Separating fact for marketing bumpf can be challenging. Fram is in the business of selling filters and is biased.

One point that bothers me is engine manufacturers specify oil and filter change intervals, not filter manufacturers.

The GM data on particle size vs distance to overhaul is helpful, but it does not say what GM also says about oil/filter change interval trade off. On one hand, consumers want long intervals for convenience, but on the other hand dirty oil/filter compromises life. Remember, when a filter gets dirty and goes into bypass, it's not filtering anything!

 

One point that bothers me is engine manufacturers specify oil and filter change intervals, not filter manufacturers.

This has all come about because of the synthetic oil hype. Why waste good synthetic oil on a 3000 mile oil change when it can go 20000 miles. Just ask Mobil.

Have to hand it to FRAM for at least providing technical data on their products They have been doing so for decades. It's a selling feature of course, if one has a good product to sell. FRAM is the OE supplier for Honda.

The same information for Mopar, WIX, Purolator, etc. is not so easy to find.

Mopar appears to be rated at 35+ microns with a 98.7 percent efficiency. That's not directly from Mopar. Nothing spectular about that even if the oil does flow through it. FRAM rates theirs, per ISO 4548-12, for particles greater than 20 microns. Particle size makes a difference for engine wear. Think tiny pieces of needle bearings, rockerarms and camshaft lobes flowing through the Pentastar engine's oil system.

Reportedly Purolator, Champion and WIX make Mopar filters. The Mopar FE00148, I use to buy, was made by WIX, although one batch was different, likely Champion. Purolator usually has a strring around its filter media per Motorcraft FL1a

ECOGARD® SYNTHETIC+ Oil Filters will remove 99.9% of oil contaminants at 25 microns, so they say.. More on those filters: Their basic oil filter seem fairly common here, likely because of the "Made in China" price. Is it garbage? I wouldn't buy one.

ECOGard Oil Filters

I see the ECOGard oil filters showing up at times. Made in China, likely the least expensive filter for oil change shops to use. They have a lot of information on line including: CONVENTIONAL OIL FILTERS https://www.ecogard.com/automotive-filters/oil-filters/ ECOGARD SYNTHETIC+ EXTENDED...

www.chryslerminivan.net

As for dirt holding capacity and obstructing flow, the cadtridge filter has about 2X the filter size of the mickey mouse filters specified for the 4th Generations come 2005. I don't think flow is an issue, if so by kess than 2% pressure is my guess..

 

I would wonder what kind of filters the guy with the 626,000 mile Ram Promaster used.

From years on the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum, the highest mileage vehicles didn't get there with concern over oil filter brand or type. One guy had 5 E vans with 1.3 MILLION miles on the original engines, 5.4 and 4.6 V8's, and he had the shop on the corner change the oil and filter every 10-20k when the drivers remembered. Using whatever house brand filters the shop guy used.

Fram does make money selling their high end filters for 3-4x the cost of their base filters while using a few cents of additional material and a different color paint

 

I would wonder what kind of filters the guy with the 626,000 mile Ram Promaster used.

From years on the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum, the highest mileage vehicles didn't get there with concern over oil filter brand or type. One guy had 5 E vans with 1.3 MILLION miles on the original engines, 5.4 and 4.6 V8's, and he had the shop on the corner change the oil and filter every 10-20k when the drivers remembered. Using whatever house brand filters the shop guy used.

Fram does make money selling their high end filters for 3-4x the cost of their base filters while using a few cents of additional material and a different color paint

Most engine wear occurs in the first few seconds after a cold start. High mileage vehicles don't get many cold starts and fleet managers can get away with cheap filters and long change intervals.

In contrast, I have seen low mileage engines that are done at 30k miles in spite of regular oil changes. The reason is all the trips were short (1 mile or less) like driving the kids to school, going to the grocery store, etc. Lots of stone cold starts, especially in winter.

I bought a used cop car with 125,000 km that was almost always running, including idling for hours on end, and had few, if any, cold starts. The engine ran so smooth you could put a glass of water on the air cleaner while idling, and the water was perfectly still.

 

The guy on the FTE van page was hilarious. He posted photos of a set of plugs that he ran in one of his vans for 325k miles or something. Center electrodes were gone. He said the engine was running a bit rough... He honestly had a number of vans over a million miles doing passenger transport long-distance. 10-20k between oil changes, sounded like filters were randomly what the mechanic on the corner bought. I won't pretend that that kind of mileage, like 626k miles on a Promaster with a dang Pentastar(!) in it, is typical. Almost zero cold starts, and steady-state humming along.

I spent some time looking at BITOG and obsessing over filters some years ago. Now I just have the dealer do the changes. Actually, with the lifetime Mopar warranty I bought, it serves me well to use the dealer, and if the engine ever blows up, it's on them and Chrysler. And it gives me face time so if I ever need to deal with a warranty issue, they know me and know that I care about my van as I do about all my cars.

 

I was at a local auto glass place this morning pricing a windshield for my Jeep. I think the two guys, brothers I believe, install new window assemblies in houses as well, which means a fair amount of driving.

Anyway, their Dodge Grand Caravan was there, a 2013 plus model, I will get the exact year and more details another time. It has caught my interest.

I asked them how it was working. "It's the best" was the answer. How many miles I asked. "381000 km" (236700 miles) was the answer. Any engine problems, work done on the engine? "Nope, none, just keep adding oil, don't even bother changing it.". How about the transmission? "Works better than new, no problems".

I don't think I would buy that vehicle from them, the oil filter is likely siezed in place.

More on that vehicle another time.

 

"Nope, none, just keep adding oil, don't even bother changing it.".

I wonder how oil they are adding? Maybe it is leaking/burning a lot so the oil is fairly fresh LOL. It's been 30 years since I had a car that needed oil added between changes.

As for the filter, it's probably clogged up and on bypass.

 

It would be interesting to take a look at the filter from that van and see how much and what kind of shrapnel there is stuck in it.

I would bet these guys did not buy the van new, but their story is pretty impressive but seems to come from a place of naive ignorance. Not sure I'd use these guys for any other work that demands precision.

With the plastic housing, I don't think filters can get too seized.

 

Probably tight enough to break the fragile plastic housing when unscrewing it.

They aren't into fleet management for sure. They do good work, local guys, been in business for many years.

PS: Maybe their filter housing is cracked and that's where the oil is going. Yes, that's fleet management.