Selecting an oil filter

T

truvette

New member
I'm about to change my oil, and I need help in choosing a good oil filter for my car. I've already decided on Pennzoil Synthetic 5W-30 for my oil, as I've used it before and I really like the performance it delivers.



My local Autozone carries the following filters:



Mobil 1

STP

Bosch

K & N

Motorcraft

Fram



...and a few others, but I'd rather get an evaluation on these brands at the moment. If you have any other brands that you think are good, please feel free to add them.



I'd like to get some opinions on what the highest quality filters are on the list. I'm not really set on a particular brand right now, and I'd just like to get some feedback and/or personal experiences. Price is not really a consideration in the situation, as I am looking for which brand will offer the best performance.
 
Yes, no matter what stay away from Fram. Mobil 1 is good, but so is a few of the others. If you own a Ford I would go with the Motorcraft.
 
The vehicle I am working on is a '99 Mitsubishi Eclipse (non-turbo).



What are the reasons not to use Fram? (I'm inquiring because out of all listed up top they are the most readily available at the retailers in my area)
 
Frams split at the seam. The last three I bought did it and one actually popped completely off and dumped about 4 quarts of oil before I could kill the engine fast enough. Thank goodness I was only doing about 5mph or I would've ended up in a ditch!



I think out of the choices I would use Mobil 1 or Bosch. NAPA Golds are good too, but check and see if NAPA has a Racing filter for that application. Those filters are the BOMB! Very thick canister that can stand high pressures, higher flow rate while at the same time better filtration. They are more expensive but a far better filter.
 
i would go with

#1 motorcraft (mostly only filters for US cars) $2.50

#2 purolator premium plus ($3) or pure 1 ($5)



K&N + M1 are ok i guess, but $11 for an oil filter is kinda steep
 
I use only Hastings but if they were available here I'd also use Baldwin. Oil analysis is cheap, you should pop for one with each of your favorite filters. That way you'll know for sure how your filter, oil, and engine for that matter are performing.
 
Mobil 1 filters are worth the extra cash. They have one of the highest contaminant filtration rates amongst all brands . . . if memory serves correct, the multiple pass efficiency is 95%. The industry average is 80%.
 
Here are the ones I will use on my car.

Mobil One

Purlator

Ac Delco

Motorcraft



DO NOT use Fram!!!! Too many horror stories about them. They come apart, they clog up and don't filter at all and so on and so on.
 
There are a lot of good filters on the market (and a few not so good). Some have better "filtration", and some have better "flow rate". Idealy, you probably want a filter that has good filtration (not necessary highest filtration), and good flow rate. Filters like Wix, Napa Gold, Purolator Premium Plus (not PureOne) fit into that category. The Purolator PureOne has great filtration, but a low flow rate........... still a fine filter though.



I highly second the recommendation to check out this site:



http://www.bobistheoilguy.com
 
Asking what oil is the best is like asking what LSP is the best- you'll get a 100 opinions, all meaning well, but they are opinions.

You'll have to do your own homework and decide which will work the best for you!



You could always try some off your list 1 at a time and actually see what works best for your style of driving; what works best for one driver might not meet your needs.



I have tried Bosch, Mobil 1, K&N, Fram and K&N.



I smartened up and went back to Nissan OEM, and they far outprform anything I tried. Mitsubishi filters might be the same?!
 
You opened a huge can of worms! I work for a series of dealerships. Many of the small OHC engines use an oil filter with a built in anti-flowback valve. Reason is...when you shut off your engine, warmed eng oil flows backwards down from the heads through the filter, and back into the pan. This means when you start up first thing in the morning...there is no oil at all in the head. It will take a few seconds to prime the oil pump and shove oil up into the head and onto the lifters. Some Japanese engines have a built in check ball that closes when you shut off the engine. This keeps some oil in the filter and up the oil passages into the head. When you start up, pressure pops open the check ball and splashes oil all over the lifters and cam. We do see a number of engines that make noise ..customers are adamant that "they change the oil regularly at my local gas station, speedy lube, etc" Bottom line is, they always have aftermarket oil filters on their engines. Yes, you can find filters that filter well..some have great flow...but if you're driving a Japanese vehicle..I'd stick with the factory filter.

I personally own a Benz, now. Since it's a cartridge type filter located up high on the engine, I thought I could now use cheaper , locally available filters. Picked up one (big name brand) brought it with me to work. Drained the engine and removed the old filter. Just because I'm a sceptic, when I removed the old factory filter, I placed it on a piece of cardboard and open the new filter. When I stood them side by side, the "new" one was about 3/8 of an inch shorter. I thought they gave me the wrong one, so I ran back to the supply store and was told.."Nope..that's the right one" On further examination, I found that the new one was short enough that dirty oil could go right over the top and run back into the engine...esentially doing absolutely no filtering at all. I borrowed a car and went to MB to get the correct filter.

Buyer beware.......
 
Sorry, but I didn't mean to cause any controversies here. I was just trying to get some opinions on oil filters as I am relatively new to the idea of working on my own car.



I have decided to go with Mobil 1 filters. They just seem the most highly regarded when I ask people about filters. I also took one out of the box when I was at the store and they seem very high quality with a tough outer casing. Therefore, I won't have to worry about it splitting open or falling apart like some report with other brands of filters.



Thanks again to everyone for the help.



:xyxthumbs
 
audio1der said:
Asking what oil is the best is like asking what LSP is the best- you'll get a 100 opinions, all meaning well, but they are opinions.

You'll have to do your own homework and decide which will work the best for you!



You could always try some off your list 1 at a time and actually see what works best for your style of driving; what works best for one driver might not meet your needs.



I have tried Bosch, Mobil 1, K&N, Fram and K&N.



I smartened up and went back to Nissan OEM, and they far outprform anything I tried. Mitsubishi filters might be the same?!
Click to expand...



Just curious, and no flaming intended, but what method did you use to determine the quality of a filter on your car?:)
 
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