"Meets or Exceeds OEM Specs"

[Herz]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Autozone used to sell those oil filters in Yellow and brown boxs, Made in Mexico. I cant remmember the name, I dont think they sell them anymore, they were like 1.99. Anyway, I was changing oil in a company truck and they are so cheap about the oil/parts I bought one and it actually said on the side "May or may not meet Factory OEM specifications, check your owners manual" Iam thinking Good quality wording there.


thats chinese/mexican manufacturers being honest about their craftsmanship.

 

[Sayjac]

Quote:
I have nothing that requires anything but the generic. Two Jeep Wranglers and a Ford Taurus 3.8. I haven't owned a Euro in about 30 years. I've used PureOne's for a good bit on frontline vehicles. For the extended fleet: ST's in the past but MC works when the price goes up across the board at Wally's.

EaO's work, but I'm close on cost:benefit with my wife's driving (15k+/-).
Now there's a post with some integrity. Could have said, I always use EaO's no matter what. No, instead GA mentions his cost/benefit of using it with an extended OCI of ~15k. Cool.

Quite frankly, I've never had a vehicle where the OEM filter was generally better made and/or a better value than an oil filter I could buy as aftermarket. That includes Honda and Toyota. In fact, the only filter I've ever had fail was an OE Toyota/Denso installed by the dealer on a Tacoma. Got it home, and after awhile noticed a slow drip of oil coming from the low point of the horizontally mounted filter. I tried to tighten it but it did no good. Took it back, and they replaced it with another Denso and the oil change lane service manager said some of the Denso's had been recalled for failed gaskets. Don't know if that was true, but that is the type gasket that some say they prefer because of it's non-flat design.

Now, the Motorcraft FL-820S my son uses on his Explorer is a well made, great value OEM(I guess) filter for ~$3.64 at Wally. Also does a good job of eliminating/preventing start up rattle on his vehicle.

But, if OEM works or fits better on your vehicle, then thats what you should use, just hasn't been my experience.

 

[badnews]

Originally Posted By: OAS
I think it wouldnt be that hard to meet "oem specs".
What is a filter anyways?
Basicly its folded media attached to end caps in a canister housing.
You have to match filtering capacity and flow rates, but for an aftermarket manufacturer this should be cake.

The only thing about meeting "oem specs" are the guys who run bigger / different filters on their vehicles while still in factory warranty.
This instantly VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY.
Then if the engine blows with the wrong filter on it, they cry and whine when the manufacturer turns them away.

go figure?


Right that happens almost everyday down at the dealership .


That pesky Moss - Ferguson act Makes the above a non issue

 

[Bruce T]

I stopped believing that OEM filters were designed specifically for vehicles a long time ago. There can be exceptions for special requirements, but the vast majority of OEM filters of identical sizes are completely interchangeable.

I agree with Gary and sayjac. OEM oil filters are usually the cheapest product available that still meets the manufacturer's standards. OEM oil filters are specified to maximize dealer profits, not for premium filtering.

I think oversized oil filters are silly, but not for warranty reasons. If you don't match it correctly, the gasket won't fit properly and it will leak. You need to add extra oil for the larger filter. The extra filtering capacity isn't needed for engines in good condition. Yes, I know people claim an oversized filter will reduce pressure and increase filtering efficiency. It's possible it could, but you could also argue the "upsizing" isn't large enough to be significant.

The Honda and Toyota air filters (OEM) are a completely different matter than their oil filters. They're built well. This must be because the makers recognize the greater importance of air filtering. However, just because oil filters are less important than air filters does not mean they are completely unimportant. Think for yourself.

 

[labman]

The only thing I have bought new since I started cutting open filters was my 02 Cavalier with the no hacksaw needed cartridge. It came with the same Purflux cartridge as Mr Goodwrench sold me, and also I could buy at Wally's in an orange box.

Most of us don't buy that many new cars. I don't recall many reports here of factory filters that were cut open.

As the PF1177 for my truck became harder and harder to find back in the 90's, I started cutting them and alternatives up, not realizing St and STP and Purolator and Power Flo were pairs from the same companies. Along with Hastings, I found all the after market ones about the same, 2/3 as much media as the AC. Fram was a dismal last on filter area.

Except for a recent rash of bad AC Ecores, most of the OEM brand of filters reports here have been good if lacking detail. Not sure what is going on with the Ecores. It seems funny a product that has been around for 6 years and looked good suddenly has so many failures. Something doesn't smell right. After all, the cartridges have about the same construction and they aren't failing.

My guess is that premium prices for filters buys your engine very little. With the difficulty of evaluating media, I am not sure cutting filters open tells you much.

 

[AuthorEditor]

It's true that we can't visually tell how effective media is at filtering, but we can visually tell how robust a filter is. And, I would rate durability the #1 function of a filter. All the filtering efficiency in the world means squat if the media blows out or the filter leaks. If I tear apart a filter I can pull and prod the filter media and I can tell if it is physically strong after use. I can see if there are any holes. I can tell if the ADBV is flexible and is sealing. Apparently, several recent Ecores we've seen fail at the very basic task of remaining intact and functioning, even despite possible abuse due to engines not up to snuff or extended OCIs.