best oil filter

[paqrat]

We bought a 4 cylinder 2008 vue a few months ago and its first oil change is on the horizon. What brand of oil filter is best for these? Does anyone know what brands use synthetic filter media?

[burnout]

Anything but Fram.

I'm being serious. Stay with really any major brand at the auto store and you should be fine. Purolator, Purolator PureONE, STP, and Mobil1 are some of my personal favorites.:)

However, I believe STP is the most popular filter for your car as I'm assuming it has the cartridge filter, not a spin-on.

[YourMainParadox]

why not fram? I have used them for years even on a vehicle that had 400,000 miles on an original non rebuilt engine without issue and we owned it all 400k miles. We only used either store brand or fram oil filters which is what walmart carries.

[froggy81500]

Because the normal Fram canister (spin on) type uses cardboard end caps and other cheap materials in their filters. However, the 4 cylinder you have is an Ecotec and should have a cartridge type which is just a plastic frame with the pleated filter material. As long as Fram uses good filter media, it should be fine for these motors.

[BobbyP]

If the Fram cartridge oil filters have glued end caps, they should be avoided.

The orange Fram spin on oil filters glue the end caps and media in place, a few people destroyed their engines when the cardboard broke down and circulated through their engines. Here's a Honda filter example.

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/6958/framna9.jpg

I personally used orange Fram filters at least 600k on 3 cars with no problems, but after seeing the glued construction I don't use them any longer.

I do use the Fram silver Extended Guard oil filters because they have synthetic media with metal screen support, metal end caps, and a nice silicon anti-drain back valve. They also have that great sure grip finish.

WIX, K&N, and Mobil 1 make great filters also...

[John Dirks Jr]

I try to use Purolator whenever possible.

[froggy81500]

This is what the filter for the 2.4L ecotec looks like:

http://info.rockauto.com/Honeywell/FRAMDetail.html?CH9018_012406.jpg

[YourMainParadox]

so is that one safe? XD. it looks identicle to the other filters i have seen for the ecotec

I literally just hit 57k and I am changing my oil tommorow after work and I have that fram oil filter with the plastic etc

[D C]

If the Fram cartridge oil filters have glued end caps, they should be avoided.

The orange Fram spin on oil filters glue the end caps and media in place, a few people destroyed their engines when the cardboard broke down and circulated through their engines. Here's a Honda filter example.

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/6958/framna9.jpg

I personally used orange Fram filters at least 600k on 3 cars with no problems, but after seeing the glued construction I don't use them any longer.



I think the whole "Avoid Fram filters because of the end caps" is a bunch of internet BS.

Several YEARS AGO, some guy with unknown qualifications decided to cut apart a bunch of oil filters and somehow judged them based on the qualitative things that he found. Completely unscientific.

As you said yourself, you used them for 600k miles without incident. That's a pretty good exposure time for them. You would have gone through 120 filters with a 5000 mile oil change interval.

Do I use them? I used to, but now I use Mobil 1 filters in all their synthetic glory (along with synthetic oil & 10k mile oil change intervals)

to the OP, just get a good quality filter and don't worry about it. Fram, AC, Wix, Purolator, Mobil 1, etc... no worries.