I'd love to change the oil on the beast over the holiday weekend, but I didn't pick up an OEM oil filter ahead of time. Has anyone used/researched whether the Fram filters are a comparable or better filter than OEM? A search didn't reveal much info on the boards.
I'm not so sure about taking a bet on one without more info, so looks like I'll be waiting for the dealer to open on Tuesday . . . .
Rick
'04 Jet Black 3.0 6-speed, PP,terracotta, xenons, premium sound, PDC, heated seats, privacy glass, sat prep., Dinan strut tower brace, Y-Spoke, Goodyear Eagle F1 - 235/50/18 F, 255/45/18 R (Dunlop Wintersport M3s for winter).
Fram is GARBAGE, period. They spend too much money on advertizing and not enough on mfg.
Fram comes in last place in most reputable independent oil filter tests. I would not run them in a Ford Focus. They are very cheaply made..most parts that should be metal or plastic are constructed of cardboard & glue that you'd find on the back of a $1 Office Depot notebook. I saw one in person that failed and imploded. It really messed up a motor.
The dealer is your best bet, if you can not find Hengst locally. An extra couple $ is worth it.
In a pinch, check out Purolator. Last one I bought had a Hengst filter in the box, exactly the same as OEM BMW. I examined one a few months ago and it was not Hengst, so they vary.
Also be aware you need the big 0-ring and copper washer. Some filter kits have these parts, other's don't.
You could always put in some aftermarket filter now along with your oil change, and swap it with the OEM filter a few days later when you get it. I doubt having a fresh new aftermarket filter for a few days is going to do any harm.
Someone did some research of all the aftermarket oil filters a while ago, and put up his results on the internet. Fram did not rank highly in that research... you can probably find it by googling a little. The research was done a number of years ago, so I don't know how applicable it would be today.
Purolator PureOne, Mobil are all good brands of aftermarket filters.
A search didn't reveal much info on the boards.
Linear Mode
