Oil filter Fram or Mahle
Fram has different types of filters, the low end ones are the ones that get trashed on, but they also have some good ones that are on par with what you'd get from any other brand. Even if you use the bad ones it'll be fine, you might want to change the oil a little sooner than normal though.
Mahle. Best pleat design I’ve seen and according to Volvo, their primary reason they selected Mahle over MANN or Hengst.
my last couple oil changes used Fram filters for their superior double layered synth media filtration.
Cut open the Fram XG3614 ... barely noticeable filtermagnet deposits on the inside.... definitely another quality filter:
I typically go with Mobil 1. Fram has been manufacturing filters that use a little flap of tin for the bypass spring which comes on during high oil pressure situations, and at least in Canada i have seen these fail quite early. And not one or two, but closer to 3/10 i have cut open. I should cut more open as my observations are now a bit dated but in my opinion if it has a actual bypass spring inside of it, they will be more effective in the long run since the ones with a actual bypass spring inside of the filter i have personally never seen one fail yet.
And with filter media, you want it to be the vacuum bag. The canister that simply catches the most crap is not exactly the smallest micron rating, but the filter that returns to normal operation reliably when the vehicle hits operating temperature. And if that filter seems too expensive to run, then you really cannot afford to replace the engine.
Edit: Also it is worth checking out your factory supplied oil filter as they usually spring the bypass correctly for the designed engine oil pressure.
I used a FRAM oil filter on the car at my last oil change and it turns out it collapsed internally triggering a low engine oil pressure to my ECU. The garage (VW/Audi/Porsche specialized) told me to never use anything other than Mann filters on my GTI since everything else is either gonna collapse or be more expensive than the Mann for no added benefits.
The cardboard construction on a Fram filter would have come apart.
Only filter I’ve ever had fail on me is a FRAM. Never again.
I think I tried using a Fram filter on my '99 truck once, and the filter was designed ever so slightly differently and as a result I lost all my oil in a week.
Wal-mart typically only stocks the Fram filter (gross) for my truck. FRAM (avoid) is PH2. All of them are fine except Fram, unless you are in a pinch.
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