Who makes the best oil filter element for cars?
- Thread starter Mystic
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So far, I have used all of the following in my 02 Cavalier with the Ecotec,
[ February 26, 2004, 11:51 PM: Message edited by: labman ]
The AC, Hastings, and Fram all had the same Purflux element in their box. Fram is now selling their own Korean made filter that looks half decent. I will be removing the WIX in a week or 2 and subjecting it to my tape measure. By pleat count, it looked good. I haven't had any start up noise etc. with any of them. I can buy the Purolators for $5+. I don't see any big difference in any of them.
[ February 26, 2004, 11:51 PM: Message edited by: labman ]
Thanks a lot for the information labman. You can save me a lot of money. I think if I remember correctly they charge something like 11 bucks at the dealership for an oil filter element. That is more then a K&N or Mobil 1 oil filter and with the K&N and Mobil 1 you get more-including the oil filter can! And yet they will do an oil change at the dealership (including oil filter) for 20 bucks!
I checked the price of a CarQuest (WIX) oil filter element for my car and it was something like 7 bucks. I have not checked the price of a FRAM. If I can get a good oil filter element for 5 bucks I will be very happy.
I checked the price of a CarQuest (WIX) oil filter element for my car and it was something like 7 bucks. I have not checked the price of a FRAM. If I can get a good oil filter element for 5 bucks I will be very happy.
Mann
Hengst
Mahle/Knecht
Do you have any data to back up that statement?
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Labman, if you consider simply measuring the square area as 'data' then I can attest that if you disect 10 Mann-Hummel filters then you'll get the exact same measurement with each filter. If you disect 10 filters that are packaged by the name brands but made in third world countries then you will normally get several different square inch measurements because the quality of manufacturer simply isn't there with Korean and chinese made filters.
When you go to buy a Wix filter for your cartridge application you are going to get a Korean filter made by a unknown company of unknown quality reputation. You're paying big dollars for the Wix name yet Wix is paying pennies on the dollar to have those parts made in Asia. It burns my butt to go to buy a filter for my VW and have the parts store charging me dealership prices for a Korean made cheesy filter with the crappiest plastic end caps I've ever seen.
The paper media is going to be a proprietary composite compound and unless you're a insider you'll never actually know what's going into the filters. This is when you have to use some deductive reasoning to decide if buying cheap parts at full price is giving you the quality you'd get by buying OEM parts for the most expensive automotive engines in the world.
I second the recommendation of using Mann-Hummel, Mahle/Knecht, or Hengst. If you want second rate then at least buy a GUD filter from south Africa. Otherwise the debate about filter quality is like comparing feces.. at the end of the day you still have a piece of s@#%.
I'll apologize in advance if I offend others. Most people don't recognize quality unless it's on sale at Wal-Mart.
When you go to buy a Wix filter for your cartridge application you are going to get a Korean filter made by a unknown company of unknown quality reputation. You're paying big dollars for the Wix name yet Wix is paying pennies on the dollar to have those parts made in Asia. It burns my butt to go to buy a filter for my VW and have the parts store charging me dealership prices for a Korean made cheesy filter with the crappiest plastic end caps I've ever seen.
The paper media is going to be a proprietary composite compound and unless you're a insider you'll never actually know what's going into the filters. This is when you have to use some deductive reasoning to decide if buying cheap parts at full price is giving you the quality you'd get by buying OEM parts for the most expensive automotive engines in the world.
I second the recommendation of using Mann-Hummel, Mahle/Knecht, or Hengst. If you want second rate then at least buy a GUD filter from south Africa. Otherwise the debate about filter quality is like comparing feces.. at the end of the day you still have a piece of s@#%.
I'll apologize in advance if I offend others. Most people don't recognize quality unless it's on sale at Wal-Mart.
Mystic
FowVay is right.
We buy a vehicle that cost .32 .42 or .52 cents a mile to operate and then worry over the four dollar difference in the cost of a cheap filter vs an OEM or OEM suppliers filter. That four dollar difference in a 3000 mile change regiment works out to about 1.3 thousandths of a cent per mile of operation.
Call around to dealers. In the case of my VW filter one dealer sells the OEM oil filter at $6.87 and another sells it for $10.00. Or I can go to a half dozen web sites and order the OEM or a Mann for $6.50 plus shipping.
[ February 28, 2004, 12:01 PM: Message edited by: Neil Womack ]
FowVay is right.
We buy a vehicle that cost .32 .42 or .52 cents a mile to operate and then worry over the four dollar difference in the cost of a cheap filter vs an OEM or OEM suppliers filter. That four dollar difference in a 3000 mile change regiment works out to about 1.3 thousandths of a cent per mile of operation.
Call around to dealers. In the case of my VW filter one dealer sells the OEM oil filter at $6.87 and another sells it for $10.00. Or I can go to a half dozen web sites and order the OEM or a Mann for $6.50 plus shipping.
[ February 28, 2004, 12:01 PM: Message edited by: Neil Womack ]
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