Oil filters

[slammer]

What filters do you guys use in your vehicles? I like the Wix and have used them for a couple years. Just curious to see what peoples thoughts are good and bad.

[Jeremy airjer W]

My Tundra gets serviced at the dealer. It gets on O.E. filter and Mobil conventional oil every 5K.

The Saturn gets the cheapest NAPA filter and the cheapest oil I can find every 3k miles. Last winter I found Kendal full synthetic for 99 cents a quart. I bought a case!!

The Town & Country gets a NAPA pro select (the're wix filters with napa lables) and mobil conventional every 3k miles.

[Whoaru99]

My Impala gets whatever Cenex puts in, which is to say it's what ever they get from NAPA across the street. It gets it when the oil life monitor shows 10%, give or take, depending on my schedule.

My Camaro is still getting some high-end Donalson filters I purchased a case lot of some time ago. Mobil 1 synthetic and one of these Donalson "super filters" once per year, just before winter.

My 1994 Chev K1500 gets what ever synthetic oil is on sale at the time, and to some degree what filter just happens to be handy but last couple have been Purolator Pure Ones. Oil and filter on this one is also once per year, typically spring time.

[crothmeier]

My 97 silverado gets napa oil and filter every 5,000. The 07 impala gets an amsoil filter and amsoil synthetic oil. I switch the filter every 7,500 and full oil and filter change at 15,000.

[Scott K]

Motorcraft oil filters in my Fords, I buy them and the oil at Walmart, for a fraction of the cost of buying it elsewhere. As for the type of oil, I have been using Motorcraft, or Valvaline, but have since started using Quakerstate, since it is fairly cheap. I just change it at 3000 miles, and dont have any issues.

Oil Filter is like $2.69

5 Qts of oil, like $12

[Powerstroke]

Fram filters and whatever is cheapest for oil on my wife's 10yr old Focus.

On the Ford F350 6.0h no, I use the motorcraft filters and T6 5w-40 full synthetic oil for the diesel.

[Scott K]

Fram filters and whatever is cheapest for oil on my wife's 10yr old Focus.

On the Ford F350 6.0h no, I use the motorcraft filters and T6 5w-40 full synthetic oil for the diesel.

The International filters are much cheaper, or they were before.

[RangerJack]

I just throw in the PartsMaster or Carquest filters. We carry both at the shop, so whatever one I'm closest to is what goes in. As for oil, I just pump in bulk Shell 10W-30. Cheaper than quarts (free)!

A lot of times, I'll change my oil at 2k miles anyways, because I only drive 2 miles back and forth to work everyday. I run cheap oil and filters, because to me, synthetic oil and expensive filters aren't necessary.

My 3.8 Impala has pushing 250,000 miles, and has never missed a beat with the oil and filters I use.

[ottertailguy]

airjer,

I too have a Tundra and take it to the dealer for service. But why don't you change your own oil? If I worked on cars for a living it would be hard for me to let others touch my vehicles. I have brought my cars/trucks in to have the oil changed less than 5 times in my life. But because of the oil filter in the Tundra is a cartridge, I don't plan on doing it myself. I'm surprised nobody else asked this question?

[lawdog]

I don't change my own oil anymore. For the time and mess, you can't really beat the quick lube deals at dealers or oil change places.

I liked the Wix filters best when I was still racing, but honestly I always cut the filters and inspected them for metal shavings since it was a race motor and you would be surprised how similar most of the filters are. Its not like you buy one major brand and its junk and the other is the best thing since sliced bread!

Anybody go by the oil change deal on the computer of your vehicle? Man I'd have a hard time buying the idea that oil is good to 6K like my truck tells me it is...

[LMITOUT]

I use Baldwin oil, fuel, and transmission filters.

[LightningBG]

I use mobil 1 full syn and a fram extended guard filter. Change the oil about every 8K miles. No problems so far. My Envoy also holds 7 quarts, so maybe that makes it last a little longer. I've known people with Envoys to change the oil at 12K+, then send a sample in for analysis and everything was still within spec. My oil life monitor wont go on normally until about 10-12K miles.

[Whoaru99]

Anybody go by the oil change deal on the computer of your vehicle? Man I'd have a hard time buying the idea that oil is good to 6K like my truck tells me it is...

Yup. I'm going to go by that until the day I no longer have the Impala, or it dies. Whichever comes first.

I run it down to ~10% (although I've not paid close attention to the miles) then start thinking about scheduling an oil change.

With the tighter controls on the engine and better oil forumlations the notions of 3K oil changes is an urban legend, or should be, IMO. Big oil and the oil chiange shops love to keep it alive though.

[Scott K]

Whoaru99, if you owned a shop, would you start telling your customers that your oil is good until 7500 miles? Then a few years down the road you start getting engines go bad, sludge build up, vct engines setting codes, and hydraulic lifters/chain tensioners causing ticking noises. Are you so confident that the oil is that much better today, that your willing to back that for engine that run between $2000-$12,000 to replace? Money you would be pulling from your own bank account to stand behind it?

A few other things to consider as well, most customers have no idea where the engine oil dipstick is, or if it even has one. When you start extending intervals, you add to the risk that it may run out of oil. So now, a car comes in, at 7000 miles after his oil change, with a rod through the block because it had no oil in it, but you cant prove it was out of oil, because the hole in the block drained away your evidence, so they go after you, because you said the oil was good for 7500 miles!

Another thing to consider is, having vehicles in the shop more often, gives the shop a chance to look the vehicle over good, and make sure it is safe to drive, (bad tires, brakes, front end parts, etc..) This is in everyone best interests, as I dont want a bunch more vehicles driving down the road with a tierod ready to fall off, or no brakes.

Then on top of that, as a business you want to get customers in the door, not have them stay away longer.

I agree, oil is better today, rings are tighter, less fuel gets into the oil, better additives added to prolong the oil. But in some engines today, your just asking for trouble if you go much over the 3000 mark for mileage. Is it worth it? To a the owner of the vehicle doing his own oil change? No, oil and filter cost $18 if you buy them at the right place. Depending on how many miles you put on in a year, but if you put on 15,000 miles, you saved yourself $54 for a year. If you are a shop, again no, the gamble of it causing issues, is not worth it, the lost revenue from the oil changes are slight, but it adds up as well. I write all oil change stickers at 3000 miles, then let the customer make his own decision whether to extend it to whatever mileage they wish. Its call covering your but. It has nothing to do with big oil, and nothing to do with robbing customers.

[tonkapat]

Never have seen a problem with 7k changes with synthetic until I bought a ford. The 5.4 3v (2004 and up) will sludge some oils before 3k. Then the needle bearings go dry and there goes your valvetrain. Also make sure and run a motorcraft filter because if there is any warranty on your truck ford will void it without the motorcraft filter. Just a warning for you ford guys change it before 3k if you want to keep your truck a long time.

[Scott K]

Never have seen a problem with 7k changes with synthetic until I bought a ford. The 5.4 3v (2004 and up) will sludge some oils before 3k. Then the needle bearings go dry and there goes your valvetrain. Also make sure and run a motorcraft filter because if there is any warranty on your truck ford will void it without the motorcraft filter. Just a warning for you ford guys change it before 3k if you want to keep your truck a long time.

It is not just Fords 3 valve engines, it is most Variable cam timing engines, these run very tight tolerances, and the cam timing of the engines are very dependent on good oil pressure, so just the slightest amount of sludge build up, or wear in the engine will reduce the oil pressure in the top of the engine, and cause issues. More and more vehicles today are running a VCT type engine to increase HP, and economy, while reducing emissions. These are the most sensitive to lack of maintenance for oil changes, and also the most expensive to repair. Once the damage is done, it cant be undone without replacing parts, and in most cases, expensive parts, aka heads, cams, crankshafts, and in most cases, an engine replacement is needed, or at least suggested. Then when the work needs to be done, the blame gets pointed to the manufacturer for making a poor product, even though it was their own fault for lack of maintenance in most cases. Just like life, it is all a gamble, you can save a few bucks a year by increasing your intervals, but it may cost you a lot in the end. I personally would much rather pay the extra $18 a couple times a year, then get a one time bill for $6000 after 3 years of saving on a few oil changes. But that is just me, and my opinion.

Edit, to add to the Motorcraft oil filter statement, just think if you were the warranty department at Ford (or any manufacturer) and you are backing a $6000 engine with the trust of a customer to maintain that engine as sugguested. I would assume you would want the customer to use a good quality filter to remove the dirt from the oil, along with a good quality oil, and to ensure the maintenance was done on time.

I funny story, when I worked at the dealer, this college girl came in with 18,000 miles on her new Ford Focus, the engine had a rod through the block. Typically a no brainer warranty job, not in this case. After further inspection, I find it had the original oil filter it was built with on it yet, checked oil, none in it, but it did have a hole in the block. We called the customer up, she said she hasnt changed her oil, she didnt know she needed to. The salesmen never told her to that she needed to have her oil changed in it. The funny part is, we always offered free oil changes to the customers that bought their new vehicle from us. So, after a lengthy court battle, the car got repo'd from her, with a bad engine in it, since she stopped making payments. Some common sense is also required, that or just read the Owners manual, and it would tell her the intervals. Thats what the judge told her anyhow.

[tonkapat]

The motorcraft filter statement is because of an antidrain feature. So when you start the truck it has some oil left in the top end. Also some off brand filters have been found to lose part of the filter material which clogs the small passages to lubricate the top end of these motors. All of this and cam phasers that are junk from the start and spark plugs that don't come out.

[Jeremy airjer W]

airjer,

I too have a Tundra and take it to the dealer for service. But why don't you change your own oil? If I worked on cars for a living it would be hard for me to let others touch my vehicles. I have brought my cars/trucks in to have the oil changed less than 5 times in my life. But because of the oil filter in the Tundra is a cartridge, I don't plan on doing it myself. I'm surprised nobody else asked this question?

If the vehicle is under warranty than the dealer should be doing all the routine services. This benefits you when there is a problem. They see it or address it when it is in for service and it is taken care off. If you bring the vehicle (still under warranty) to an independent shop and the guy finds something wrong he knows that you will bring it to the dealer to have it fixed and the guy looking at it that did all the work makes nothing on the repair.

That and they basically through in the maintenance package for free!

[Whoaru99]

Whoaru99, if you owned a shop, would you start telling your customers that your oil is good until 7500 miles? Then a few years down the road you start getting engines go bad, sludge build up, vct engines setting codes, and hydraulic lifters/chain tensioners causing ticking noises. Are you so confident that the oil is that much better today, that your willing to back that for engine that run between $2000-$12,000 to replace? Money you would be pulling from your own bank account to stand behind it?

A few other things to consider as well, most customers have no idea where the engine oil dipstick is, or if it even has one. When you start extending intervals, you add to the risk that it may run out of oil. So now, a car comes in, at 7000 miles after his oil change, with a rod through the block because it had no oil in it, but you cant prove it was out of oil, because the hole in the block drained away your evidence, so they go after you, because you said the oil was good for 7500 miles!

Another thing to consider is, having vehicles in the shop more often, gives the shop a chance to look the vehicle over good, and make sure it is safe to drive, (bad tires, brakes, front end parts, etc..) This is in everyone best interests, as I dont want a bunch more vehicles driving down the road with a tierod ready to fall off, or no brakes.

Then on top of that, as a business you want to get customers in the door, not have them stay away longer.

I agree, oil is better today, rings are tighter, less fuel gets into the oil, better additives added to prolong the oil. But in some engines today, your just asking for trouble if you go much over the 3000 mark for mileage. Is it worth it? To a the owner of the vehicle doing his own oil change? No, oil and filter cost $18 if you buy them at the right place. Depending on how many miles you put on in a year, but if you put on 15,000 miles, you saved yourself $54 for a year. If you are a shop, again no, the gamble of it causing issues, is not worth it, the lost revenue from the oil changes are slight, but it adds up as well. I write all oil change stickers at 3000 miles, then let the customer make his own decision whether to extend it to whatever mileage they wish. Its call covering your but. It has nothing to do with big oil, and nothing to do with robbing customers.

I advise to follow the OEMs recommendations contained in the Owner's Manual. You'd not be on the hook, unless you decide to be, following that guideline...that's what the maintenance schedule is for.

And, before anyone starts the "they just want you to buy another car" thing. YES, absolutely they want you to buy another car. Generally speaking, they've (or should I say "we" since I work for a (non-automotive) OEM) figured out that a customer being happy with the car is the ticket to another sale, not service recommendations that contribute to premature failures.

If people want to change sooner that's their dime, but I don't advocate prophecy about the end times for the vehicle if you don't.

[311Hemi]

Also make sure and run a motorcraft filter because if there is any warranty on your truck ford will void it without the motorcraft filter.

You have first hand experience of them deny warranty on a truck due to brand of oil filter? I thought they could not do that based on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

[Macgyver55]

You have first hand experience of them deny warranty on a truck due to brand of oil filter? I thought they could not do that based on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

I believe you are correct.

The Ford manual says:

Ford production and aftermarket (Motorcraft) oil filters are designed for

added engine protection and long life. If a replacement oil filter is used

that does not meet Ford material and design specifications, start-up

engine noises or knock may be experienced.

It is recommended you use the appropriate Motorcraft oil filter or

another brand meeting Ford specifications for your engine application.

[Scott K]

They cant deny warranty because you used a different brand that MEETS their requirements. But just because it screws on their, and the book says it fits your vehicle, doesnt mean it will MEET the manufacturers requirements. But if you stick with a good quality filter, you wont have any problems, just keep documentation of when you did the service, with reciepts is best, they cant refuse warranty to you.