Oil filter help question
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K_M
Posts: 1,627
Need to buy some oil filters for a few of our cars. Previously had a relative do a lot of our car work, but he is no longer with us.
My question, can anyone recommend a decent oil filter, that is not a high priced one, nor a junk one, but something decent at a mid-price level?
Preferably something that can be had at Walmart or Advance auto.
Nothing esoteric, just good and reasonable priced.
I have seen bashing of a few brands, but also much praise of same brand by other people.
So not sure what is truly good or bad.
Having neighbor boy, help us with this, but he asked what kind to buy and we drew a blank!
We are against "quick lube" places and dealers....!
My question, can anyone recommend a decent oil filter, that is not a high priced one, nor a junk one, but something decent at a mid-price level?
Preferably something that can be had at Walmart or Advance auto.
Nothing esoteric, just good and reasonable priced.
I have seen bashing of a few brands, but also much praise of same brand by other people.
So not sure what is truly good or bad.
Having neighbor boy, help us with this, but he asked what kind to buy and we drew a blank!
We are against "quick lube" places and dealers....!
Comments
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Wix oil filters, Napa gold are made by Wix. I run this brand on all my classic cars including my daily drivers, these cost 5-6 bucks. Find a Napa Auto Parts store and purchase there.2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.
Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
Imagine making politics your entire personality. -
Personally, I don't see much difference in brands of oil filters, unless you get into the more expensive stuff but those are probably more suited for higher flow engines. Some brands though have a tighter fit and are more inline with what is stock for your vehicle.....and won't leak.
Most domestic cars/trucks can use any crossed brand and I don't see a problem using those quick change places as most use the stock brands anyway your going to buy anywhere else. Plus they can check other things that you won't normally due yourself.
That said, I've taken both my cars to a Valvoline quick change joint with no problems and always use a synthetic oil which is obviously more expensive. Change every 5k miles.HT SYSTEM-
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Polk FX500 surrounds
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Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
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lsi 9's -
From one of my favorite sites : Bob is the oil guy. Any of these would probably be fine
Top rated filters from 2013 : 1 Pure One
2 Motorcraft
3 Puro Classic
4 Wix
5 Mobil 1
6 AC Delco
7 Napa Gold
8 Toyota OEM
9 Bosch D+
10 K&NMusic: Oppo103 - Parasound JC2 - Parasound A21- SDA 3.1
Theater: Denon 3808 - B&K 7500/Emotiva XPA-3- RTi12, CSi5, RTiA7x4, PSW505
Sleeping: Marantz 70005 - Harman Kardon 2400 - SDA 2
2 Channel: Cary 306 SACD - Canary Audio 906 - Pass Labs x250 - PS Audio Perfectwave DAC, Polk LSiM705, SVS SB13 Ultra
Office: Dell Optiplex, Emotiva XDA-2, Adcom 5500, LSiM 703
Spares: Yamaha CA-810; LSi 15; Kenwood Basic M2a, Yamaha M60/M80, Polk Monitor 7, SVS SB13 Ultra -
stay away from FRAM they are just JUNK cardboard. Any of the purolator's, O'reilly's also carry Wix. If you one a GM AC-Delco if you on a Ford Motorcraft. As said above some sites have dissected oil filters and found some interesting stuff used to make them I would not want on my vehicle.
these are the big three that are really darn good. -
I like Wix and since my cars are all GM brand, I'll use ACDelco as well. As was said, stay away from Fram. Usually I'll order a bunch for my 3 cars from RockAuto.com every year or so. Works out way cheaper than buying locally.
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I use WIX in most of my cars but on few I will use OEM filters. They are not that much more from the dealership and they are made for the car. Now I will mention something that might worry you depending on the car you have or I will be told I am full of it. So depending on the car manufacturer or engine the aftermarket filters are not recommended. This all has to do with the bypass pressure on the filter. Most aftermarket filters are set to a certain pressure so once the filter gets clogged then it will open up so it does not starve the engine of oil. Some cars like Subaru run higher oil pressure in their engine and this activates that bypass in the filter even when its not clogged. So the filter is not filtering your oil. So on my Subaru's I run OEM filters.Polk S10, S8, S4
Polk RT8
Polk Monitor 7s
Working on getting SDAs -
Been using Wix and Purolator over the years and on some fairly high mileage cars...never had a problem. For oil, any vehicle with 50k or less miles on it will get switched to Mobile 1 oil, otherwise I go with a blend of synth/dino oil. Our 97 Cavalier used Mobile 1 from the 1st oil change...body and frame rotted out but engine was still strong with no oil consumption at well over 200k miles.Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub. -
With all my Volkswagen's over the years and my current one. I use OEM, Mann or Bosch filters from a reputable parts supplier. Other's aren't recommended by the manufacturer or my mechanic of 30 years.
From a reputable parts supplier the OEM filters cost about 25% more than off the shelf brands from the local auto parts store. I don't buy from the dealer unless absolutely necessary as their mark-ups are very high.
Also have only run synthetic oil in all my cars.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Also, on my current GTi, the oil filter sits on top of the engine, upside down. Super easy to change and access the filter. It has a check valve in it to keep the oil from spilling out when you pull the filter off (since it's upside down). Not sure in my case if the aftermarket, off the shelf ones have the check valve.
You can see the oil filter (black) right below, next to, the orange dip stick."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Thanks K_M for starting this thread. As I've always just used Fram thinking that they were a well respected brand. And although I've never had any problems using them Never had any leaks and always drained my filter separately to inspect for possible wear damage,But due to the respect the brand has here I'm definitely going to switch! Thanks for the heads up guys!
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There are only a handful of oil filter manufacturers. Most of it is just different brandings, like everything else. All about marketing and margins. Best thing to do, if you are actually concerned about the type of oil filter you use, is go to Bob is the Oil Guy website and do some searches on your vehicle. More information than you'll ever want to know about there.
That said... Purolator manufactures these brands - Bosch, Motorcraft, PowerFlo, ProLine, Purolator Premium Plus, Purolator Pure One, Quaker State.
Wix manufactures these - Carquest, NAPA, WIX
I use NAPA branded WIX filters in most of the cars and Amsoil filters in my daily driver. Some Amsoil filters are/were made by WIX, but the synthetic nanofiber ones I've heard are made by Donaldson.Lexicon RT-10, Parasound P5, McCormack DNA 0.5, Polk SDA CRS+, SVS Sub
Schiit Modi, Luminous Audio Axiom II, McCormack DNA-1, Digital Phase AP 2
Marantz AV7701, Emotiva XPA-5, Paradigm 11se Mkii, DCM Time Windows, NHT 2C, SVS Sub
Spares - Kenwood C1 Pre, NAD 2200PE, Polk Monitor 10B, Polk Model 11, other odds and ends -
I read a lot about stuff saying Fram is not good at all, but I then also found a lot saying they are unjustly bashed. That some filter they had over 10 years ago was bad, and they are not bad anymore. Who knows.
It is kinda like how Bose gets bashed.
I would think, if they are as bad as many are saying, how would they even stay in business though...lol?
Oh well went with some Purlotor One for now. Will maybe try another brand soon, when 2 other cars need done.
Thanks for all the ideas and thoughts....! -
Thanks Pete for the solid info here. I was going to add years_ ago , the Amsoil filters were made by Hastings.There are only a handful of oil filter manufacturers. Most of it is just different brandings, like everything else. All about marketing and margins. Best thing to do, if you are actually concerned about the type of oil filter you use, is go to Bob is the Oil Guy website and do some searches on your vehicle. More information than you'll ever want to know about there.
That said... Purolator manufactures these brands - Bosch, Motorcraft, PowerFlo, ProLine, Purolator Premium Plus, Purolator Pure One, Quaker State.
Wix manufactures these - Carquest, NAPA, WIX
I use NAPA branded WIX filters in most of the cars and Amsoil filters in my daily driver. Some Amsoil filters are/were made by WIX, but the synthetic nanofiber ones I've heard are made by Donaldson.
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I own two Toyotas. Their OEM filters are buy four get one free at my dealer. I pay $43.00 for a box of ten filters. They have cellophane over lubed oring. No issues ever. Good luck. DMIT Magnum MH-750, Monster HTS 5100MKII, Sony 77" Class - A80CJ Series - 4K UHD OLED,PS4, Def Tech 15” sub,LSIM 706c, Sunfire Signature Grand 425 x 4,Parasound hca 120, LSiM 702 x 4, Oppo 103D, SDA SRS 1.2, Pioneer Elite SC63 , Pioneer Elite BDP-05 “Why did you get married if you wanted big speakers?”
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Sure...but which filter sounds better?
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Sold! I trust your judgment, Ken. Thanks for the input.
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I've noticed that using Amsoil filters in my car creates a much more spatial presentation of exhaust sound. With the K&N, it lessens the soundstage, but the detail is much better.Lexicon RT-10, Parasound P5, McCormack DNA 0.5, Polk SDA CRS+, SVS Sub
Schiit Modi, Luminous Audio Axiom II, McCormack DNA-1, Digital Phase AP 2
Marantz AV7701, Emotiva XPA-5, Paradigm 11se Mkii, DCM Time Windows, NHT 2C, SVS Sub
Spares - Kenwood C1 Pre, NAD 2200PE, Polk Monitor 10B, Polk Model 11, other odds and ends -
I will offer a burn in service for your oil filter. Double blind tests have confirmed you will need to change them more often though.Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub. -
I have used Wix filters, both oil and fuel in my truck since I bought it new in 1997. Never had a problem.
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Don't really have much to add that hasn't been said already except for I've started getting all my oil and filters off of amazon. Prices are usually tax free and are as cheap as Wal-Mart (Which is the cheapest oil around).
-CodyMusic is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it -
Sometimes you need to do a little research at the online forums for your car.
My current Subaru Legacy GT (same engine as WRX) has a higher than average oil pressure so the check valves in most filters will not hold (resulting in blow by...ie: unfiltered oil passing through). So the only recommended filters are the OEM or as it turns out, a specific Mazda filter that was made for the RX-8! Luckily Fred Bean orders them from Mazda and sells them in packs of 6. That reminds me...I just used my last one a few weeks ago. Time to order more.
EDIT: Then I find that Fred Bean closed their internet sales dept!! Time to find a new source.For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore... -
I have worked in the auto industry going on 13 years. At our shop we always use OE (original equipment) or OEM (original equipment manufacturer) the cost difference between cheapie filters and the OE/OEM is maybe 6-7 more bucks. And in my opinion is not worth the risk. Ive seen everything from leaking filters, degradation of the filter material to the point of crumbling, low oil pressure, and coking/sludging. So for our customers it's always genuine filters, or at least the manufacturer that makes them. But hey, if you know your German cars you also might know they can be a little finicky.2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
BMW 740iL......
It hates everything. ...
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Yep, I wouldn't call my GTi finicky (maybe a little), but I use only OE filters. It just makes sense to me."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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Yep, I wouldn't call my GTi finicky (maybe a little), but I use only OE filters. It just makes sense to me.
try after market spark plug wires on the GTi Brock....yep they're not going to run your car. A good friend found out the hard way...
In the last 4-5 yrs MOOG suspension parts are now made in china. MOOG states they send the good parts over to be "assembled" well we all know how badly china counterfeits stuff. I will no longer buy MOOG I will pay twice the price for Motorcraft parts for my Ford. A couple of years back i replace all ball-joints tie rod ends on my truck with MOOG I had 3 failures in the first year. NEVER AGAIN. -
No such thing as "after market" plug wires. Direct injection with coil packs on each spark plug which snap into a central loom. I still use the OEM coil packs.
My old GTi VR6 had after market Magnecor's and they were simply fantastic and lasted forever.
The **** of it is you need a special coil pack puller and a magnetic long extension socket to change plugs or coil packs.
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Can't stress enough how important OE plugs and coil packs are for vw and Audi. I see this STI junk brand on them all the time and cost about 8$ less than OE.2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
No such thing as "after market" plug wires. Direct injection with coil packs on each spark plug which snap into a central loom. I still use the OEM coil packs.
My old GTi VR6 had after market Magnecor's and they were simply fantastic and lasted forever.
The **** of it is you need a special coil pack puller and a magnetic long extension socket to change plugs or coil packs.
yep same as my Ford truck coil over plug I also would not use any after market stuff.
his still had wire not sure of the model of VW but it didn't like them none the less. -
Can't stress enough how important OE plugs and coil packs are for vw and Audi. I see this STI junk brand on them all the time and cost about 8$ less than OE.
Yep, it's not cheap but I just replaced the original Bosch plugs in my '09 GTi at 75,000 miles. For peace of mind I put new OE coil packs in too. The plugs were very worn, but she still ran well. It runs better with fresh, properly gapped plugs for sure.
OE from an aftermarket supplier for (4) Bosch plugs and (4) Bosch coil packs was not cheap............$120 for coil packs and $55 for plugs.
H9
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
I have 78,000 miles now and next is the 80,000 mile service for the DSG gearbox. I'm having the dealer do it since it has a 100,000 warranty. I don't want them to say since it was serviced somewhere else they won't cover an issue if I should have one. I'll be relieved of about $500 for a fluid and filter change, OUCH! But I knew that going in.
$35 per liter for tranny fluid and it take 6 liters = $210 + $45 filter + dealer labor
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
