[jcwit]

Just noticed on another thread that Fram filters are not recommended for use on a Kia Rio. I've been using Fram Tough Gard filters which is a step up from the base Fram filter. But I believe it still has the fiber/cardboard end caps.

Folks what say you and what do you recommend short of OEM.

 

[ronjohn]

Jcwit, I have been using walmart supertech 6604 filters the life of my vehical never had a problem along with supertech 5W-30 oil every 3k that is alot of oil changes around 45-50. I never looked into who makes them for walmart or what they are made of. 150k on it now. Just my thoughts, Reguards Ronjohn

 

[cobra259]

Whats wrong with OEM? I sell them cheap to anyone, they are much better than fram!

 

[r1concepts]

FRAM in general is not a good oil filter, it's a cheap product. I would recommend Mobil 1 on any vehicle.

 

[dsolorio]

Fram is crap. Walmart has a halfway decent product. Here is some info on oil filters.

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/reference.html#fram

 

[old hammer]

I used Fram filers on a 1981 Pontiac for 569,000 miles and never had a problem. My son uses Fram on his 2009 Rio5 and no problems as of yet.
Have a care,Old hammer

 

[dsolorio]

Its about quality. Fram is definitely on the lower end of the scale. Click on my link in my last post if you haven't already. See the quality of Fram compared to the others. Not so great and prone to fail. I would bet you could get away with not using a filter at all with regular oil changes if someone for some reason came up with a widget to bypass it. But its still not good for the engine. Its always good to have at least a halfway decent filter. I will use an air filter as an example because most can feel the difference with them. If you have say a Fram air filter, you will have more restricted air flow, prone to clogs, and possible tears or rips compared to say, a K&N air filter. K&N is known for its long life, high flow, and its water resistance. When driving, most people can tell the difference between the two. While you may not feel the difference when driving with a better oil filter, it will flow better and catch more particles. A higher quality filter is also less prone to fail, as tearing or ripping.

 

[jcwit]

OK I upgraded my Fram Tough Guard to the Fram Xtended Guard.

 

[dsolorio]

OK I upgraded my Fram Tough Guard to the Fram Xtended Guard.

lol, funny!

 

[jcwit]

lol, funny!

So whats funny?

After doing some more research.

The Xtended Guard has metal end caps and a wire mesh supporting the filter material, and is highly recommended even by the folks on BITOG site.

Fram can't be the death trap that many claim, otherwise this would be much more publicized by the media such as Consumers Reports. Plus being as Frame is one of the top selling if not the top selling filter out their, I nor anyone else can show the masses of disabled vehicles along the roadways.

Post some qualified statics showing Frams failure rate, other than just your opinion.

 

[dsolorio]

I think its funny that you ask that you ask what is the step up from the base Fram, most people say Fram is crap. Then you say you got an upgraded Fram. Sounds funny to me. I never said Fram is a death trap or it will cause your car to die. I said, they are crap and prone to fail. Fram is top selling because they are cheap and sold just about everywhere! That does not mean its quality. People that purchase Fram are usually the same people that still purchase conventional oil. Again, its not the quality these people are looking for, for the most part its price. I understand you getting your feelings hurt by talking about your oil filter, but you did post that you heard Fram is not recommended on RIOs and what would the rest of us recommend to you. I and three others simply recommeded something other than Fram.

 

[jcwit]

Whoa there, lets start over, before I did my research and when I ask my orginal question.

I think its funny that you ask that you ask what is the step up from the base Fram,

I never mentioned the Fram base filter. I mentioned the Fram Tough Guard filter, that is not their base filter, it is one step from base.

I said, they are crap and prone to fail.

And I asked for qualified statistics reguarding this. Not personal opinion.

Fram is top selling because they are cheap and sold just about everywhere! That does not mean its quality.

Using this logic the YUGO should have been a tremendous sucess.

People that purchase Fram are usually the same people that still purchase conventional oil. Again, its not the quality these people are looking for, for the most part its price.

What facts is this based on? Does this also apply to the mostly no longer available WalMart SuperTech filters which BTW are made by Champion Labs.

I understand you getting your feelings hurt by talking about your oil filter, but you did post that you heard Fram is not recommended on RIOs and what would the rest of us recommend to you. I and three others simply recommeded something other than Fram.

Surly you jest, my feelings are not hurt. I asked a question got a few responses and did further research on BITOG, and purchased the Fram Xtended Guard with the metal end caps.

Don't attempt to change meanings into others posts by assuming feelings. Doesn't work, not even on the internet.
This would be no different than me saying your feelings are hurt because I didn't follow your advice.

 

[dsolorio]

I definitely agree with the YUGO would have been a success. lol. I'm not going to make matters worse, so I'm going to leave it at that.

 

[DocJ]

Here's what I learned today.

I have a 2008 KIA Optima - 2.4L 4 cylinder.
I have owned the car for 3 1/2 years and I have always done my own oil changes and I usually use the FRAM filters.

I have been noticing sluggish performance lately and this morning my check engine light came on. I took it to Autozone and they read the code. It was a P0011 "Sensor A - timing over advanced or system performance bank" then it listed the probable causes:
Blocked oil passage
Low oil pressure
Failed Cam Shaft Actuator
Mechanical timing issue.

So I took it to my local KIA garage and showed the printout to the service manager. He said "you want to try the cheap and easy route first?". Of course that sounded good to me. He suggested replacing the oil filter with a KIA oil filter ($7.00 plus tax). He has said they have seen this before and he showed me a cutaway of a KIA filter and a non KIA filter. What he explained is that due to the internal design there is a difference in oil pressure and after a while the cams are not seeing the oil pressure that they should be seeing. So the engine tries to compensate for that which explains the probable causes shown on the code scan readout and changes in timing and poor engine performance.

I bought the filter and I'm waiting for the car to cool down right now. The service manager said to give it two weeks for the code to clear because if any sludge has built up it will take about that long to flush out.

So in two weeks (or less) I will reply back here and let you know the results and I am also going to let the service manager know if he was right or not.