Good place for oil filters? and what oil to use...

[Kruzen]

Been shopping for a jetta for awhile now, which of course has very different demands.

So im wondering what the best oil filters to use are, whats the best place to get em from, and what weight/brand of oil you guys like best, throughout the year.

[Sherwination]

I'm no expert but the Napa and Fram oil filters aren't to bad

[Digitalwave]

I've been running Castrol High Mileage 20w50 oil in my car, it's been great, I recommend it.

[KenC]

AMSOIL:

5w30 for the Winter
20w50 for the Summer

[M-technik-3]

Filters: German Mann or Puralator units. The only ones I like but finding them can be difficult. Mahle units are good too.

[Sherwination]

I was reccomended to get synthetic oil on my car mostly because performance change a lot from the heavy weight of oils, only thing is that its pretty expensive i used to get it for free.

[Kruzen]

i used to use MANN filters on my jetta, got them for cheap from www.germanautoparts.com, they don't seem to carry oil filters for bimmers though.

[M-technik-3]

Every online house carries Mahle I believe.

[Sherwination]

I was reccomended to get synthetic oil on my car mostly because performance change a lot from the heavy weight of oils, only thing is that its pretty expensive i used to get it for free.

[Topper]

Uhmmm.... Stay away from cheap filters like Fram, Purolator and the like, most of them don't have the proper pressure valve inside and aren't worth the minimal savings.
The best filters are Mann filters (the company that makes the factory ones). Bosch filters seem to be pretty good also. Bavauto (http://www.bavauto.com)sell the Mann filters for $4.95.
As far as oil goes, I think most people on this forum would agree that a quality synthetic is worth the extra money.
I use Lubro-Moly / Liqui-Moly (http://www.liqui-moly.de/web/lmhomeen.nsf/pages/index_produkte) 5w40 all year. Bavauto sell this too. I get it here from the local VW dealer in the 5 litre jug for $30 CDN which is a really good price.

[nando]

I'm no expert but the Napa and Fram oil filters aren't to bad

WRONG! fram filters are garbage. the napa gold ones are pretty decent, but the factory ones are your best bet. if you're in a pinch, napa will be fine but I wouldn't touch fram products with a ten foot pole.

[65Matt]

I buy Mobil 1 synthetic from walmart. You can't beat $20 for 5 quarts.

[M-technik-3]

I buy Mobil 1 synthetic from walmart. You can't beat $20 for 5 quarts.

Sorry I do have it beat, AAFES $3.45 a quart. But you have to have a US military id card to buy it. But yes that is a good price for Mobil 1 most places like Autozone sell it for $4.50 ish range.

[Erick]

I've been running Castrol High Mileage 20w50 oil in my car, it's been great, I recommend it.

:stupid:

[Rob]

I'd honestly be suprised if anyone can tell a difference between brands of filters.

If you're even barely religious about your maintenance, any filter will be fine. IMHO of course

[Beej '86 325es]

Fram filters are very poor quality. My dad works for John Deere, a good friend of his there is considered the leading expert in the country on diesel oils, he is quoted in magazines and such. According to him, Fram is a very poor filter.

My car 257,000 miles on it and except for the last 3 oil changes, has always had a filter from the dealership. I believe it is made by Bosch, I have been getting those at AutoZone lately and they look identical.

[M-technik-3]

I'd honestly be suprised if anyone can tell a difference between brands of filters.

If you're even barely religious about your maintenance, any filter will be fine. IMHO of course

You might be true but if you are not like me, I would rather spend $2.00 more on a filter that I know has a higher particle straining capability. I try to get a sample done once a year also to find out general health of engine.

[Digitalwave]

Beej, how much is a filter from the stealer?

[M-technik-3]

M50 filter is $6.50 after tax.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

A Mann oil filter is 4.85 from BMA Auto Parts.


All you guys that use Bavarian Autosport, waffleswaffleswaffleswaffles them. Go here.

http://www.bmaparts.com/cgi-bin/home.php?cookieID=1A0164XED&source=www.bmaparts.com&clientid=bma

Every part I part I looked up for my tranny swap was almost half the price of BavAuto, somtimes less.

[Beej '86 325es]

Beej, how much is a filter from the stealer?

Not much, between $6-$7. And about the same at AutoZone.

[nando]

I'd honestly be suprised if anyone can tell a difference between brands of filters.

If you're even barely religious about your maintenance, any filter will be fine. IMHO of course

you'd be wrong. the drainback valves and internal constructon of fram filters are crap. years back one of my jobs was QA in an engine building shop, and I had to take apart filters to check for contaminates. the glue used is cheap, allowing the filter to come apart (it's all cardboard inside) and the drainback valves do not seal and allow contaminates into the engine. fram are made like crap, end of story.

[Werksmini]

Ill sell you 3 oil filters dirt cheap there mann/mahle.

[george graves]

I know some BMWCCA guys always talk about fram - that's what I use...

[Rob]

I guess its a good thing I change my filter frequently *shrug*

[Psychomofo]

What about the Wix oil filters? I've heard some good things about them. I believe a lot of the big trucking companies use them. Also, what about Royal Purple for the oil? That's some good oil, right?

[KenC]

What about the Wix oil filters? I've heard some good things about them. I believe a lot of the big trucking companies use them. Also, what about Royal Purple for the oil? That's some good oil, right?

Never heard of Wix filters. I've heard good things about Royal Purple motor oil, however, Ryan Stewart said that the gear oil made his diff noisy.

[decay]

What about the Wix oil filters? I've heard some good things about them. I believe a lot of the big trucking companies use them. Also, what about Royal Purple for the oil? That's some good oil, right?

as it happens, that's exactly what i'm using right now. Napa's "gold" line is remarketed Wix, i've been using them for about the past 6 cars and i've been pretty happy w/ them. the car seems to like royal purple, but f*** was it ever expensive... going back to mobil1 next time.

[Jon '92 325ic]

I've used Red Line and Lubro Moly Synthetic oils and like them both. Lubro Moly is a little less expensive. For an oil filter, I use the Mobile 1 filter. But like someone else said, I truly doubt anyone could feel the difference between the various filters. Here's a review of various oil filters:

http://www.shoclub.com/lubrication-oil/lubrication-oilpart5.htm

Right now I've got a Mobile 1 filter on my car. Prior to that I used the OEM filter. I can't feel any difference in the ride between OEM and Mobile 1 filter.

For purchasing Red Line or Lubro Moly oil, I go with BMA Autoparts because they're local to me and I can just pick it up. They do price matching so before I go in I'll do a search on the Internet and print out the lowest price I can find. Ocassionally BMA is higher in price, but when I show them the print out, they've always price matched. BMA is usally lower though.

[Topper]

Right now I've got a Mobile 1 filter on my car. Prior to that I used the OEM filter. I can't feel any difference in the ride between OEM and Mobile 1 filter.

Jon, I know I'm new here (and from Canada :) ) but that's the funniest thing I've read here!
How in the hell would an oil filter affect the ride of your car? :roll:

[Jon '92 325ic]

Right now I've got a Mobile 1 filter on my car. Prior to that I used the OEM filter. I can't feel any difference in the ride between OEM and Mobile 1 filter.

Jon, I know I'm new here (and from Canada :) ) but that's the funniest thing I've read here!
How in the hell would an oil filter affect the ride of your car? :roll:

Topper, I know I'm not new here (and I'm wearing white socks) but that's the point I was making. As Moderator Rob said in his post before me, "If you're even barely religious about your maintenance, any filter will be fine."

[aaron_silva]

(and I'm wearing white socks)

:rofl:

Aaron

[Snowmann]

napa golds are wix brand, which i use, I sell both at the store, and you wouldnt ever think you would have a warranty issue with an oil filter, however frams come back all the time for leakage, poor start up oil pressure (the anti drain back valve takes a dump) etc, I use a larger race wix filter with my amsoil filter relocation kit. its like a 51051 part number, I believe this will even work on the regular m20 housing, but it might be tight. I know the threads will but it holds almost 1/2 more oil and its body is about an inch larger in diameter. Stay away from FRAM they are junk, especially if you live anywhere cold, the leaf spring inside cracks all the time where as the wix filters have a coil spring and a much better filtering element

we also sell Mobil filters at Oreillys now, which Im yet to try, or hear anything bad about