With 15400-PLM-A01 no longer available, what is your favorite oil filter? I have heard a lot of positive things about FRAM XG7317 Ultra Synthetic. Amazon sells them for $7. Is there any other oil filter on the market than offers a better value?
Is there any better oil filter than FRAM XG7317 Ultra Synthetic?
alosito
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PSI and flow are two different things when comparing orifice size. A larger orifice size(more media holes to flow through) will let more fluid through in volume than a restricted orifice size, right?
Will 100 psi push more fluid through an 1/8" opening or though a 1/2" opening?
Buffalo4
PS: A clogged media has basically a smaller 'pipe'. Capice?
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Thanks, @Buffalo4 . It's definitely going to be a long term test. I don't want to wait a year, so I may ask somebody smarter than me to pull representative samples between spring and summer (like an acquaintance who used to manage a vehicle fleet).
The Endurance filter looks like a quality piece of gear, and at a great price.
OF
The Endurance filter looks like a quality piece of gear, and at a great price.
OF
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Oil changes done on my Odyssey and Acura. About to finish off the Accord. By tomorrow, I start the trial. The goal is to get a couple thousand miles of regular driving and pull a sample from each vehicle using an oil sample pump:
![Image]()
Samples will be sent for oil analysis, plus I'll ask for particle counts.
Filters in use for the trial are as follows:
All vehicles using Mobil 1 High Mileage Extended Performance 0W-20 oil. I also have been using Rislone 4102 for a number of years and these three vehicles routinely get 1 fl oz. of ATP AT-205 per 2 quarts of oil fill for seal maintenance. In short, I did not change a thing in "the way I do business" for this sample run other than including the Fram product in the test.
If the Fram Endurance turns out to be as good as I think it will be, I may end up making a switch to this one for all of our vehicles.
I'll re-post here in a couple months when I get the samples, send them off, and get results. I also will do this on DriveAccord.net and 9thGenCivic.com.
OF
Samples will be sent for oil analysis, plus I'll ask for particle counts.
Filters in use for the trial are as follows:
- 2002 EX Odyssey with 234,011 miles -- Mobil 1 M1-207 semi-synthetic oil filter.
- 2003 Acura 3.2 TL Type S with 211,552 miles -- AmSOil Ea15K20 synthetic oil filter
- 2012 Accord EX-L, VCM muzzled with 107,710 miles -- Fram Endurance FE7317 synthetic oil filter
If the Fram Endurance turns out to be as good as I think it will be, I may end up making a switch to this one for all of our vehicles.
I'll re-post here in a couple months when I get the samples, send them off, and get results. I also will do this on DriveAccord.net and 9thGenCivic.com.
OF
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Between ATF changes (those are next, starting tomorrow morning for Accord and Acura) and the oil changes I just did (plus one to help a starving college student friend-of-the-family with his first car ... a 2003 Accord EX-L w/ K24 engine), I'm spent.
Just getting sore from crawling under vehicles.
All three are Honda V6-motivated, so in terms of generating a spectrum of wear particles by combustion and wear from various metallic parts, they should be similar.
I decided to not test filters on the lower end of the price and filter media spectrum, since I tend to veer towards "better filtration." On that note, the Mobil 1 series of blended filters have had a long-time popular following, the AmSOil filters have been legendary ... but Fram ... they are upping their game.
This is a long time from when two acquaintances of mine had issues with Fram filters. In one case the car maker (Mazda) told the owner to lawyer-up and make a case for Fram to replace his ruined engine when he went to the dealer under warranty. He settled out of court with Fram and got a new crate motor installed. Same for another guy on that web forum (it was either an Infiniti or Lexus in that instance, also settled out of court). These were over 20 years ago, though.
Similarly, Odyclubber @santoli3 had a Fram filter disintegrate in his Audi Coupe and block the oil gallery that supplies the cylinder head. Instant oil pressure loss and the engine noise that goes with it plus resulting damage from oil starvation. That was 17 years ago, but he had been a Fram user for 20 years prior to that incident requiring an engine teardown (and I assume another payout by Fram to fix the damage to his Audi Coupe).
Like any other company that wants to stay in business, I assume Fram improved their top tier line of filters, and hopefully took a good look at their economy line of "basic orange can" products to make sure the cardboard and filter media don't continue to separate into multiple pieces of oil flow-halting pieces of debris.
That said, I decided to test the filters I was using (Mobil 1 and AmSOil brands) to see if they are doing what I expect, plus test a filter I'm really interested in (Fram Endurance series).
If the Fram Endurance really does perform well and is close in terms of ISO cleanliness levels (or better) to the best of the other two, that will be my new "go to" brand. I really like the AmSOil filters, but making sure I mail order these well in advance of "doing the work" ... I sometimes forget. If the Fram Endurance can do the same job at 1/2 to 2/3 of the cost (with the convenience of being able to just hop down to my local auto parts store to get one), it will be a welcome "win."
OF
Just getting sore from crawling under vehicles.
All three are Honda V6-motivated, so in terms of generating a spectrum of wear particles by combustion and wear from various metallic parts, they should be similar.
I decided to not test filters on the lower end of the price and filter media spectrum, since I tend to veer towards "better filtration." On that note, the Mobil 1 series of blended filters have had a long-time popular following, the AmSOil filters have been legendary ... but Fram ... they are upping their game.
This is a long time from when two acquaintances of mine had issues with Fram filters. In one case the car maker (Mazda) told the owner to lawyer-up and make a case for Fram to replace his ruined engine when he went to the dealer under warranty. He settled out of court with Fram and got a new crate motor installed. Same for another guy on that web forum (it was either an Infiniti or Lexus in that instance, also settled out of court). These were over 20 years ago, though.
Similarly, Odyclubber @santoli3 had a Fram filter disintegrate in his Audi Coupe and block the oil gallery that supplies the cylinder head. Instant oil pressure loss and the engine noise that goes with it plus resulting damage from oil starvation. That was 17 years ago, but he had been a Fram user for 20 years prior to that incident requiring an engine teardown (and I assume another payout by Fram to fix the damage to his Audi Coupe).
Like any other company that wants to stay in business, I assume Fram improved their top tier line of filters, and hopefully took a good look at their economy line of "basic orange can" products to make sure the cardboard and filter media don't continue to separate into multiple pieces of oil flow-halting pieces of debris.
That said, I decided to test the filters I was using (Mobil 1 and AmSOil brands) to see if they are doing what I expect, plus test a filter I'm really interested in (Fram Endurance series).
If the Fram Endurance really does perform well and is close in terms of ISO cleanliness levels (or better) to the best of the other two, that will be my new "go to" brand. I really like the AmSOil filters, but making sure I mail order these well in advance of "doing the work" ... I sometimes forget. If the Fram Endurance can do the same job at 1/2 to 2/3 of the cost (with the convenience of being able to just hop down to my local auto parts store to get one), it will be a welcome "win."
OF
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Guys, I just got back the Blackstone analysis on our 2012 Accord EX-L V-6. It took almost a month, but finally got it back tonight.
Looked normal for 3,330 miles on the oil they sampled, and the TBN for the Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil was very good.
I paid for a particle count, and they simply give the ISO codes. In this case it was 24/22/15, and they felt the Fram Endurance FE7317 did a great job of "keeping oxidized solids in check" (i.e., trapping them in the filtration medium.)
Here's an image I got from BITOG.
![Image]()
Jim Allen's average for new oil, out of the container, is 20/19/17. At first, you might think "Man, at 24/22/15, the Fram Endurance ... did it do that well?"
I say, yes, the Fram Endurance filter did do well. Very well, I think. The first two ISO numbers are for particles of 4 and 6 microns, respectively. Those tiny particles floating around should remain hydrodynamic within the film of oil between bearing surfaces.
The third number, to me, is the most important, as that is for particles 14 microns and larger. The Fram Endurance was able to "clean up" the brand new oil a little, dropping the ISO cleanliness number of 17 (for new oil) down to 15, and kept it there up until the time when I pulled that sample.
Remember, an engine is a living, breathing, heat-cycling and vibrating environment that is constantly generating an entire spectrum of particulate matter to be filtered out of the oil, whether that be as products of combustion or wearing of mechanical lubricated surfaces.
In short, the Fram Endurance oil filter made the oil "cleaner than new" in the micron size range that is truly important for controlling wear and kept it there. The oil holds in suspension all of the truly small particles of 6 microns or less (the first two numbers).
Now that I have an account number at Blackstone, I'm going to pull samples from my Acura and our old Odyssey and send them in.
Stand by for those numbers.
BTW, Fram has really upped their game. The Fram Endurance FE7317, standing on its own without being compared to anything else, appears to be a solid choice.
So, to answer the question, is there a better filter than the XG7317 by Fram? Yes, Fram's own FE7317.
OF
Looked normal for 3,330 miles on the oil they sampled, and the TBN for the Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil was very good.
I paid for a particle count, and they simply give the ISO codes. In this case it was 24/22/15, and they felt the Fram Endurance FE7317 did a great job of "keeping oxidized solids in check" (i.e., trapping them in the filtration medium.)
Here's an image I got from BITOG.
Jim Allen's average for new oil, out of the container, is 20/19/17. At first, you might think "Man, at 24/22/15, the Fram Endurance ... did it do that well?"
I say, yes, the Fram Endurance filter did do well. Very well, I think. The first two ISO numbers are for particles of 4 and 6 microns, respectively. Those tiny particles floating around should remain hydrodynamic within the film of oil between bearing surfaces.
The third number, to me, is the most important, as that is for particles 14 microns and larger. The Fram Endurance was able to "clean up" the brand new oil a little, dropping the ISO cleanliness number of 17 (for new oil) down to 15, and kept it there up until the time when I pulled that sample.
Remember, an engine is a living, breathing, heat-cycling and vibrating environment that is constantly generating an entire spectrum of particulate matter to be filtered out of the oil, whether that be as products of combustion or wearing of mechanical lubricated surfaces.
In short, the Fram Endurance oil filter made the oil "cleaner than new" in the micron size range that is truly important for controlling wear and kept it there. The oil holds in suspension all of the truly small particles of 6 microns or less (the first two numbers).
Now that I have an account number at Blackstone, I'm going to pull samples from my Acura and our old Odyssey and send them in.
Stand by for those numbers.
BTW, Fram has really upped their game. The Fram Endurance FE7317, standing on its own without being compared to anything else, appears to be a solid choice.
So, to answer the question, is there a better filter than the XG7317 by Fram? Yes, Fram's own FE7317.
OF
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I forgot to add to this thread after getting the sample back from our 2002 EX Odyssey in late fall of last year.
After about 6,500 miles with the old van doing hot weather towing duty again, and over 9 months on the oil and filter (NOS Mobil 1 M1-207) I received the following ISO 4406 numbers from Blackstone Labs:
They recommended running the oil another 2,000 to 3,000 miles based on a good TBN result ... that would allow a whole year with the severe service we were applying to the van.
Some might say that the Fram Endurance did not shine as well, being I sampled for that filter at just over 3,300 miles on our 8th Gen V6 Accord sedan, but I would beg to differ.
That Accord V6 and its Fram Endurance filter supporting the fill of 0W-20 Mobil 1 oil had reached "filter equilibrium," i.e., this dynamic system (our engines) are continuously generating a spectrum of wear particles and solids from the combustion process, and the Fram filter was keeping the lube oil at an ISO 4406 cleanliness of 24/22/15, same as the older Mobil 1 filter I had sampled.
Both kept the lube oil "cleaner than new" in that important "larger than 14 microns" category when referencing Jim Allen's data posted on BITOG.
I pulled a sample from my 2003 Acura TL (also a V6 Honda motor) and mailed it off to Blackstone Labs this weekend. That oil has 8,541 miles and 17 months of use with an AmSOil Ea15K20 filter, with a lot of short haul operation, some towing (our lighter lawn equipment trailer) and not-a-lot of highway miles.
Stay tuned.
OF
After about 6,500 miles with the old van doing hot weather towing duty again, and over 9 months on the oil and filter (NOS Mobil 1 M1-207) I received the following ISO 4406 numbers from Blackstone Labs:
- Particles larger than 4 microns: 24
- Particles larger than 6 microns: 22
- Particles larger than 14 microns: 15
They recommended running the oil another 2,000 to 3,000 miles based on a good TBN result ... that would allow a whole year with the severe service we were applying to the van.
Some might say that the Fram Endurance did not shine as well, being I sampled for that filter at just over 3,300 miles on our 8th Gen V6 Accord sedan, but I would beg to differ.
That Accord V6 and its Fram Endurance filter supporting the fill of 0W-20 Mobil 1 oil had reached "filter equilibrium," i.e., this dynamic system (our engines) are continuously generating a spectrum of wear particles and solids from the combustion process, and the Fram filter was keeping the lube oil at an ISO 4406 cleanliness of 24/22/15, same as the older Mobil 1 filter I had sampled.
Both kept the lube oil "cleaner than new" in that important "larger than 14 microns" category when referencing Jim Allen's data posted on BITOG.
I pulled a sample from my 2003 Acura TL (also a V6 Honda motor) and mailed it off to Blackstone Labs this weekend. That oil has 8,541 miles and 17 months of use with an AmSOil Ea15K20 filter, with a lot of short haul operation, some towing (our lighter lawn equipment trailer) and not-a-lot of highway miles.
Stay tuned.
OF
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I bought 2 Fram XG7317 filters last month. I didn't use them because I didn't like the looks of the fuzzy filter media. The older version was made way better and they cheaper out on the newer one. I put on a Honda filter instead, don't think I'll be buying another Fram filter any time soon.
Did you ever look at the filtering data on a Honda Oil Filter?
You might be surprised.
And thanks for the head's up on the fuzzy material.
Buffalo4
PS: I am still using the old Fram Ultra Synthetic XG7317 Oil Fllters I bougnt several years ago.
Great filter according to all the reviews Ihave read.
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I found this on a Google search. The filters I bought, the media looks exactly like the one on the original post by the OP. Don't have any pics of the ones I bought because I already returned them to Walmart. This is the reason I went back to the OEM filter.Did you ever look at the filtering data on a Honda Oil Filter?
You might be surprised.
And thanks for the head's up on the fuzzy material.
Buffalo4
PS: I am still using the old Fram Ultra Synthetic XG7317 Oil Fllters I bougnt several years ago.
Great filter according to all the reviews Ihave read.
I am currently using a Fram XG7317, and I have no complaints. I had mainly used the Mobil 1 filter, but the store was out of it at the time, and I didn't want to go from one place to another, so I used the Fram. I don't like the orange cans, but the 20K synthetic one seems to be a top-quality unit. Honda OE filters are made by Honeywell, which also manufactures Fram, but I can only assume they are better than the orange ones. I do my oil changes so I can use whatever I want.
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The one you bought, did it have the fuzzy filter media?
How could you see the fuzzy filter material if you didn't cut it open?
Just curious.
Buffalo4
Use The Force!
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