule for changing the filter.