Best oil filter

tedog

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What do you say? I use Mobil 1 or NAPA Gold.
 
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Company I know that runs trucking company, auto and heavy equipment repair and wrecker service all run WIX on business and personal vehicles. I frankly had never heard of WIX until I started working with them.
 
Another vote for WIX. Don't know if it's THE best, but, I've been using them for the past 7-8 years (along with Amsoil) and never had any issues.
 
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Napa Silver or Gold.

There is info on the web about who makes what store brands and how they tested for quality. IIRC Wix makes Napa filters but I might be misremembering. ;)
 
Napa Silver or Gold.

There is info on the web about who makes what store brands and how they tested for quality. IIRC Wix makes Napa filters but I might be misremembering. ;)

This is what I sort of suspected, that one or two major companies make them all then brand them out to other vendors like the automotive battery people. The same client that got me started on WIX filters, got me started on Interstate Batteries.
 
If I go "mass market" usually Mobil 1. But really, I prefer to run by the dealer and get an OEM filter. Several times I've run into a "three for the price of two" deal at the dealer. They usually aren't more than the Mobil 1 filters even one at a time.
 
Popcorn Time!:D


It all depends on if you use the "best" oil and change the oil at the "best" frequency.:)

Grandpa used to change his oil every 1000 miles (seriously). Of course he didn't really drive too much. He never had an engine problem.

I used to buy the "best" oil and used the "best" filters and changed the oil every 3000 miles. Also never had a problem.

I have an old car and I change the oil every 3 years. That amounts to about 500 miles. I realize I should at least do it annually, but after 15 years it hasn't had a problem either. The oil comes out still golden clear.

A "kid" at work got transferred a few years ago and was going to drive his car across the country. While gabbing at lunch one day he asked the "oldtimers" if we thought he should change his oil. We asked how long it was? He said "never". We asked how many miles. He said 80,000. The next day we helped him change it at lunch. It came out like tar. It took 2 changes to flush it out. When I saw him some years later I asked if his car was still running. Yup! Had 150,000 on her now. (He said he did change it a few more times though)

Personally, I think its much todo about nothing. If the oil meets the required specs, even if its wallyoil, I say it probably doesn't matter. Same for filters. Cars are built pretty well these days, and the use of synthetics have reduced the necessary time interval.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it....LOL.
 
I like the K&N brand as most of them have a nut welded on the front of the filter body that makes removing it with a normal wrench or socket easy - no messing around with a filter strap or filter wrench cup type fitting.

One brand I would avoid is FRAM. I work PT at an auto parts store, and we don't carry them because of too many customer complaints.

Larry
 
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I have literally crushed a modern fram filter with my bare hands when working in a shop... needless to say, that killed any confidence I may have had in them.
 
I vote Wix. Be careful of the store, or other brands that do not make
their own filters. The specs may not be the same as Wix even if they
make the store brand, if they were the same spec they probably would
not be less expensive. Same with batteries, fan belts etc..
 
Depends according to the vehicle. If it is a late model, newer vehicle I tend to prefer the manufacturers filters. Our Subaru for example has the filter mounted on top of the engine. The factory filters help eliminate 'leak down'. On my ol Chevy truck, that is not a factor although I still use GM filters in it. I have never had an issue using the factory filters.
 
I used Mobil 1 filters religiously for years. Premium priced but OK with me. I stayed away from Fram orange can filters. But then Fram developed their Ultra filter. Their hierarchy from economy to premium is Extra Guard, Tough Guard and Ultra Synthetic. The Ultra Synthetics are so good that I used them for 10,000 miles with a synthetic oil change only every 5,000 miles (i.e. changed the filter every other oil change). Could probably go longer but that was good enough for me. Got good Blackstone oil analysis too.
I would use the same regimen with my new car but have not been able to confirm that the anti drain back valve specifications on the Fram Ultra meet the manufacturers specs so I will stick with the OEM filters for the time being. A filter good enough to only have to change every other oil change is a nice time and mess saver.
 
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I doubt Mobil makes their own filter. Most recommend the OEM filter, and I doubt many of them are made in house. There are only 3 or 4 major filter manufacturers in the USA, but they outsource the lower price point filters. NAPA silvers used to be made in Venezuela, with about half the internal filter paper of the NAPA Gold filter. Others are probably close to that.
 
It depends on the vehicle as well.

Wife's car - Mann, they make the OEM filters
My truck - whatever is on sale. I got a 10-pack of Motorcraft for $22 at an auction 3 years ago.
The Harley - Amsoil

I run synthetic in everything. I also change the oil more often than recommended. It's cheap insurance. Those high dollar "premium" filters always seemed like a gimmick. When an oil filter fills up with crud the by-pass kicks in. OEM specs will always work.
 
I bought a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis brand new from the dealer, and it had 242,000 miles on it when I sold it. Being a creature of habit, I was getting an oil and filter change every 3000 miles. When I was commuting to the Baltimore area that translated to an oil change every 6 weeks. I presume the dealership was using the Ford Motorcraft brand of oil filters. Maybe I could have stretched the intervals between oil changes but I can't complain about the life I got out of that car with oil and filters changes as often as I had them done.
 
Whatever the dealership changes the filter with...no idea what kind it is. That being said, it gets done every 3000k.

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I have my oil changed at the dealership. So what ever Toyota and Lexus use is what is in my truck and car.
 

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