# Cheap Oil Filters



## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

I use wix or gm filter for the cruze. I wish there was a synthetic filter for our cruzen. I have been using pure one synthetic filter for our 2007 mazda 3 and have had no problems and still don't lose any oil between changes that can range from 7500 to 12500. Of course I use Amsoil 0w-20 in our Mazda 3s and Amsoil 5w-30 in our 2011 Cruze LT1. Will probably switch to 5w-20 on our Mazda on one of the future changes. Since Amsoil re-engineered their oils there isn't a big difference between the 0w and 5w pour points and since we are approaching 100,000 miles the little extra thickness might be better for the higher mileage engine.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

cruze01 said:


> If you see a great deal on an oil filter don't by it! Check out this article on Motor Week.
> 
> Cheap Oil Filters | MotorWeek


Interesting timing on this subject.

I was at my local dealer yesterday and was looking at a Traverse 3.6 V-6......heads removed for inspection of......the oil restricter for the cam chain tensioner.

Plugged solid with cheezy filter media material.........no warranty......customer can battle with mo-jo oil filter company and try to get his money back.

Old mechanic saying....'Pay me now, or pay me later'........some things never change.

Rob


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

He didn't say on the video what are cheap brands. However I decided to look at the Fram I had after watching this video and its the extra guard one and it has no glue and seems put together very well. Its also say made in U.S.A. I do remember I had a Purolator and it had glue on it. So I think the Fram is better than people say it is.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Myself, I go with O.E......

Regardless of reviews, thoughts, opinions et cetera at least I can point my finger at, in this example, G.M. and say: "whatcha gonna do about this?"

Each manufacturer has a part and service warranty.....this example being a part warranty.

Try to imagine getting Fram/Purolator/ whomever to actually step up to a failure due to filter quality.
I'll bet their lawers are quite adept at '4 Cornering' the consumer when it comes to getting a definitive cause of failure.

Back when I had my own shop, in the eighties, I recall a customer with a Toyota coming (towing) in.
It was wintertime....ie, cold.
The engine had locked up.....because, when he cold started it, the momentary oil pressure spike exceeded the capability of, in this case, the Fram filter installed.
Fortunatly for me, not my install.......but the filter can blew off the base plate.....the rolled can seal failed and when it seperated it pumped all its oil onto the ground.
Since the customer started the car in the driveway to warm it, he never was aware of the problem and the engine ran till it locked.

I called Fram on the customers behaf......they had no interest in the failure, said that the customers pressure relief valve likely failed.......to quote from memory "they all do that when they get old"

Called Toyota......Was told they get many engine failures in cold weather due to filters unable to handle the NORMAL pressure spike that these engines experience.
Compare a generic oil filter to any Asian filter......the Asian stuff is way heavier....meaning, thicker steel.

Regardless......got a used engine plugged in, with new oil and a factory filter and shipped it......Customer well aware of the filter failure costing him money.

Next winter, same car........SAME FAILURE!
The nitwit stuck another Fram on it......and it blew it off the first below zero day......what a dunce!

Another engine, another filter, I'm guessing he finally wore the car out.....never saw it again.

Just another story I thought worth sharing......and why I stick with O.E. be it cannister or spin on.

Rob


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

I'm sorry this sounds more like a Toyota engineering issue and not the filter. Why would there be that much pressure going to the filter at start up. If Fram or any filter really was this bad you would hear problems all over the place since many cars use similar oil filters.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Fram is known for blowing out the seal. That's why I don't buy fram


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

I used to buy Fram but after years of hearing how bad they were in the opinion of experts in the field I decided to change. Now I will either go O.E. Or at least a bran with a good rep like Wix, NAPA Gold or the like.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## MyShibbyEco (Jan 21, 2012)

_sigh_

Since everyone is bashing on Fram, check out this thread and this thread (by me, shameless plug). It's be been established that, for our cars at least, the USA Fram filters are most likely the same as Hengst/ACDelco and just relabeled. The Chinese ones do appear to be lesser quality, but in my pictures they also sat for months before I took that picture so they probably warped more than when I removed them.

I have yet to see anyone do an analysis of their Wix/Hengst/ACDelco filters in the same fashion as I did, and would love to see comparisons beyond "well when I did my oil change it _looked _like XYZ".



> I used to buy Fram but after years of hearing how bad they were in the opinion of experts in the field I decided to change. Now I will either go O.E. Or at least a bran with a good rep like Wix, NAPA Gold or the like.


Don't forget that a lot of "experts" are also paid to advertise one brand over another (Royal Purple comes to mind), which may or may not mean one brand gets bashed a little to make another look better.

edit: also, here is a thread about one user's Wix filter. I'll take that as a single data point, but it shows Wix, or anyone else's filters, are not bullet proof.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Some of you readers are missing my point here.

I'm not specifically bashing a particular brand of filter and my negative experience from thirty some odd years ago is of little value with one exception.

In that case, Fram essentially told me to pound salt with no interest in the potental of a repair bill.

Where I WAS headed was reminding folks that the potental of little or no recourse is available should a non GM supplied filter become a cause of failure.

All the testing in the world is of no value when you have to open your own wallet to undue something you were trying to avoid.
As I said earlier, should I experience a failure that is related to a manufacturer supplied component, at least I have somewhere to go......that has faces and is not a voice at the end of a 1-800 number.

I hope that clarified my position.

Rob


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

I had two Fram oil filters fail on my '80 Celica GT. One blew out the seal (fool me once) and the second one blew out the end crimp (fool me twice). Fram wanted no part of a claim and referred me to the store I bought them at. No engine damage as they both failed within a block of home. End of my buying Fram products.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Fram is what Subaru replaced their Japanese black Roxi filters with. Haven't used an oem filter sine then. From what I recalled, that was like the onl ones they didn't use soo much cardboard in. I used a fram in this car because it wasn't going to be in there long, I had ordered a OEM filter same time I put in for Amsoil and it took almost a month to get to me.


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